Associate Professor in Data science and AI for Agriculture, Food and Nature

We are looking for an enthusiastic colleague who has obtained a PhD degree and has developed leading research contributions in subjects such as life science,  computer science, earth science, information systems, digital phenotyping,  data science or AI, water management, sustainable use of the living environment, food science or a related discipline. 

You have shown expertise in data analysis, data science and/or AI. You have published in peer reviewed quality journals and conferences. You should also be an excellent teacher, as witnessed, for example, by favorable teaching evaluations.  As Associate Professor you will be delivering and co-designing JADS’s educational offerings, especially in the domain of Agri Food Nature. Notably, you will participate in Master courses such as “Deep Learning” or “Data Mining” and our course on Data Driven Food Value Chains.  You will be supervising master students, Engineering Doctorate (EngD) students and will be involved in Professional Education on Data Science and Artificial Intelligence topics . PhD co-supervision will also be part of the appointment. As a researcher you will Acquire and Manage externally funded projects, and participate in working groups and committees within and outside JADS. You actively communicate results of your research nationally and internationally at events and conferences. You act as a role model to your colleagues and mentor junior researchers in their professional development.  

The position is open, preferably in combination with the lector position “data analysis in sustainable transitions” (0.4 fte) at the HAS university of applied sciences. As lector you are involved in the implementation of the vision of the HAS green academy and developing the knowledge base around applications of data science and AI. As lector you will have a direct impact on “healthy living environment”, one of the three focus areas of HAS, but would also be involved in a supporting role in the other areas “healthy food production” and “healthy food and living” from a methodological, data science perspective.  The focus of the role of lector is applied research, but you will also extend contacts in the field, raise funds for projects from grants and contract research, and keep a close connection with education, being a role model for students. You will have a strategic role in the development of teachers, researchers and partners in industry on the subject of applied spatial data intelligence and current societal problems related to our living environment. Last not least you are expected to strengthen the collaboration between HAS and JADS. 
The full description of lector position at HAS can be found here.

• A background in large scale data analysis/data science/artificial intelligence. A track record in domain applications such as agri-food and nature, sustainability, remote sensing, digital phenotyping domain etc. is a strong pre.
• You have a Ph.D. from a recognized university in a field relevant to this position;
• You have shown excellent scientific achievements, documented by internationally recognized publications;
• You have demonstrated an excellent teaching ability at both the undergraduate and graduate levels;
• You have acquired or are willing to acquire the University Teaching Qualification (see https://www.universiteitenvannederland.nl/en/collective-labour-agreement-of-dutch-universities), Tilburg University offers courses for acquiring this certification;
• You have excellent communication skills (oral, written, presentation);
• You share our vision for future research, education and societal impact;
• You are inspiring and collegial; you have a passion to develop people, to build teams, and to create synergy;
• You have shown to possess the capacity of acquiring, leading, and managing externally-funded research projects;
• You have affinity with interdisciplinary research and with working with different type of academics and businesses.
• English is the working language in all the tasks, and proficiency in English is mandatory (CEFR: C2 level). To fulfill the role of lector a working knowledge of Dutch is a strong pre. 

Your valuable contribution will be rewarded with attractive benefits and sufficient attention to work-life balance. Our offer includes:

• We offer a 0.4-0.6 to full-time Associate Professor position, in combination with a 0,4 position as lector at HAS. In principle, successful candidates receive first a contract for 12 months (for internal candidates) or 18 months (for external candidates). After this period, if your suitability has been proven and you continue in the same position, you will receive an employment contract for an indefinite period of time.
• The salary amounts to a minimum of € 6002,– and a maximum of € 8065,- gross per month for full-time employment, based on UFO profile of Associate Professor and salary scale 13/14 of the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. JADS uses a neutral remuneration system for salary scaling that is based on work experience.
• JADS offers excellent employment conditions with attention to flexibility and (personal) development and attractive fringe benefits. You are entitled to a vacation allowance of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% of your gross annual income. If you work 40 hours per week, you will receive 41 paid days of leave per year. Researchers from outside the Netherlands may qualify for a tax-free allowance of 30% of their taxable salary if they meet the relevant conditions. The university applies for this allowance on their behalf. JADS will provide assistance in finding suitable accommodation.We make clear agreements about career paths and offer all kinds of facilities and arrangement to maintain an optimal balance between work and private life. You can also follow numerous training courses, for example, in the areas of leadership skills, personal effectiveness, and career development.All employees of the university are covered by the so-called General Pension Fund for Public Employers (Stichting Pensioenfonds ABP).

JADS values an open and inclusive culture. We embrace diversity and encourage the mutual integration of groups of employees and students. We focus on creating equal opportunities for all our employees and students so that everyone feels at home in our university community.
All researchers working in JADS have contracts at either Tilburg University or Eindhoven University of Technology. This position will be placed at Tilburg University. Please visit Working at Tilburg University for more information on their respective employment conditions.
The Netherlands is regarded as one of the best countries for raising a family.  For more on working in JADS, see https://www.jads.nl/vacancies 
Preferred starting date: as soon as possible but no later than August  2024.

JADS Mariënburg: we are the place for passionate, original academics
The Jheronimus Academy of Data Science (JADS), is the joint Data Science Academy of Tilburg University and Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands. We are a team of scientists passionate about data science, AI, Business and Entrepreneurship. As a young institution we are looking for excellent researchers with a can-do mentality who are team players and are willing to connect to other fields. Our researchers have a strong background in quantitative and statistical methods, data science and computer science. We strive for impact in one of our focus domains; Food and Nature, Wellbeing and Healthcare, Sustainable and Social entrepreneurship, Crime and Safety. For this position, affinity and experience in the Agriculture, Food and Nature domain is preferred. 

We engage in many funded research projects with industry and (semi-) public institutes, both at the national and international level. Regarding education, our research is closely linked to our education and our researchers are involved in our educational programs. We are currently responsible for the (technical) Master Data Science in Business and Entrepreneurship, the Engineering Doctorate (EngD) in Data Science and a PhD-program in Data Science. These are all selective programs for highly motivated students with strong quantitative skills. We also provide various professional learning educational programs around data science & AI and are busy setting up new Master and Minor programs on the cross-roads of IT, Business, Entrepreneurship and Data Science. As concepts as Online and Blended-Learning are becoming ever more relevant in our field, we expect our researchers to contribute and, if possible, to initiate novel, innovative forms of education.

JADS Mariënburg currently has 40 FTE scientific faculty and support staff, 35 EngD and 40 PhD students and is growing fast. We give researchers plenty of opportunities and expect them to shape and build the academic teams at Campus Mariënburg. We intensively collaborate with colleagues from both Tilburg University and Eindhoven University of Technology. Moreover, we have very strong networks in both industry and academia, and government. Within the area of AgroFood and Nature, we work with our close neighbour HAS Green academy and Wageningen University. 

We invite you to apply online for this position. The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of three references.
• Course evaluations.
• Brief description of your PhD thesis.

We look forward to your application and will screen it as soon as we have received it. Screening will continue until the position has been filled. 

Apply only by using the application button below. Send in your application ultimately April 17, 2024.
 
The first round of (online) interviews will take place at April 26 and 27. The second round of job interviews will take place at May 6.