We are looking for an assistant professor with chemical engineering background and expertise in developing sustainable processes for chemical recycling of plastics, to join our Chemical Recycling Group at the Circular Chemical Engineering department. Specifically, we are looking for a staff member who can develop thermochemical processes for the conversion of complex feedstocks (such as plastic waste) and has experience working with experimental set-ups at different scales, analysis of data, reactor design, kinetics analysis and process design.

We expect that you are passionate about research and enjoy collaborating with other staff within and beyond Circular Chemical Engineering department. In particular, we look for someone who gets satisfaction from enriching the research of others by offering contributions in experimental processes and analysis. Note that these broad contributions to research in the department are explicitly recognized in the new Recognition and Reward HR policies instated at Maastricht University and are accepted as one of the means towards career development. In the staff member we hope to find, this open and helpful attitude is prioritized over having a strong empirical research line and being individually successful in grant acquisition.

We also hope you are an enthusiastic teacher, as the time commitment on the advertised positions entails 50/50 teaching and research. In 2021, FSE launched a BSc in Circular Engineering, where most of your teaching will take place. Also, you will be asked to actively participate in the supervision of BSc and MSc students.

You are also expected to be a team player with an open communication and effective management style. Once you are settled in, you should be ready to fulfil administrative roles or committee work in the faculty.

• You have a PhD in Chemical Engineering;
• You must have strong laboratory experimental skills; In particular, you should have experience in developing chemical processes for conversion of complex feedstocks, desirably, for chemical recycling of plastics.
• You should have experience as a Postdoc, and possess a publication track record that shows your research attitude on the field;
• You display outstanding quality in research, and you enjoy and promote interdisciplinary team science. Excellent English communication skills are essential. Knowledge of Dutch is not required.
• You are an experienced and enthusiastic teacher and have demonstrated skills in teaching chemical engineering-related courses.
• We expect that you are willing to collaborate with other colleagues, also in multidisciplinary projects.

What we offer

As Assistant Professor at Faculty of Science & Engineering, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded in scale 11 according to UFO profile Universitair docent, with corresponding salary based on experience ranging from €4,332 and €5,929 gross per month (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 12 months with a scope of 1.0 FTE. Upon proven suitability, the employment contract will be converted to an indefinite contract.
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model.
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students.
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'.

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Maastricht University

Why work at Maastricht University?

At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.

In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.

With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.

Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.

Click here for more information about UM.

Faculty of Science and Engineering

At the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE), we focus on themes such as circularity and sustainability, future farming, digitisation and (scientific) instrument development. FSE's leading projects, like the Einstein Telescope Pathfinder, are sure to grab anyone's attention. The faculty is a vibrant hub of education and research in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS). At FSE, over 450 staff members and 3700 students gather to explore e exciting interdisciplinary research and educational programmes. Feel welcome, be part of our team and put your brilliant mind to work!

FSE at the Brightlands Campuses
Maastricht, Sittard-Geleen, Heerlen, and Venlo, the home of four creative Brightlands campuses, are bustling with 30,000 entrepreneurs, researchers, and students working diligently to solve global challenges. The Faculty of Science and Engineering is active on all four Brightlands campuses, and this is where our impact reaches its peak. To give you an idea of what is happening at each campus: Sittard-Geleen is home to the largest chemical site in the Euregion, while Venlo is a large hub for agri-food innovation. Maastricht is the site of the Health Campus, and Heerlen is the place to be for Smart Services.

Department of Circular Chemical Engineering; Chemical Recycling research group
The Chemical Recycling research group is part of the newly created Department of Circular Chemical Engineering in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Maastricht University. Our research group is uniquely situated in the heart of the Dutch chemical industry at the Brightlands Chemelot campus, 20 km north of Maastricht. Our strong links with industry give excellent opportunity to build collaborations and partnerships, giving good prospects for a future career in industry. Our group has a strong expertise in developing processes for the thermochemical can catalytic conversion of plastics and.

To learn more about our department, please visit our website: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/research/circular-chemical-engineering