We are looking for an enthusiastic, communicative, and highly motivated Tenure Track Assistant Professor with experience in big data approaches in plant science. You integrate big data approaches with physiology and molecular biology to discover mechanisms of phenotypic plasticity. As a Tenure Track researcher, you will be the linking pin between, and member of, two research groups; Plant-Environment Signaling (headed by Ronald Pierik) and Plant Stress Resilience (headed by Rashmi Sasidharan). You will actively do research, teaching, and supervision, which is further enabled by the opportunity for you to hire a university-funded PhD candidate. You have proven excellence in research and teaching and your expertise would support and embed into existing research programs in the two groups, and facilitate new collaborative programs.

We are nearing completion of a brand-new plant phenotyping facility (NPEC), providing a fantastic opportunity for high-throughput, automated phenotyping of plant plasticity under environmental fluctuations. We expect that this facility and its team of scientists provide a great opportunity for you to connect to.

We are looking for a dedicated, creative and collaborative candidate with the following qualifications:

• a PhD in Plant Biology;
• experience with big data approaches (e.g. bioinformatics, phenotyping);
• experience, talent and interest in academic teaching and outreach;
• experience in publishing impactful science;
• a broad network in plant biology and experience and success in acquiring external funding;
• excellent English proficiency (speaking and writing) and willingness to learn Dutch.

If you feel that this role is the perfect match, but you do not yet meet all the qualifications, we also welcome you to apply.

• a full-time tenure track position for five years (1.0 FTE) that will be subject to a mid-term evaluation after approximately 2.5 years and an end-term evaluation after 4.5 years. If evaluations are positive after five years, the position becomes permanent;
• a full-time gross salary - depending on previous qualifications and experience - ranging between €3,974 and €5,439 per month (scale 11 according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities (cao));
• 8% holiday bonus and 8.3% end-of-year bonus;
• A pension scheme, partially paid parental leave, and flexible employment conditions based on the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities.

In addition to the employment conditions laid down in the CAO for Dutch Universities, Utrecht University has a number of its own arrangements. For example, there are agreements on professional development, leave arrangements and sports. We also give you the opportunity to expand your terms of employment via the Employment Conditions Selection Model. This is how we like to encourage you to continue to grow.

For more information, please visit working at the Faculty of Science.

The Department of Biology consists of 12 research groups, which are organized within two institutes: the Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity (IBB) and the Institute of Environmental Biology (IEB). The department of Biology coordinates the teaching of the Bachelor’s programme in Biology, as well as the Master’s programmes and PhD courses that are offered through the Graduate School of Life Sciences. Each Institute promotes the maintenance of a high-quality and interactive research environment.

The Plant-Environment Signaling and Plant Stress Resilience groups are two recently formed research teams led by long-term collaborators Ronald Pierik  and Rashmi Sasidharan, who are formalizing their bonds with this shared tenure track position. The teams study plant development, plasticity and resilience under fluctuating environmental conditions. We consider diversity in research, backgrounds, and personalities important in our international teams that are embedded in the Institute of Environmental Biology. You can expect to work in an inclusive, collaborative, and motivating environment with a very creative and international team of PhD students, Postdocs, Tenured staff, and Research Assistants. You will have access to world-class research facilities including recently renovated plant growth facilities, the Netherlands Eco-Phenotyping facility, and fully equipped molecular labs. You will benefit from our extensive national/international collaborations in academia and industry.

At the Faculty of Science, there are 6 departments to make a fundamental connection with: Biology, Chemistry, Information and Computing Sciences, Mathematics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Physics. Each of these is made up of distinct institutes that work together to focus on answering some of humanity’s most pressing problems. More fundamental still are the individual research groups – the building blocks of our ambitious scientific projects.

Utrecht University is a friendly and ambitious university at the heart of an ancient city. We love to welcome new scientists to our city – a thriving cultural hub that is consistently rated as one of the world’s happiest cities. We are renowned for our innovative interdisciplinary research and our emphasis on inspirational research and excellent education. We are equally well-known for our informal atmosphere and the can-do mentality of our people. This lively and inspiring academic environment attracts professors, researchers and PhD candidates from all over the globe, making both the University and the Faculty of Science a vibrant international and wonderfully diverse community.