Assistant or Associate professor in Synthetic Biology (Tenure Track)

We are looking for

Are you a senior researcher eager to build your own experimental group? Are you ready to deploy the tools and methods of synthetic biology to elucidate mechanisms underlying cellular process, interactions between cells and between cells and the environment?  Are you ready for a career in Academia and be part of our Tenure Track programme?

We are looking for an experienced researcher that will set an experimental group to complement research and teaching at the Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology (SSB) at Wageningen University & Research (WUR).

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO
Within our Laboratory:

• you will lead your own experimental group;
• you will have the opportunity of collaborating with a team of systems biologists to develop integrated experimental-computational research;
• you will contribute to the organisation and management of the SSB Laboratory;
• you will contribute to strengthen the education portfolio and to the education activities of the chair group, including the opportunity to develop courses, supervise thesis students to lecture in English taught MSc and BSc level courses such as Systems and Synthetic Biology, Toolbox in Systems and Synthetic Biology or iBiosystems, and to contribute to the Wageningen International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) team.

You will be supported when applying for new projects to attract funding. 

We see opportunities for research in the areas of synthetic microbial metabolism, synthetic control of gene regulation, and/or synthetic microbial communities. Other potential areas of interest include but are not limited to experimental characterization of non-growing cells or cellular heterogeneity.

The Tenure Track position comes with the competitive package of 2 fully funded PhD positions that will allow you to establish your group and pursue your own research lines. In addition, the analytical and molecular biology laboratory is fully equipped and is staffed with a technician that will support both routine and scientific activities. Additional equipment and analytical methods are available through large-scale scientific infrastructures such as UNLOCK .

Tenure Track is a career path for hardworking scientists who pursue to excel in education and research. We seek to attract scientific talent and to stimulate and support their development.

We ask

• you are an experienced and enthusiastic researcher with a PhD degree and an internationally proven scientific track record in the field of synthetic biology; able to deploy experimental approaches to answer scientific questions;
• you are a team player and can communicate and collaborate within a multidisciplinary team of experimental and computational researchers: you have a keen interest in collaborating with computational groups for the integration of computational and experimental methods;
• you have a track record on innovative and impactful science evidenced by high-quality publications;
• you have clear ideas and plans on how to acquire funding for your research;
• you are interested in the societal impact of your research;
• you have the ambition to become a research group leader, willing to supervise students and phD candidates with diverse backgrounds;
• you have a University Teaching Qualification or are willing to work towards obtaining such qualification.  Experience in teaching activities and education innovation will be valued.

Of course, you are fluent in English at C1 level

We offer

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment . A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will be offered a fixed-term, 7 year contract which, (not for internal candidates) upon positive evaluation based on criteria elaborated in the University’s Tenure Track policy, can lead to a permanent employment contract as personal  professor.

Salary depends on knowledge and experience and will range from a minimum of € 3.974,- to a maximum of € 5.439 (assistant professor position), and € 5.506,- to a maximum of € 6181,- (associate professor position) based on a full-time working week of 38 hours in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 12 or 13).

Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University ” in the Netherlands for the 17th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief , known as the 30% ruling. Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research’s International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling, and other issues.

More information

Do you want more information?
For more information about this position, please contact Prof. dr Maria Suarez Diez, chair holder Systems and Synthetic Biology, maria.suarezdiez@wur.nl .
For more information about the procedure, please contact Joes van Meurs, HR adviser, by e-mail joes.vanmeurs@wur.nl .
 
Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly by uploading your motivation letter and CV, using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.
This vacancy will be listed up to and including December 1st 2022. We expect a first round  interview of selected candidates on December 15 and 16,  2022. A follow up interview will be organized with selected candidates at the end of January (January 26, 30 and 31 2023)
 
Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. For more information please go to our inclusivity page . A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment .

We are

Wageningen University & Research
The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,200 employees (6,400 fte) and 13,200 students and over 150.000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

The laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology (SSB).
The mission of the SSB group is to contribute to the elucidation of the mechanisms underlying basic cellular processes, evolution and interactions among cells, organisms, and their environment and to translate this knowledge into applications of biotechnological, medical and environmental interest. The approach is characterized by combining expertise on specific biological systems with extensive expertise in methods for data generation, integration, and modelling. A key strength is the combination of fundamental computational expertise in systems biology with a laboratory that allows extending findings and testing hypothesis in a synthetic biology setting. The group further applies this approach to a broad range of systems through collaboration with experts. These systems encompass viruses, bacteria, fungus, microalgae, bacterial communities, host-microbe and host-microbiome interactions, and animals and humans. Additional information on the laboratory can be found at  https://www.systemsbiology.nl and at Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.