Assistant Professor in Computational Seismology

The Department of Earth Sciences is seeking a highly motivated seismologist who applies modern computational tools to image (parts of) the earth interior from crust to core and/or seismic sources. Interest in machine learning is highly appreciated. As our new colleague, you will strengthen research and education in Earth Sciences and develop your own internationally recognised research line that should be complementary to current efforts and contribute to sustain existing infrastructure that is key to the long-term viability of this research line within the department.

Your job
We are active in seismic tomography and the interpretation thereof in terms of thermo-chemical structure. You are expected to expand the development of advanced computational techniques to unleash the full potential of seismic waveforms to various imaging problems of your choice. You should have a keen interest in big data analysis and inverse theory, as demonstrated by your applications, and possibly connect with colleagues for mineral physics interpretations or seismic rupture studies. We have excellent HPC facilities including GPUs, ideally suited for machine learning applications.

You will play an essential role in education by inspiring students and developing innovative courses in the BSc and MSc programmes of the department of Earth Sciences, e.g., in mathematics, physics, data processing and seismology at all levels, and in supervising graduation projects. The educational duties of the quantitative side of Earth Sciences are fairly shared between the larger geophysics team, and we expect you to contribute to these courses. On average, the department of Earth Sciences targets at equal contributions to educational activities and research for all its tenured academic staff, resulting in (up to) 40% BSc/MSc teaching duties, 40% research, and 20% of other activities (management tasks, committee work, etc.). You will also contribute to the supervision of early career scientists such as PhD candidates and postdocs.

The Department of Earth Sciences conducts teaching and research across the full range of the solid Earth and environmental Earth sciences, with activities in almost all areas of geology, geochemistry, geophysics, biogeology and hydrogeology. Our key research themes are Earth & Planetary Processes, Sustainable Use of the Subsurface, Planetary Health & Environment, and Climate & Life.

We are looking for a strong team player with good communication and networking skills, who is focused on developing her/his own research line and has a high potential for acquiring funding for research projects. A minimum experience of two to three years as a postdoctoral researcher is highly recommended.

We seek a highly motivated candidate who holds a PhD degree in seismology or a relevant natural science. If you:

• are skilled in computational seismology;
• have interest in the integration of observational and computational approaches;
• enjoy using machine learning tools;
• have strong communication, networking and organisational skills;
• have relevant international experience and an outstanding record of academic research, as reflected in high-quality publications;
• are willing to actively obtain research grants and actively develop new research lines;
• have strong didactic skills, enjoy teaching, and are an inspiring mentor to BSc students, MSc students and PhD candidates;
• have obtained a basic teaching qualification (at Utrecht University or equal), or are willing to obtain this qualification in the near future;
• have a keen eye for public outreach, we encourage you to apply.

You are expected to have an excellent level of English, both spoken and written. We require a qualification English at C1 level (CEFR or comparable to level 3 of the Lecturer Assessment Grid) or to be prepared to obtain this level by training. For non-Dutch speaking candidates, Dutch language skills should be at the level of practical communication within two years of the appointment. Willingness to further develop this toward the ability of teaching in Dutch in the longer term is desired.

Your vision on teaching, research vision and funding potential will be considered by the committee. Because of the ‘open rank’ nature of the available position, the requirements above will differ and depend on the career stage of the applicant. Publication track record, teaching record, acquired research funds and leadership experience will be weighed against the number of years of academic experience, also considering (parental) leave and part-time appointments.

We strongly encourage women to apply. The faculty’s policy is to improve gender, as well as cultural diversity. Therefore, the diversity of our staff population and your connection to existing activities in the department may also provide guidance in the selection process.

• A position as an assistant professor (level 2) for 18 months, with the prospect of permanent employment;
• a working week of 38 hours and a gross monthly salary between €4,537 and €6,209 (salary scale 11 under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University has a number of schemes and facilities of its own for employees. This includes schemes facilitating professional development, leave schemes and schemes for sports and cultural activities, as well as discounts on software and other IT products. We also offer access to additional employee benefits through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage our employees to continue to invest in their growth. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.

The Department of Earth Sciences is the largest academic Earth Sciences institute in The Netherlands. It hosts a highly international tenured staff of over 50 scientists and more than 110 PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers. We house or have access to a wide variety of world-class laboratories, among which are UU’s Electron Microscopy Centre, the Geolab, and the Earth Simulation Laboratory. Moreover, the department has a world-class Paleomagnetic laboratory, several flume facilities, as well as excellent High-Performance Computing facilities.

The department is located at the Utrecht Science Park. Utrecht is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands with a population of nearly 360,000 and forms a hub in the middle of the country. Its historical city centre and its modern central station can easily be reached from the Science Park by public transport or by a 15-minute bicycle ride. Utrecht boasts beautiful canals with extraordinary wharf cellars housing cafés and terraces by the water, as well as a broad variety of shops and boutiques.

For more information, please contact Professor Jeannot Trampert at j.a.trampert@uu.nl.

Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University. Commercial response to this ad is not appreciated.

As Utrecht University, we want to be a home for everyone. We value staff with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and identities, including cultural, religious or ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. We strive to create a safe and inclusive environment in which everyone can flourish and contribute.

To apply, please send the following documents via the ‘apply now’ button:

• your motivation letter;
• a brief vision/plans regarding your own research and teaching for the next five years (max. 3 A4 pages);
• your curriculum vitae including your teaching experience and a list of publications;
• the email addresses of two referees.

We aim for a quick selection procedure after the application deadline.

In the second stage of the selection procedure, the shortlisted candidates will be asked to defend their research plans and teaching vision in an oral presentation and discussion with the committee.

Presenting a short lecture to students and staff may also be included in the procedures. We hope to have these selection procedures take place in June or early July. The intended starting date is 1 September 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Note that international candidates that need a visa/work permit for the Netherlands require at least four months processing time after selection and acceptance. This will be arranged with help of the International Service Desk (ISD) of our university. Finding appropriate housing in or near Utrecht is your own responsibility, but the ISD may be able to advise you therewith. Unfortunately, we must warn that it is a tight market at the moment. In case of general questions about working and living in The Netherlands, please consult the Dutch Mobility Portal.