The Faculty of Science and the Mathematical Institute are looking for a
Postdoctoral researcher in Statistics (longitudinal data analysis)

Description of the project
The Mathematical Institute of Leiden University invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher position in Statistics. The position is part of a research project on the development of new statistical methods for the dynamic prediction of time-to-event (survival) outcomes in complex longitudinal studies, funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The postdoctoral researcher will work on the development and implementation of statistical methods that can flexibly model repeated measurement data gathered in such longitudinal studies. The position comes with light teaching duties.

Selection Criteria

Essential
Candidates are expected to:

1. have (or be about to receive) a PhD in statistics, biostatistics, applied mathematics, or a closely-related quantitative discipline,
2. be interested in the development of new statistical methods,
3. have a good publication record (as demonstrated by publications and/or preprints) and excellent research potential,
4. have experience with the development of methodology and/or statistical software for mixed-effects models (generalized linear mixed models and/or multivariate mixed models),
5. have excellent programming skills in R,
6. have excellent written and spoken communication skills in English.

Desirable
The following skills are desirable, but not required, for success in this role:

1. very good organizational skills,
2. experience developing R packages,
3. experience with smoothing techniques (splines and generalized additive models),
4. experience with the application of mixed-effects models to real-world data.

LEIDEN UNIVERSITY
Research at our faculty
The Faculty of Science is a world-class faculty where staff and students work together in a dynamic international environment. It is a faculty where personal and academic development are top priorities. Our people are committed to expand fundamental knowledge by curiosity and to look beyond the borders of their own discipline; their aim is to benefit science, and to contribute to addressing the major societal challenges of the future.

The research carried out at the Faculty of Science is very diverse, ranging from mathematics, information science, astronomy, physics, chemistry and bio-pharmaceutical sciences to biology and environmental sciences. The research activities are organised in eight institutes. These institutes offer eight bachelor’s and twelve master’s programmes. The faculty has grown strongly in recent years and now has more than 2,500 staff and almost 6,000 students. We are located at the heart of Leiden’s Bio Science Park, one of Europe’s biggest science parks, where university and business life come together.

For more information, see Faculty of Science and Working at Leiden University

Mathematical Institute
The Mathematical Institute (MI) is one of the eight institutes within the Faculty of Science and has a strong international orientation. Its mission is to push the frontiers of scientific knowledge by developing and applying high quality mathematics, while offering a wide range of mathematical training in a friendly and intellectually stimulating environment. We believe that mathematics is an essential part of human knowledge, and we take pride in our role as keepers of this rich field of science. We are dedicated to push the boundaries of mathematical knowledge and to contribute our experience towards solving problems in other sciences, society, and industry. In addition, we promote mathematical literacy in society at large through a multitude of outreach activities. The Mathematical Institute has four research themes: Algebra, Geometry and Number Theory; Analysis and Dynamical Systems; Probability Theory; and Statistics and Data Science. There are many collaborations between the themes. More information about the Mathematical Institute can be found here.

Terms and conditions

• We offer a full-time appointment of initially one year. After a positive evaluation of the progress of the research, personal capabilities and compatibility, the appointment will be extended for another two years.
• The gross monthly salary is between € 3.345,- and € 5.278,- depending on your qualifications and experience.
• Additional funding is available to support travel to conferences and workshops abroad.
• Leiden University offers an attractive benefits package including pension build-up, paid parental leave and additional holiday (8%) and end-of-year bonuses (8.3%). Our individual choices model gives you some freedom to assemble your own set of terms and conditions. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break. For more information, see our website: Working at Leiden University, Application process and working conditions.

Leiden University is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from members of underrepresented groups.

Starting date
February – May 2025

Applications
To apply for this vacancy, please upload the following documents:

• Application form
• Cover letter
• Curriculum vitae (CV)
• List of publications (including any relevant preprint)
• A digital copy of (a draft of) your PhD thesis

Deadline
Only applications received before 24 December 2024 will be considered.

Information
For more information about the vacancy, you may contact dr. Mirko Signorelli (m.signorelli@math.leidenuniv.nl)