Are you a mathematical statistician who is passionate about scientific research and education and enjoys participating in multi-disciplinary projects?

At the Statistics group of the Korteweg-de Vries Instituut voor Wiskunde (KdVI), the mathematical research institute of the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam, we are looking for new colleagues with expertise in mathematical statistics or mathematical data science, including (but not restricted to) computational statistics, statistical learning, and statistical data science.

The research in the Statistics group covers various aspects of mathematical statistics, including parametric and non-parametric methods, as well as methods based on Bayesian principles. This ranges from theoretical work on the performance and design of procedures in high-dimensional models to more applied work in areas such as forensic statistics, the life sciences and finance. In addition, emerging techniques from machine learning research are evaluated, to shed light on their opportunities and limitations. Another recent research focus of the group is the design and study of statistical methods for the estimation of causal models from data and their use in predicting the results of interventions on systems.

What are you going to do?

You are expected to:

• further develop your own research line by publishing in high level international journals, presenting at leading conferences and supervising PhD students;
• set up a research group and co-manage and scientifically co-direct the Statistics group;
• acquire funding from sources such as NWO/STW (e.g. VIDI), H2020 (e.g. ERC starting/consolidator grant) and industry;
• contribute to the education of bachelor and master students within the mathematics programmes teaching for other departments, and teaching in the national master programme;
• collaborate with other groups, institutes and/or companies inside and outside the UvA by contributing statistical expertise to (joint) research projects;
• show good organisational citizenship behaviour at relevant levels within the institution of the Faculty of Science.

• A PhD in Mathematics, Statistics or a closely related field;
• excellent research skills, evidenced by a track record of publications in renowned international journals, and contributed and/or invited talks at international conferences/workshops;
• a strong background, experience and expertise in research in mathematical statistics, computational statistics, statistical learning, or statistical data science;
• teaching experience at university level and proven didactic abilities;
• preferably some experience with the (co-)supervision of BSc, MSc and/or PhD students;
• proven ability to attract external funding and experience in the process of proposal writing;
• the willingness to contribute to valorisation efforts and to foster collaborations with other academic institutes and industry;
• excellent communication skills;
• management skills required for general academic administration, organisation and coordination tasks;
• good command of English and willingness to learn the Dutch language (obtaining level B1 after three years of the appointment);
• at least two years of postdoc experience is expected but not strictly necessary.

International research experience is preferred.
We will base our selection on your scientific track record and on your vision for future research, as well as on your teaching achievements, qualifications, and vision for future teaching.

Fixed-term contract: five years.

We offer you a tenure-track agreement for five years (which is part of a six-year temporary appointment). At the start, we will draw up an agreement with you, specifying the tenure-track requirements for research, teaching and management tasks that need to be fulfilled in order to assess progress after three years and after five years. The requirements in this agreement are negotiable and depend on your experience and scientific profile. Following a positive assessment after five years  the appointment will become permanent.

Start dates are negotiable. The positions will be filled at the level of Assistant or Associate professor, depending on qualifications. The starting salary will be in accordance with university regulations for academic personnel, and depending on experience and qualifications. It will range from a minimum of €3,637 up to a maximum of €6,738 gross per month (salary scale 11-14) based on full-time employment. This is exclusive 8 % holiday allowance and 8.3 % end-of-year bonus. A favorable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

The position comes with a start-up package consisting of one PhD student and a travel budget.

Are you curious about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits? Then find out more about working at the Faculty of Science.

University of Amsterdam

With over 5,000 employees, 30,000 students and a budget of more than 600 million euros, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is an intellectual hub within the Netherlands. Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted within seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. Housed on four city campuses in or near the heart of Amsterdam, where disciplines come together and interact, the faculties have close links with thousands of researchers and hundreds of institutions at home and abroad.  

The UvA’s students and employees are independent thinkers, competent rebels who dare to question dogmas and aren’t satisfied with easy answers and standard solutions. To work at the UvA is to work in an independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

Faculty of Science – Informatics Institute

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 6,500, as well as 1,600 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

The Korteweg-de Vries Instituut voor Wiskunde (KdVI) is the mathematical research institute of the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam. The KdVI offers a stimulating scientific environment in which research focuses mainly within the research programmes (1) Algebra, Geometry and Mathematical Physics, (2) Pure, Applied and Numerical Analysis, and (3) Stochastics. It also provides the lecturers and instructors for the mathematics teaching within the Science faculty and within the national programme Mastermath. The KdVI participates in the NWO research clusters GQT, STAR, NDNS+, DIAMANT, and the NWO-Gravity programmes NETWORKS and the Quantum Software Consortium. There is formal (and informal) collaboration with the Centrum voor Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI), the VU University and the financial industry. The KdVI organises popularising activities such as ’Leve de Wiskunde’, Masterclasses and online webclasses. The institute has about 30 faculty members and 40 postdocs and PhD students.

The Statistics group of the KdVI aims to develop new statistical theory and methodology, including their rigorous justification. The group will be headed by dr Joris Mooij and currently consists of two more full-time senior staff members (one of which will retire soon), a part-time professor by special appointment in the area of Forensic Statistics and a number of postdocs and PhD students. The Statistics group is part of the larger Stochastics programme, which also contains the Probability group, headed by Prof. Michel Mandjes, which covers topics such as probability theory, stochastic analysis, mathematical finance and queuing theory. Within the science faculty there are interesting related groups. In particular, in the area of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning there are closely related activities within the Computer Science department (IvI) and the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC). An interesting development is the recent launch of the Innovation Center for Artificial Intelligence (ICAI), which promotes public-private partnerships in the general area of AI.