Assistant Professor Biodiversity, Land Use and Spatial Planning

Are you committed to contributing to halting the decline of biodiversity? Do you have experience in academic teaching and aspire to an academic career? Then please apply at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

We are seeking an Assistant Professor who wants to advance science, teaching, and practice at the interface of Biodiversity, Land Use, and Spatial Planning. Through effective planning and governance of land use, it is possible to halt biodiversity loss, enable restoration, and ensure the provision of ecosystem services. You will work at this interface by bringing in ecological knowledge and connecting it to work on land use change within our department. As an Assistant Professor, you will be part of the Environmental Geography department of the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. We are looking for a (landscape) ecologist with a broad, interdisciplinary interest and experience in spatial analysis of interactions between land use and biodiversity.

Your responsibilities will include teaching courses in environmental sciences in our interdisciplinary BSc and MSc programmes, developing your own research programme, contributing to the acquisition of research funding, and supporting our education and research through some administrative and organisational tasks. In this position, you will spend approximately 40% of your time on research, 40% on teaching, and 20% on administrative and organisational tasks. Your career development will be shaped within the framework of our Career Track policy during your initial years as a university lecturer.

Your duties

• Develop a largely externally funded research programme in your area, with the aim of forming a successful team of PhDs and postdocs
• Teach at BSc and MSc level, including thesis supervision
• Contribute to administrative and coordination tasks at department and institute level
• Ensure a high-quality publication output
• Initiate and contribute to collaborative projects

Your Profile

• PhD in (landscape) ecology, biodiversity conservation, or a strongly related field
• Strong research interest and potential to develop a robust academic track record
• Clear methodological focus in research, using quantitative methods including spatial analysis
• Commitment to academic teaching in environmental science and sustainability-related topics, especially for interdisciplinary groups, is an advantage
• Additional research and teaching experience since your PhD (or in addition to your PhD research) is an advantage
• Strong interest in interdisciplinary collaboration and generating societal impact through applied research, with ideas on how to achieve this

We recognise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise, and mindset. We encourage everyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not (fully) meet all the requirements.

What We Offer

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research, and service for a better world. In return for your efforts, we offer you:

• On a full-time basis, a gross monthly salary for the assistant professor level ranging from €4,728 (scale 11.0) to €6,433 (scale 11.11), depending on your education and experience
• This is a career track position; the initial appointment will be for 18 months, with the possibility of a tenured position after the initial period if agreed performance indicators are met
• A maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• Solid pension scheme (ABP)
• Contribution to commuting expenses
• Optional model for designing a personalized benefits package
• Certain tax benefits (30% ruling) may apply to international candidates
• Help and assistance with relocation for international candidates

About Us

Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM)
IVM is a leading environmental research institute internationally recognized for its high-quality research output across a range of environmental disciplines, as well as for its interdisciplinary work. The mission of the institute is to contribute to sustainable development and care for the environment through scientific research and teaching. IVM aims to conduct excellent problem-oriented research that is useful to a wide range of stakeholders in the Netherlands and internationally. A unique strength of our research is understanding sustainability problems in their social and economic context. The IVM research community works within four departments: Environmental Economics; Environmental Policy Analysis; Environmental Geography; and Water and Climate Risk. IVM is part of the Faculty of Science at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. This position is based within the Environmental Geography department, which conducts interdisciplinary research on the spatial aspects of environmental and social challenges and the solutions sustainable land use can provide.

Faculty of Science
Researchers and students at VU Amsterdam’s Faculty of Science tackle fundamental and complex scientific problems to help pave the way for a sustainable and healthy future. From forest fires to big data, from obesity to malnutrition, and from molecules to the moon: we cover the full spectrum of the natural sciences. Our teaching and research have a strong experimentally technical, computational, and interdisciplinary nature. We work on new solutions guided by value-driven, interdisciplinary methodologies and are committed to research, valorisation, and training socially engaged citizens of the world who will make valuable contributions to a sustainable, healthy future. The faculty is home to over 11,000 students enrolled in 40 study programmes and employs over 1,600 professionals across 10 academic departments. We are proud of our collegial working climate, characterised by committed staff, a pragmatic attitude, and engagement in the larger whole.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on 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. We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 5,500 staff work at the VU and over 30,000 students attend academic education.