Development, the building of complex multi-cellular organisms from cells sharing the same genetic material, belongs to one of the most complex processes in biology. We believe that modeling developmental processes in close collaboration with experimental research is essential to unravel the mechanism underpinning developmental patterning processes. We seek an excellent researcher to join us as a future new group leader on computational animal development in this mission, who is interested in developing a research line in mechanistic, process-driven modeling of animal developmental biology in close collaboration with passionate experimental biologists part of the same institute.

As a staff member of the Theoretical Biology group at Utrecht University (UU), you get the opportunity to develop your own research line in modeling animal developmental biology. The research of the Theoretical Biology group  is diverse and fundamental, with subjects running from the immune system, plant development to evolution, and modeling approaches varying from purely mathematical to agent-based modeling. Computationally, the group is well equipped, with an inhouse Linux cluster, and high-performance computing facilities on campus. 

The group has no wet laboratory, yet intensively collaborates with experimental groups, both within the University and abroad. For this position, you will develop close collaborations with the Developmental Biology and Cell Biology groups that are part of the same biology institute and housed in the same building.

Through recruiting students for internships and writing successful grant applications, alone and with experimental collaborators, you will have the opportunity to further expand your own research group. You will participate in teaching in animal developmental biology, biological modeling, and biophysics courses as well as develop new material for teaching concepts and methods of modeling in developmental biology to students of biology and molecular biophysical life sciences. 

You are a team player who is able to initiate and coordinate interdisciplinary research projects in collaboration with experimental groups. You have a passion for teaching developmental biology, biological modeling and biophysics ranging from the teaching of bachelor biology students to supervising state-of-the-art research projects of MSc students and PhD candidates. Next to that we would like you to bring:

• a PhD in computational biology, biophysics, applied mathematics or computer science;
• expertise in the computational modeling and deciphering of animal developmental processes, with a preferred focus on cell and tissue polarity, morphogenesis and cytoskeletal dynamics;
• publications in the areas of expertise;
• You have proven writing skills and will use these to contribute to writing research proposals.

• A full-time tenure track position for five years (1.0 FTE) that will be subject to a mid-term evaluation after approximately 2.5 years and an end-term evaluation after 4.5 years. If evaluations are positive after five years, the position becomes permanent;
• a full-time gross salary - depending on previous qualifications and experience - ranging between €3,974 and €5,439 per month (scale 11 according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities (cao));
• 8% holiday bonus and 8.3% end-of-year bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave, and flexible employment conditions based on the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities;

In addition to the employment conditions laid down in the CAO for Dutch Universities, Utrecht University has a number of additional arrangements. These include agreements on professional development, leave arrangements and sports. We also give you the opportunity to expand your terms of employment yourself via the Employment Conditions Selection Model. This is how we like to encourage you to continue to grow. For more information, please visit working at the Faculty of Science.

You will be part of the Theoretical Biology group, which together with the Bioinformatics group forms the highly intertwined Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics group (TBB). We use computational biology, bioinformatics, modelling, and big data to address both fundamental and applied questions in the life sciences. Within TBB we share offices, the computer cluster, teaching and group talks in a collaborative, friendly and open atmosphere. TBB staff members independently run their own research lab, composed of MSc students, PhD candidates and postdocs. Yet all staff and group members collaborate intensively in both research and teaching. As a staff member you are expected to enthusiastically contribute your own expertise to this diverse team. Additionally, for this specific position, you will have strong ties with the Developmental Biology and Cell Biology groups, part of the same institute and housed in the same building.

At the Faculty of Science there are 6 departments to make a fundamental connection with: Biology, Chemistry, Information and Computing Sciences, Mathematics, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Physics. Each of these is made up of distinct institutes which work together to focus on answering some of humanity’s most pressing problems. More fundamental still are the individual research groups – the building blocks of our ambitious scientific projects.

Utrecht University is a friendly and ambitious university at the heart of an ancient city. We love to welcome new scientists to our city – a thriving cultural hub that is consistently rated as one of the world’s happiest cities. We are renowned for our innovative, interdisciplinary research and our emphasis on inspirational research and excellent education. We are equally well-known for our familiar atmosphere and the can-do mentality of our people. This lively and inspiring academic environment attracts professors, researchers and PhD candidates from all over the globe, making both the University and the Faculty of Science a vibrant international community and wonderfully diverse.