Recognizing that society is increasingly digital and that the ability of software to cope with change is pivotal for a successful digitalization, the department of computer science at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is looking for an associate professor to establish a strong profile in various topics related to adaptive software (AS) research, and contribute to our computer science bachelor/master programs as well as our information sciences master program.

Our philosophy is to hire the best person rather than hiring someone in a narrowly defined research area. She/He will initiate, conduct and supervise high-quality research aiming to address the increasing complexity and uncertainty that modern software-intensive systems have to cope with. The software ability to support complex, multi-stakeholder environments and adapt to anticipated and unanticipated change calls for research in (but not limited to) requirements engineering, software architecture design decision making, software sustainability modeling, assessment, management and monitoring, methodologies for software design, evolution, optimization, and adaptation.

We especially encourage women applicants. In the case of equal suitability of candidates, preference will be given to a female candidate.

While we are looking for candidates at the level of associate professor, we welcome applications from candidates at higher levels.The tenure track position is starting at the level of associate professor in the areas of research, education and management (40%:40%:20%), and contains amongst others the following responsibilities:

• We seek an energetic and synergetic candidate that is eager to shape and lead their research
• Candidates will be expected to contribute to teaching in our bachelor and master programs by initiating/developing and planning 2-3 courses within the area of adaptive software, as well as in the supervision of bachelor and master thesis projects. The candidate will be encouraged to further improving education
• Where relevant, we encourage collaboration between the existing groups in the department

• A Ph.D. degree in Computer Science or a strongly related field
• A high-quality publication track record in related research in both conference proceedings and journals
• Good visibility and engagement in their research community
• Ability to acquire research grants
• Either in possession of, or willing to obtain, a teaching qualification ('BKO')
• Good teaching skills, witnessed by good teaching evaluations
• Good interpersonal communication skills
• English language proficiency

Fixed-term contract: 5 years.

A challenging position in a socially involved organization. On full-time basis the remuneration amounts to a minimum gross monthly salary of €5,039 (scale 13)
and a maximum €6,738 (scale 13), depending on your education and experience. The job profile: associate professor is based on the university job ranking system and is vacant for at least 0.8 FTE.

This is a tenure track position; the initial appointment will be for a period of five years. Based on performance indicators agreed at the start of the appointment, a tenure track position will lead to a tenured position of UHD 1 in a period of maximally 5 years. In the fifth year of the appointment the tenure decision will be taken and a midterm review will take place in 2,5 years’ time after starting date.

Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• a maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• solid pension scheme (ABP) 
• contribution to commuting expenses 
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package

In order to attract foreign employees, the Netherlands offers a tax incentive known as the 30% ruling and is vacant for at least 0.8 FTE.

The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. And to be a university where personal education and societal involvement play a leading role. Where people from different disciplines and backgrounds work together on innovations and on generating new knowledge. Our teaching and research embrace the whole spectrum of science – from the humanities, the social sciences and the pure sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 26,500 students. We employ more than 4,600 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible, located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity
Diversity is one of our university’s core values. We are an inclusive community, and we believe that diversity and international activities enhance the quality of education and research. We are always looking for people who can enhance diversity on our campus thanks to their background and experience.

The Faculty of Science
The Faculty of Science inspires researchers and students to find sustainable solutions for complex societal issues. From forest fires to big data, from obesity to medicines and from molecules to the moon: our teaching and research programmes cover the full spectrum of the natural sciences. We share knowledge and experience with leading research institutes and industries, both here in the Netherlands and abroad.

Working at the Faculty of Science means working with students, PhD candidates and researchers, all with a clear focus on their field and a broad view of the world. We employ more than 1,250 staff members, and we are home to around 6,000 students.
 
About the department, institute, project
Since the 1970s, the Department of Computer Science at Vrije Universiteit has continuously enjoyed a world-class reputation in research. It produced excellent research in the field of software engineering, software architecture, and the relation between software and sustainability.
In recent years, applied adaptive software research at VU occurred in areas such as software architecture (e.g., tactics for cyber-foraging and energy-efficiency), and data-driven software adaptation (e.g., machine learning for personalizing and re-architecting healthcare applications).
However, currently the computer science department does not have a dedicated AS research focus. For this reason, the department decided to invest in the establishment of a new research focus to cater to the demand for AS research in the field and to complement the applied AS research in other groups (such as the software engineering, user-centric data science, systems and artificial intelligence groups). Depending on the research focus, the new associate professor leading this effort will be nominally embedded in an existing group, but in spirit with the flat / non hierarchical research culture of  the department, they will be encouraged to pursue an independent research line and establish their own span of control.