We are seeking a highly qualified assistant professor who is interested in interdisciplinary research, with exceptional computational and modelling skills and proven expertise in data driven system dynamics. The focus will be on new ways to integrate data from - and conceptual models of- dynamic complex systems into predictive System Dynamics (SD) models. These SD models will be used to explore the outcome of ‘what if’ interventions. The goal is to study novel ways to generate and validate conceptual and computational system dynamics models of dynamic complex systems that cover multiple scales and integrate data and knowledge from multiple domains (e.g. sciences, social science, psychology, etc.). The resulting models will then be applied for deeper understanding of those systems, and predicting their response to interventions. Crucial is the notion that System dynamics requires large scale distributed computing of multi-scale processes where the data can be updated in real-time and the SD model needs to learn and adapt accordingly.

What are you going to do?

You are expected:

• to be active in the fundamental and/or applied research of our Computational Science Laboratory, publishing in high level international journals, presenting at leading conferences and supervising PhD students;
• to take part in the teaching effort of the group, including supervision of bachelor and master students, teaching for other departments;
• to be active in the attraction of external funding;
• to be open to collaborations with other institutes by contributing modelling expertise to (joint) research projects. Specifically, with the Institute for Advanced Study.

We will base our selection on your scientific track record and on your vision for future research, as well as on your teaching achievement, qualifications, and vision for future teaching.

• A PhD in Computational Science, System Dynamics, Physics or a closely related field;
• a strong scientific expertise in modelling and simulation, reflected among others by publications in respectable international journals;
• a demonstrated dedication to teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels;
• enthusiasm about and the willingness to be active in the attraction of external funding;
• the willingness to contribute to valorisation efforts and to foster collaborations with other academic institutes and industry;
• to display the ability and capacity to develop independent and vigorous programmes of funded research;
• (the ability to develop) the management skills required for general academic administration, organisation and coordination tasks;
• fluency in English, both written and spoken and the willingness to learn the Dutch language.

Fixed-term contract: five years.

We offer you a tenure-track agreement for five years (which is part of a six-year temporary appointment). At the start, we will draw up an agreement with you, specifying the tenure-track requirements for research, teaching and management tasks that need to be fulfilled in order to assess progress after three years and after five years. The requirements in this agreement are negotiable and depend on your experience and scientific profile. Following a positive assessment after five years the appointment will become permanent.

The salary, depending on relevant experience before the beginning of the employment contract, will be €3,637 to €4,978 (scale 11) gross per month, based on full-time employment (38 hours a week). These amounts are exclusive 8 % holiday allowance and 8.3 end-of-year bonus. A favorable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

Are you curious about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits like our excellent opportunities for study and development? Then find out more about working at the Faculty of Science.

University of Amsterdam

With over 5,000 employees, 30,000 students and a budget of more than 600 million euros, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is an intellectual hub within the Netherlands. Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted within seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. Housed on four city campuses in or near the heart of Amsterdam, where disciplines come together and interact, the faculties have close links with thousands of researchers and hundreds of institutions at home and abroad.  

The UvA’s students and employees are independent thinkers, competent rebels who dare to question dogmas and aren’t satisfied with easy answers and standard solutions. To work at the UvA is to work in an independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

Faculty of Science – Informatics Institute

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 6,500, as well as 1,600 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

The mission of the Informatics Institute is to perform curiosity-driven and use-inspired fundamental research in Computer Science. The main research themes are Artificial Intelligence, Computational Science and Systems and Network Engineering. Our research involves complex information systems at large, with a focus on collaborative, data driven, computational and intelligent systems, all with a strong interactive component.