At the Teaching Institute of the Department of Chemistry, we are looking for a Junior Lecturer with a heart for teaching and practical education in the molecular life sciences. In this position you will be responsible for teaching and implementing practical courses for the bachelor Chemistry and the bachelor Molecular and Biophysical Life Sciences (MBLS) at Utrecht University. The laboratory courses focus on applying and working with theoretical concepts and on a wide range of practical laboratory skills.

There is an increasing focus on learning to set up and carry out experiments independently within a predetermined framework, with the students themselves giving direction and content to the experimental set-up. New digital educational methods provide challenging possibilities for the future; innovating education forms an integral part of the educational culture within the practicum team. The practicum team also contributes to practicals for the bachelor Biomedical Sciences (BMW) and for the University College Utrecht (UCU).

Due to the increasing student numbers, we are currently scaling up our laboratory courses, which requires innovative approaches, modern teaching tools and highly motivated teachers who can make use of them – which is why we are looking for you! You will be involved in planning the practicals, working with innovative online teaching tools, the purchase and sustainable use of materials, and the renewal and improvement of the practicals. On practicum days, you will be present in the lab and will supervise, monitor and provide feedback to students on their practical work and lab journals.

You will be the point of contact for a team of (student) assistants. Together you will ensure the successful running of the practicum. You will be responsible for the following tasks:

• coordination and execution of the logistics of the teaching laboratory;
• thinking along on educational innovation, development of new teaching materials and the implementation of innovative tools for educational innovation;
• supervising students on practicum days;
• providing feedback on lab journals, reports and records;
• grading student work;
• evaluating and improving practicum experiments.

We are looking for a social, enthusiastic colleague with experimental track record in the Molecular Life Sciences. In addition, you recognize yourself in one or more of the following points: you are a team player, decisive and collegial. You like to work together and you communicate clearly and carefully with colleagues and students. Furthermore, we would like you to bring the following:

• You have a PhD or are in the final phase of your (experimental) PhD research on a relevant topic in the molecular life sciences.
• You have a good command of the English language. Command of the Dutch language has added value, but is not essential.
• You have logistical skills and the flexibility and attitude to be closely involved in all aspects of realising laboratory teaching and support for course coordinators in running the practicals.
• You have interests in teaching and educational innovation and possibly some previous experience.
• You enjoy contributing to a challenging learning environment for students.

• a position for one-year with the prospect of extension to a maximum of 4 years;
• a full-time gross salary ranging from €2.960- to €4.670 in scale 10;
• 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 provides some additional agreements and regulations. 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 develop further.

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

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.

At the Faculty of Science, there are 6 departments to make a fundamental connection with: Chemistry, Biology, 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. 

Within the Teaching Institute of Chemistry, the practicum team has a leading role in providing laboratory education to undergraduate students of the Chemistry and MBLS programmes. This takes place in close cooperation with the chemistry research groups and includes practicals in the fields of the molecular life sciences, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry and spectroscopy. Our practical education enjoys modern teaching laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. The practicum team consists of three Faculty members, technical support staff (analysts), and is supported from the research groups. It also contributes substantially to VO-HO recruitment and outreach activities (U-Talent).