The candidate will be employed at the Department of Methodology and Statistics of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at Utrecht University. We provide teaching in methods and statistics within all Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences and University College Utrecht. We offer the only two-year Master’s degree programme exclusively focused on methodology and statistics in the social, biomedical, and behavioural sciences in the Netherlands (in cooperation with Twente University and the Biostatistics group of Utrecht University Medical Centre).

In collaboration with Statistics Netherlands, we offer a track within this Master's labelled European Master's of Official Statistics, awarded by Eurostat. In addition, we participate in the one-year interdisciplinary Master's Applied Data Science and in the interdisciplinary minor in Applied Data Science. Finally, we also teach courses for researchers and other professionals as part of the Summer School Utrecht, and we give advice to staff and students with respect to their research activities.

The research of the Department of Methodology and Statistics focuses on methods and techniques for the social and behavioural sciences in a broad sense and comprises topics such as: research synthesis techniques, longitudinal studies, SEM and multilevel analyses, survey research, Bayesian statistics, Applied Data Science, and qualitative research.

Additionally, our department plays an active role in the Utrecht University focus area Applied Data Science and collaborates with the strategic themes Dynamics of Youth and Institutions for Open Societies.

The survey methodology research group within the department conducts research into methods for data collection in a broad sense and surveys in particular. Together with Statistics Netherlands, the group investigates the integration of new data collection methods (using registers, smartphone apps and wearables) in combination with more traditional forms of data collection to improve social statistics. We also investigate broader issues such as nonresponse, missing data, cross-national surveys, and web surveys.

The positions involves 60% teaching activities and 40% research time. Core tasks will include:

• contributing to the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes within the curriculum of Methodology and Statistics and/or the Applied Data Science programmes;
• carrying out and supervising research within the scope of the research executed by the department of Methodology and Statistics, often in collaboration with other research institutes or societal partners;
• contributing to the acquisition of substantial external research funding for the benefit of the research programme of the department of Methodology and Statistics.

Teaching

• The candidate has experience with developing and coordinating academic courses in a team setting. Experience with teaching courses on research designs for the social and behavioural sciences and survey methods in a broad sense is desired.
• The candidate is able to provide inspiring lectures and has an eye for the improvement of teaching methods, as evidenced by positive teaching assessments.
• The candidate holds a Basic Teaching Qualification (BKO), or is willing to acquire this qualification in the near future.

Research

• The candidate holds a PhD degree in the field of research methods, statistics, data science, computational social sciences or an adjacent field.
• The candidate has experience in conducting scientific research in the field of survey methodology, or data collection methodologies more generally.
• The candidate has ideas about their own research line and how this could fit in with the Department of Methodology and Statistics.
• The candidate is able to contribute to the (collective) acquiring of external research funding for the benefit of the research programme of the department of Methodology and Statistics.

General

• The candidate has good communication skills, a proactive work attitude, and is able to work within a team.
• The candidate is willing to learn Dutch. We expect a passive understanding of Dutch within two years of taking up the appointment.

We offer a fulltime permanent (i.e., tenured) position. The gross salary - depending on previous qualifications and experience  - ranges between €3,807 and €5,922 (scale 11/12 according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) per month for a full-time employment. Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% per year. In addition, Utrecht University offers excellent secondary conditions, including an attractive retirement scheme, (partly paid) parental leave and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). More information about working at Utrecht University can be found here.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes.

The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences is one of the leading faculties in Europe providing research and academic teaching in cultural anthropology, educational sciences, interdisciplinary social science, pedagogical sciences, psychology, and sociology. Almost 6.000 students are enrolled in a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programmes. The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences has some 850 faculty and staff members, all providing their individual contribution to training and educating young talent and to research into and finding solutions for scientific and societal issues.