The Faculty of Science and Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) are looking for:

Assistant Professor of Sustainable Use of Resources – Industrial Ecology Department (0.8-1.0 fte) 
Vacancy number: 22-437

Key responsibilities
Are you conducting innovative research into resource flows and their relations to future and historical development, wellbeing, and environmental and societal impacts? Are you eager to advance policy-relevant quantitative assessment of circularity options, resource efficiency, and materials criticality at multiple spatial and temporal scales? We are looking for an enthusiastic and ambitious colleague to further strengthen the industrial ecology department with a specific focus on sustainable material cycles.

As an assistant professor, you will be part of the Industrial Ecology department at the Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) of Leiden University. At CML, we aim to excel in our roles as scientists as well as educators.  Your daily activities will involve teaching courses in quantitative sustainability sciences for our MSc programmes in Industrial Ecology and Governance of Sustainability, supervising theses, conducting research, and some administrative duties in support of the teaching and research base. The position will enable you to train the next generation of researchers and professionals in the field of quantitative sustainability assessment, and to collaborate with researchers and stakeholders across sectors at the highest level including top-academic institutions around the world, European and international governmental, intergovernmental, and non-governmental organizations, and industry.

Within CML, we have a well-established and globally prominent industrial ecology group, which can serve as a springboard to build your own research line in close collaboration with our multitalented, highly interdisciplinary department. Within our group, we focus on the development of sustainability science methods including material flow analysis (MFA), environmentally extended input-output (EEIO) analysis, and life cycle assessment (LCA), and their application to the most pressing current sustainability challenges and policy questions. 

We expect that about 40% of your responsibilities will be related to teaching, 40% to research, and 20% to administration, acquisition, and other tasks. The starting date is flexible.

Key tasks:
•    Develop your own outstanding research line in the field of sustainable use of resources, complementing and strengthening CML’s existing research.
•    Develop quantitative frameworks to inform evidence-based strategies to enhance sustainable resource cycles.
•    Develop and hybridise existing approaches in the industrial ecology toolbox, focusing on the dynamic and prospective assessment of resource use.
•    Contribute to the acquisition of relevant research grants.
•    Develop and teach courses within CML’s educational programs related to quantitative sustainability science.
•    Supervise BSc. and MSc students in their thesis work, and PhD students in their projects.
•    Support and contribute to CML’s outreach.

Selection criteria
•    A PhD in a relevant field, related to industrial ecology, quantitative sustainability assessment, ecological economics, environmental sciences, quantitative sustainability assessment or a related field. 

The experience in years post-PhD can be variable, however, we want to see that you: 

•    Are a team player with a collaborative attitude;
•    Are ambitious with a vision for developing and leading an impactful research direction;
•    Have quantitative skills in data analysis and modelling;
•    Have a strong interest in the interaction between sustainability and society;
•    Have proven teaching and supervision experience;
•    Have or are willing to attain within two years a University Teaching Qualification (UTQ; BKO in Dutch);
•    Have good communication and presentation skills;
•    Have motivation and potential to acquire external funding;
•    Are proficient in spoken and written English 

The selection procedure will focus on the following:
•    Research experience
•    Research vision and potential
•    Experience and quality of teaching
•    International impact and experience
•    Potential of societal impact
•    Leadership, collaboration, and interdisciplinary skills
•    Communication skills

Terms and conditions 
We initially offer a 1.5-year term position. In case of good performance, the contract will be immediately transformed into a permanent position after this period. The salary range is from € 3.974,- to € 6.181,- gross per month depending on qualifications and experience (pay scale 11 or 12 in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities).

Leiden University offers an attractive benefits package with additional holidays (8%) and end-of-year bonuses (8.3 %), training and career development, and sabbatical leave. Our individual choices model gives you some freedom to assemble your own set of terms and conditions. For international spouses, we have set up a dual career programme. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may also be eligible for a substantial tax break.

Our organization
Leiden University’s Faculty of Science is a world-class faculty where staff and students work together in a dynamic international environment. It is a faculty where personal and academic development are top priorities. Our people are driven by curiosity to expand fundamental knowledge and to look beyond the borders of their own disciplines; with the aim to benefit science and to make a contribution to addressing the major societal challenges of the future.

The research carried out at the Faculty of Science is very diverse, ranging from mathematics, information science, astronomy, physics, chemistry and bio-pharmaceutical sciences to biology and environmental sciences. The research activities are organized in eight institutes. These institutes offer eight bachelor’s and twelve master’s programmes. The faculty has grown strongly in recent years and now has more than 2,300 staff and almost 5,000 students. We are located at the heart of Leiden’s Bio Science Park, one of Europe’s biggest science parks, where university and business life come together.

The Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) is positioned in the Faculty of Sciences. The core focus of CML is to perform research and education in the interdisciplinary field of Environmental Sciences. CML focuses on the sustainable use of natural resources and the preservation of natural capital and biodiversity. CML has two Departments: Industrial Ecology (CML-IE) and Environmental Biology (CML-EB) with a culture of mutual support and collaboration between researchers. Presently, about 140 fte (including postdocs and PhDs) are employed at CML. CML further collaborates with TU Delft and Erasmus University in the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre for Sustainability (LDE-CfS), and Naturalis Biodiversity Centre.

For more information, see https://www.science.leidenuniv.nl.  Information about CML can be found at  https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/science/environmental-sciences