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.

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.

Fixed-term contract: 18 months.

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

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Department of Biological Psychology
You will be working at the department of Biological Psychology of the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. At the department Biological Psychology (BioPsy) we conduct research and education on the causes of individual differences in health behaviours and disease outcomes. It is a department with a long tradition in behavioural genetics research where enthusiastic and ambitious academics work on generating knowledge and translating this to improvements in health, health behaviours, and wellbeing. BioPsy maintains the Netherlands Twin Register and its biobank to enable genetically informative studies using both genomic and pedigree-based approaches.

Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences
Developing knowledge for an active, healthy and meaningful life: that is our mission at the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences at VU Amsterdam. We maintain a broad focus on the fields of behaviour and health. Our teaching and research programmes are devoted to current developments in society. From healthy aging to e-health, and from training top athletes to social media as a teaching tool. We combine three academic disciplines: psychology, movement sciences and education. A multidisciplinary approach allows us to arrive at a better understanding of human behaviour and movement. Our aims are to help people live healthier lives, learn better and function better.

Are you interested in joining Behavioural and Movement Sciences? You are the kind of person who feels at home working in an ambitious faculty, with an informal atmosphere and short lines of communication. We offer you all the space you need for personal development. Together with your 630 colleagues, you will take care of about 4,200 students.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.