Are you fascinated by basic biomedical research at the intersection of developmental, stem cell and cancer biology? Are you equally passionate about research and teaching in this area? Then this is a unique opportunity. We are looking for an assistant professor (universitair docent) who will strengthen our team.

You will be embedded in the Developmental, Stem Cell and Cancer Biology group (led by dr. Renée van Amerongen), which is part of the Cell & Systems Biology cluster of the Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences in the Faculty of Science at the University of Amsterdam.

Research in our group aims to understand how complex tissues are built and maintained. We study this at multiple different levels – 'from man or mouse to molecule' – using a variety of experimental approaches and with a specific focus on WNT signal transduction, mammary gland biology and breast cancer. See our website for more details.

We aim to recruit someone who is willing to devote ~50% of their time to teaching. Some of these activities will be connected to the research theme of the group, but you are also expected to contribute to teaching on a broader range of subjects in the Biology and Biomedical Sciences programs (BSc and MSc level). In time, you should also be able to take on smaller or larger management roles in education.

The other 50% of your time will be dedicated to research. We look forward to welcoming a new colleague with original ideas and a healthy research ambition that aligns with the overall research theme of our group. Applicants with a background in and/or an affinity for breast cancer, organoids, gene regulation, -omics techniques and/or bioinformatics would especially complement our current skill set.

What are you going to do?

You are expected to

• be active in teaching (and the development of education) in the BSc and MSc programs of the Biomedical Sciences and Biology programs in the Faculty of Science;
• supervise BSc and MSc students for individual assignments (including research internships, literature reviews, etc.);
• be active in fundamental biomedical research within the context of our research theme, resulting in scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals, either as lead or co-author;
• be active in the attraction of external funding (e.g. as lead applicant or co-applicant of grants);
• contribute to collaborations with other institutes and/or companies, including our biomedical partner institutes in Amsterdam (NKI, Sanquin, Amsterdam UMC).

What do we require?

• A PhD in developmental, stem cell or cancer biology (or an adjacent area);
• expertise in an area of research that aligns with the overall research theme of our group, reflected by (among others) your publication record;
• a broad interest in life sciences research beyond the confines of your own discipline;
• equal affinity for research and teaching;
• enthusiasm for and dedication to teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels;
• affinity with Wnt signalling and/or mammary gland biology;
• willingness to contribute to attracting external funding;
• willingness to foster collaborations with other academic institutes and/or industry;
• willingness to contribute to valorization and outreach activities of the research group;
• fluency and excellent communication in English, both written and spoken;
• fluency in Dutch is strongly preferred, given your contributions to teaching in the BSc program.

Our ideal candidate also has:

• experience with one or more experimental (multicellular) animal systems (Art. 9 preferred, but not required);
• at least 2 years of postdoc experience, either nationally or internationally;
• a prior funding record appropriate for their career stage.

If you are interested but have any hesitation as to whether you would be a fit for this position, please contact dr Renée van Amerongen.

In this position, you will be able to apply for grants and act as daily supervisor for PhD students. Our goal is to recruit someone who will strengthen our team by contributing their skills and expertise to our existing research program in order to achieve common results.

Please note that this position does not necessarily require an extensive prior teaching record, although this will be beneficial. Ideally, you have at least some teaching experience (including student supervision) to demonstrate your competence in this area. Still, enthusiasm for and affinity with teaching and education are more important than experience at this point.

Within the Faculty of Science, newly appointed assistant professors follow a didactic training trajectory, which upon completion results in a qualification for academic teaching (basiskwalificatie onderwijs, BKO) within two years.

SILS expects its staff to acquire sufficient fluency in the Dutch language within three years of the start of the employment contract.

Our offer

Initially a temporary contract for 38 hours a week, preferably starting on 1 January 2021 for the duration of 2 years. A permanent contract follows if we assess your performance positive.

The salary, depending on relevant work experience before the beginning of the employment contract, will be €3,746 to €5,127 (scale 11) gross per month, based on a full-time contract of 38 hours a week. This is exclusive 8 % holiday allowance and 8,3% end-of-year bonus. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

Are you curious about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits like our excellent opportunities for study and development? 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 - Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 7,000, 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 Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS) is one of the Faculty of Science's largest institutes. Its approximately 240 scientists and staff members work in 16 research groups that perform excellent research centered around four themes: 1) Cell & Systems Biology, 2) Microbiology, 3) Neurosciences, 4) Green Life Sciences.