Tenure Track Assistant Professor Land Use Science

Are you an interdisciplinary scientist in the field of Environmental Sciences or Geography? Do you that want to contribute to the development of sustainable land systems to address the climate and biodiversity crisis? Please apply at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Location: AMSTERDAM
FTE: 0.8 - 1

As an Assistant Professor you are part of the  Environmental Geography department of the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) at VU Amsterdam. With your colleagues, you contribute to interdisciplinary research and teaching on sustainable land use strategies. You teach students at Bsc and Msc level in spatial research methods and sustainability-related topics. At the PhD level, you supervise researchers working on land use science and spatial modelling. The research of our department addresses global, continental and regional scales. You  conduct research that complements the multi-scale work of the department at global, continental and regional scales. You develop projects that look at the role of land use and spatial planning in the context of sustainability transitions. We value a systems perspective on research questions, using quantitative modelling tools and spatial research methods.Your work is aimed at responding to stakeholder questions and contributing to societal dialogue. You collaborate both inside and outside the department. You also acquire external funding for PhD and postdoc projects, individually or together with your colleagues in the department.

• you conduct and initiate research on (spatial) land use change
• you teach in general and more specialized Environmental Science courses that are part of the institute’s teaching programmes
• you supervise Master's and Bachelor's theses
• you work together with the department's staff in the acquisition of external funds for PhD and postdoc projects
• you (co-) publish scientific papers

• you have a PhD in geography or a related discipline. In particular, you have knowledge of socio-ecological systems and land use
• you have demonstrable experience with quantitative (spatial) research approaches and preferably land use modelling
• you have affinity with interdisciplinary methods and stakeholder interaction
• you have experience in academic teaching
• you preferably have  several years of postdoc experience, But have you obtained your PhD more recently and have a good fit with the position? Then we would also like to hear from you

  
  We actively encourage you to apply if you are from an underrepresented group in academia. We welcome applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds (including gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, culture, ability, neurodiversity and minority identities), which we acknowledge enhances the quality of our research and education.

A challenging position in a socially involved organization. On full-time basis the remuneration amounts to a minimum gross monthly salary of €4,332 (scale 11) and a maximum €6,737 (scale 12), 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.

We offer a Career Track position at the level of Assistant Professor. A career plan to grow from Assistant Professor (profile Universitair Docent 2) to Assistant Professor (profile Universitair Docent 1) will be made and formalised in a Career Track agreement. The initial appointment will be for a period of 18 months. 15 months after the starting date, performance will be evaluated. After a successful evaluation permanent employment will be granted.
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)
• child daycare facilities available on campus
• good paid parental leave scheme, contribution to commuting expenses

The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. We strive to be a university where personal development and commitment to society play a leading role. A university where people from different disciplines and backgrounds collaborate to achieve innovations and to generate new knowledge. Our teaching and research encompass the entire spectrum of academic endeavor – from the humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 31,000 students. We employ over 5,000 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible and located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity
We are an inclusive university community. Diversity is one of our most important values. We believe that engaging in international activities and welcoming students and staff from a wide variety of backgrounds enhances the quality of our education and research. We are always looking for people who can enrich our world with their own unique perspectives and experiences.

The Faculty of Science
Working at the Faculty of Science means working together with students, PhD candidates and scientists who are focused on their discipline, yet also have a broad view of the world. We are proud of the collegial working environment within the faculty, which is characterised by an ambitious and pragmatic attitude with commitment to the bigger picture. At the Faculty of Science, scientists and students work on fundamental and complex social issues for a sustainable and healthy future. From forest fires to big data, from obesity to malnutrition, from genetics to pharmaceuticals and from molecules to the moon: our teaching and research cover the full breadth of the natural sciences. Scientific teaching and research is highly experimental, technical, computational and interdisciplinary in nature. This is why we collaborate extensively with leading research institutes and industry. The faculty has over 11,000 students studying across 40 educational programmes and employs over 1,600 staff spread over 10 scientific departments, making us the largest science faculty in the Netherlands.

About the institute
IVM is a leading environmental research institute that is internationally recognized for its high quality research output in a range of environmental disciplines, as well as for its interdisciplinary work. The mission of the institute is to contribute to sustainable development and care for the environment through scientific research and teaching. IVM aims to do excellent problem-oriented research that is useful to a wide range of stakeholders in the Netherlands and internationally. A unique strength of our research is to understand sustainability problems in their social and economic context. IVM research community works within four departments: Environmental Economics; Environmental Policy Analysis; Environmental Geography; and Water and Climate Risk. IVM is part of the Faculty of Science at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (www.ivm.vu.nl). This position is based within the Environmental Geography department. The Environmental Geography department conducts interdisciplinary research on the spatial aspects of environmental and social challenges and the solutions sustainable land use can provide to these.

Are you interested in this position? Please apply via the application button and upload your curriculum vitae and a cover letter that provides a short overview of your vision on research and teaching for this position until

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Submitting a diploma and a reference check are part of the application process. It is helpful if you already provide us in your cover letter with the contact details of 2 possible references. There is no need to provide reference letters with the application at this stage.

Applications received by e-mail will not be processed.

Vacancy questions
If you have any questions regarding this vacancy, you may contact:

Name: Peter Verburg
E-mail: [email protected]

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