Assistant Professor Biological Psychology/ Behavior/ Molecular Genetics

The research and education programme at the department of Biological Psychology revolves around the genetic and biological basis of individual differences in behaviour, and mental and physical health. We study the genetic and biological basis of individual differences using approaches from behaviour/molecular genetics and genetic epidemiology. We seek a new colleague who contributes to building and extending the department’s reputation for excellence in research and teaching in these areas.

We have a vacancy for an assistant professor who will be supported in building her/his research line in the field of twin family-based and multi-omics studies. We seek a colleague who wants to contribute to innovative omics data management, participate as analyst in international consortium (gene finding) efforts on behalf of the NTR, who is keen to teach substantive and methodological courses in genetic epidemiology at bachelor and master level, and who is open, in the longer run, to develop an own research theme in this field by writing papers and grants. The position provides the opportunity to work with the unique large longitudinal database of the Netherlands Twin Register and to contribute to the vibrant collaborative and international research network of the department.

Your duties

• Participate on behalf of NTR in international gene-finding consortia
• Data management of the genotype database of the Netherlands Twin Register, including maintenance and innovation of quality control, imputation, and polygenetic risk score pipelines
• Create a stimulating learning environment for students at all levels (BSc, MSc, MPhil), and continuing to improve teaching quality;
• Perform innovative research and publishing in international high-quality journals;
• Contribute to the acquisition of additional research funds, both individually and as a team effort.
• Engage in societal impact activities (e.g., public outreach, translation of genetic knowledge to health care).
• Supervising bachelor, master, and PhD students.

Requirements:

Job Requirements

• A PhD on a topic from behaviour genetics, molecular genetics, (bio)statistics, genetic epidemiology or a closely related area
• Knowledge of statistical methods (SEM) and statistical programming (R or Python)
• Experience with or interest in behaviour genetics and genetic epidemiology
• Experience in working with large datasets
• Excellent English writing and speaking skills
• Strong research potential, preferably evidenced by publications or grants
• Interest in/experience with supervision of PhD students
• Excellent in teaching at Bachelor and Master level.
• Having obtained or willingness to obtain the University Teaching Qualification (Dutch: BKO).
• Experience in the field of health behaviours, stress & resilience, and/or child and adolescent psychology is welcomed.

As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.

Salary Benefits:

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

• a salary of minimum € 4.492,00 (Scale 11) and maximum € 6.148,00 (Scale 11) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile Lecturer / Asisstant Professor 2. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
• a position for at least 0.8 FTE. Your employment contract will initially last 18 months. Afterwards, there is a prospect of a permanent contract.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• contribution to commuting expenses

Van der Boechorststraat 7