Maastricht University seeks a postdoctoral researcher to apply advanced statistical methods to existing data for interdisciplinary research in psychology and public health, in the Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences.

Job Description
We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate to join our interdisciplinary team on an exciting project investigating the causes of mental health and the underlying psychological mechanisms. In this role, you will have the unique opportunity to apply cutting‐edge statistical methods for causal inferences to a uniquely rich longitudinal dataset (data collection is complete). The project is funded by a ZonMw grant. You are expected to be the leading author or a co‐author on manuscripts for top‐tier peer‐reviewed journals in collaboration with the interdisciplinary core team and the team members’ collaborators, who are internationally renowned researchers in Europe and the USA. There will be opportunities to disseminate research findings at professional conferences held locally and internationally. You will join the collaborative interdisciplinary (methodology and statistics, psychology, and public health) research team of Drs. Wen Wei Loh, Dongning Ren, and Math Candel from the Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences and the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience at Maastricht University.

The term for the appointment is 24 months, starting 1 November 2024.

Requirements
The ideal candidate has:

• A doctoral degree in methodology or statistics, psychology, public health, or related fields with strong quantitative or statistical methods training.
• Evidence of excellent leading authorship, collaboration, and communication skills.
• Experience with analysis of large existing datasets using R.
• Basic understanding of causal inference.
• Fluency in English; proficiency in Dutch is not required.

Applicants with related experience in applying quantitative or statistical methods to large existing datasets in R are encouraged to apply even if they do not have formal experience in methodology or statistics.

What we offer
As a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded in scale 10 according to UFO profile Researcher, with corresponding salary based on experience ranging from €3345,00 and €5278,00 gross per month (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 24 months with a scope of 0.8-1.0 FTE.
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model.
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students.
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'.

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Maastricht University
Why work at Maastricht University?

At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.

In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.

With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.

Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.

Click here for more information about UM.

Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences
At the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML), everything revolves around healthy living. Our research and education are not solely focused on recovery, but place a strong emphasis on prevention, health preservation, and health promotion. Our aim is to use our knowledge and expertise to genuinely contribute to the well-being of individual people as well as society in total.

In, research, and healthcare, FHML is closely collaborating with the academic hospital in Maastricht, together forming the Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+). FHML is strongly connected in education, research, and care with the Maastricht academic hospital, together with which it forms the Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC+).

FHML, which is the largest faculty of Maastricht University, is formed by an (inter)national community of employees and students. The faculty offers a wide range of Dutch and English-taught bachelor's and master's programs in innovative educational concepts in which the emphasis is always on building bridges to practice.

The multidisciplinary research of the FHML focuses on a number of carefully chosen topical current themes. In addition to research aimed at gaining new insights, it also concerns research whose results can be directly translated into concrete applications and innovations. The implementation of the various research programs is organized in our six graduate schools and two institutes.

Department
The Department of Methodology and Statistics is part of the Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML) and the Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI).

Curious?
Are you interested in this exciting position but still have questions? Feel free to contact Dr. Wen Wei Loh at wenwei.loh@maastrichtuniversity.nl for more information. Do you have any questions regarding the procedure, please contact Patrick Claus (Recruiter) at p.claus@maastrichtuniversity.nl.

Applying?
Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new postdoctoral research associate? Apply now, no later than 22 September 2024, for this position.

Please upload your motivation letter (max. 2 pages), CV, academic transcripts/records, and contact information of two referees to the application platform (SuccessFactors).
Virtual interviews will take place in the week of 27 September - 1 October.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.