The Chair in Urban Economics and Real Estate undertakes and leads research in the fields of Urban Economics and Real Estate Economics. The Chair will be located within the department of Spatial Economics, with close connections to research in Transport Economics and Environmental Economics, the other core fields of the department. The Chair is connected to international researchers in these domains. The Chair strengthens teaching in urban and real estate economics and related fields across under-graduate, post-graduate and PhD-level programs, in particular the Master Programme Spatial, Transport & Environmental Economics. Finally, the Chair is visible in the national and international policy debate and actively disseminates research findings.

Your duties

• the candidate will coordinate the research programs  on Urban Economics and Real Estate jointly with the Chair in Urban Economics and the Chair in Real Estate Economics respectively
• the Urban Economics and Real Estate chair has an emphasis on issues related to the economics of cities, the dynamics of property markets in relation to its location, commuting patterns, and the economics of spatial planning, among others
• actively participate in the design and delivery of the Department’s Bachelor and Master programs, in particular the master programme Spatial, Transport & Environmental Economics
• the successful candidate is also expected to contribute to the Tinbergen Institute Research Master programme and supervise PhD students

• a PhD degree and a very strong track record in research, proven by recent publications in leading international general scientific journals, leading field journals and professional publications
• able to lead independent original research and contribute significantly to the Department’s research programme. Specifically, the candidate should have the ability to work as part of a team, mentor junior researchers, apply for research grants, and supervise PhD students
• the candidate is an excellent lecturer, in possession of a (senior) teaching qualification, with proven track record in teaching at undergraduate and graduate level
• experience in both large- and small-group teaching. He/she should be able to teach students with various backgrounds, like MSc, MPhil, PhD, and BSc
• able to relate effectively with policy makers and press, both in teaching as well as through research. He/she should be able to translate and communicate insights from research into clear policy recommendations
• a strong international network, evident in joint work, invitations to address conferences, membership of editorial boards, and participation in international workshops or conferences

Fixed-term contract: 2 years.

A challenging position in a socially involved organization. On full-time basis the remuneration amounts to a minimum gross monthly salary of €5,582 (H2)
and a maximum €8,127 (H2), depending on your education and experience. The job profile: is based on the university job ranking system and is vacant for at least 0.8 FTE.

The initial employment contract will affect a period of 2 years, with the possibility of extension.
Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• a maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• contribution to commuting expenses
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package

The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. And to be a university where personal education and societal involvement play a leading role. Where people from different disciplines and backgrounds work together on innovations and on generating new knowledge. Our teaching and research embrace the whole spectrum of science – from the humanities, the social sciences and the pure sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 26,500 students. We employ more than 4,600 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible, located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity
Diversity is one of our university’s core values. We are an inclusive community, and we believe that diversity and international activities enhance the quality of education and research. We are always looking for people who can enhance diversity on our campus thanks to their background and experience.

School of Business and Economics
The School of Business and Economics (SBE) provides high-quality education and excellent research in business administration and economics with a focus on contributing to the social, economic and ecological challenges of our time. Whether it is the use of robots in society or big data, labour market participation or flexibility in the labour market, traffic jams or the housing market, flash crashes in the stock market or choice behaviour in gambling, leadership or change management: we believe in goal-oriented scientific research and understand that progress in academics, the business community and society is achieved through cooperation, openness and social responsibility.

At SBE, all of our highly-motivated colleagues work together closely in a stimulating, dynamic and international environment to achieve our collective goal of encouraging society to make informed choices. Approximately 4,200 Bachelor’s and Master’s students and 1,700 executive students are enrolled at the School, and employs roughly 500 people.
 
About the department Spatial Economics
The Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam has a large community of urban, transport and environmental economists. As of 2020, the Department of Spatial Economics employs 10 Full Professors, 6 of whom with a (nearly) full-time appointment (Erik Verhoef, Carolyn Fisher, Henri de Groot, Jos van Ommeren, Jan Rouwendal and Marjan Hofkes). These are often active within combinations of sub-fields, such as urban and transport economics, urban and network economics, etc. The group furthermore consists of 13 Associate and Assistant Professors, and around 40 postdocs, PhD students, and other researchers.