The Faculty of Spatial Sciences of the University of Groningen seeks to recruit an Assistant Professor Sustainability and Planning in the field of Regional & Urban Planning. As Assistant Professor you will contribute to teaching, research and management tasks at the Department of Planning and Environment. Your main teaching tasks will be in courses for the bachelor programmes of Spatial Planning & Design and of Human Geography & Planning, the master programmes of Society, Sustainability & Planning, and of Environmental & Infrastructure Planning, as well as in supervising master and/or bachelor theses. Because of the teaching tasks as well as research, knowledge or affinity with Dutch urban and/or regional planning is favourable, as well as is knowledge of the Dutch language. The position includes the allocation of 40% dedicated research time.

To strengthen our team, we are looking for an assistant professor with an interest in regional and urban planning targeting sustainable development and environmental planning. Your research and education focusses on the interface between the physical environmental processes and institutional approaches to avoid, mitigate and compensate impacts. Expertise and skills for analysing, researching and explaining physical environmental processes and impacts are expected, while knowledge of GIS is required. Processes can include flows of matter, energy or pollution, or human activities such as transport and mobility. Impact can range from the deterioration of soil, water, air or health to aspects such as noise, risks or climate change. The Assistant Professor will also engage with policies and planning approaches to respond to these physical impacts, while acknowledging the social sensitivities surrounding sustainability transformations. Preferably, you have specialised in one or more of the following topics: environmental planning, climate adaptation, mobility, (transport) infrastructure, ecological services and resources, energy transition, environmental impact assessment, community engagement.

Organisation
The Faculty of Spatial Sciences consists of over 110 members of staff, 120 PhD students, and 1100 graduate students. The Faculty offers a vibrant academic environment with an international staff and extensive experience in working within international research projects. We focus on high quality teaching and research in the fields of social and economic geography, demography, and spatial planning. With a Faculty slogan of ‘making places better together’ and an overarching research theme 'Towards Wellbeing, Innovation and Spatial Transformation' (tWIST), it is our mission to produce research which is world-leading, distinctive, and policy-relevant. With two bachelor and seven master programmes, we provide a wide range of courses within the wider field of spatial sciences.

The Faculty consists of four departments: Cultural Geography, Demography, Economic Geography, and Planning & Environment. As Assistant Professor you will be positioned within the department Planning and Environment. This Department is involved in the master programmes Society, Sustainability & Planning and Environmental & Infrastructure Planning, and both bachelor programmes of the Faculty entitled ‘Spatial Planning & Design’ and ‘Human Geography & Planning’. Research at the Department of Planning & Environment focuses on issues of institutional design for purposeful interventions within the human environment.

- a PhD in in the wider field of spatial and/or environmental planning, geography, public administration, environmental studies, environmental geography, land and water management, environmental or civil engineering, or a social science discipline with proven affinity with environmental issues, policies and planning
- has affinity with the interface between sustainability and environmental issues with policy and planning, environmental governance and institutional frameworks
- publications in international peer-reviewed academic journals
- evidence of a research agenda consistent with Faculty research and a willingness to supervise PhD students
- possession of a University Teaching Qualification (or similar), or preparedness to acquire this qualification within a reasonable timeframe
- experience with various teaching approaches; awareness of and a willingness to apply the latest innovations in teaching; has experience in using GIS
- an ability to develop and maintain university–industry/practice networks in the fields listed above, including a willingness to participate in external projects, events and presentations
- a willingness to participate in appropriate Faculty committees and/or other management tasks
- is fluent in English and has knowledge of or is willing to learn Dutch (to at least CEFR B2 level – for reading and listening).

Fixed-term contract: 12 months.

We offer you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

- a salary, depending on qualifications and work experience, with a minimum of € 3,974 to a maximum of € 5,439 (salary scale 11) gross per month for a full-time position
- a holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income
- an 8.3% annual bonus
- minimum of 29 holidays and additional 12 holidays in case of full-time employment.

You will be appointed initially on a temporary basis for one year with an outlook to a permanent position when you meet the criteria.

The conditions are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU).

For more detailed information about working conditions and working for the University of Groningen, please check: https://www.rug.nl/about-us/work-with-us/

Starting date: as soon as possible