The vacancy is positioned within the Faculty of Spatial Sciences at the University of Groningen (RUG). The Faculty focuses on high quality teaching and research in the fields of spatial planning, economic and cultural geography, and demography. The Urban and Regional Studies Institute (URSI) is the Faculty’s research institute, and tWIST (towards Well-being, Innovation and Spatial Transformation) the Faculty’s research agenda. The Faculty consists of approximately 100 members of staff, 100 PhD researchers and around 1000 undergraduate students. The Assistant Professor’s teaching and research will be situated in the Faculty of Spatial Sciences and the Department of Demography / Population Research Centre (PRC). The Faculty is responsible for the Bachelors Human Geography and Planning, and Spatial Planning and Design. The Department of Demography is responsible for the Master Population Studies. The research of the PRC focuses on (reproductive) health, nutrition, ageing and mortality; everyday mobility; and migration, families, and households. It aims to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Gender equality, and Reduced Inequality. The PRC values care in academia, as exemplified by its focus on collaboration instead of competition, and on embracing generosity and diversity in all its meanings.

The Assistant Professor will contribute to teaching and research in the Faculty of Spatial Sciences. The main teaching tasks will be in Bachelor and Master courses related to statistics, research methods, population studies and in supervising Master and/or Bachelor theses. Other teaching tasks could be in other geography and/or planning courses, depending on the candidate’s expertise. The candidate’s research will fit in the faculty research theme Towards Wellbeing, Innovation and Spatial Transformation (tWIST), and more specifically in the research of the Population Research Centre. Within this Centre, the Assistant Professor will develop an own research line, preferably close to the demographic themes of fertility, mortality, and migration, including their explanatory determinants, such as food, and climate change. The Assistant Professor will invest 40% of their time in research (including PhD supervision), and another 60% in teaching and management.

• PhD in demography/population studies, or PhD in a related field, such as human geography, sociology, epidemiology, nutrition
• excellent skills in applying quantitative methods in research using survey and/or administrative databases, for instance event history analysis, multi-level statistical methods
• publications in international peer-reviewed academic journals in the field of quantitative research on themes related to population studies
• ability to write research proposals in order to attract research funding
• network of connections in the field of population studies and willingness to invest in external relations and participating in external projects, events and presentations, representing the Faculty and the Department
• experience in various teaching approaches; awareness of and willingness to use the latest innovations in teaching techniques
• possession of a university teaching qualification or preparedness to acquire this qualification within a reasonable timeframe
• vision on ways to attract international students to the Master program in Population Studies and willingness to work on this
• fluent in English; Willing to acquire knowledge of Dutch (B2-level).

Competences:

• conceptual capacity
• environment orientation
• presenting
• result orientation
• organisation skills
• open-minded and a collegial attitude
• collaboration, i.e. team-player
• written and verbal communication
• assertiveness.

Fixed-term contract: 12 months.

We offer you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

- a salary, depending on qualifications and work experience, with a minimum of € 3,974 to a maximum of € 5,439 (salary scale 11) gross per month for a full-time position
- an 8% holiday allowance and an annual bonus of 8.3%
- an appointment for a period of 1 year with the prospect of a permanent position after a positive evaluation.
For more detailed information about working conditions and working for the University of Groningen, please check: https://www.rug.nl/about-us/work-with-us/

Starting date: 1 April 2023