We are looking for a tenure-track Assistant to Associate Professor with outstanding knowledge of and experience in high-resolution single particle cryo-Electron Microscopy and/or cryo-Electron Tomography (together “cryo-EM”) to establish an excellent research line to study the structure-function relationships of proteins, biomolecular complexes, and/or the analysis of (sub)cellular structures.
For this, the GBB institute provides an extremely well-performing in-house FEI Talos Arctica; its set-up and workflow have been optimized to provide one of the best performing 200 kV microscopes globally for high-resolution cryo-EM studies. In addition, there is access to two FEI Titan Krios TEMs via the national EM facility NeCEN in Leiden.
The envisioned research preferably complements current research at GBB, for instance the research headed by Siewert-Jan Marrink (Molecular dynamics), Marco Fraaije (Molecular Enzymology), Giovanni Maglia (Nanopore Engineering), Tessa Quax (Micrbiology of Archaea and Viruses), Sahar El Aidy (Host-Microbe Interactions), Kasia Tych (Single-Molecule Biochemistry), Dirk Slotboom (Structural Membrane Biology) or Albert Guskov (Protein Structure Determination). There are ample opportunities for local collaboration with other scientists at GBB, the Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, the Zernike Institute for Materials Science, the Groningen Institute for Pharmacy and the University Medical Centre Groningen.
Next to the strong emphasis on research the candidate will teach in courses of the BSc curricula in Biology, Chemistry and Life Science and Technology as well as the MSc curricula of Biomolecular Sciences and Chemistry. The candidate will use creative modern teaching concepts.
The successful candidate will establish an active research group largely supported by extramural funds, be an interactive member of the institute GBB and the faculty, participate in interdisciplinary research and training, and engage in graduate and undergraduate teaching.
Curricula of the relevant teaching programmmes:
- BSc Biology (major Molecular Life Sciences): https://www.rug.nl/(…)owpos?opleiding=6531
- BSc Life Science and Technology: https://www.rug.nl/(…)owpos?opleiding=6277
- BSc Chemistry: https://www.rug.nl/(…)owpos?opleiding=4958
- MSc Chemistry (track Chemical Biology): https://www.rug.nl/(…)owpos?opleiding=6394
- MSc Biomolecular Sciences: https://www.rug.nl/(…)owpos?opleiding=4554
Qualifications
We encourage you to apply if you have:
- a PhD degree in a relevant subject area
- at least two years of postdoctoral experience outside of the Netherlands, preferably in a different country than where you received your PhD (can be compensated for after the appointment via extended research visits abroad)
- a relevant international and/or industrial network
- excellent research qualities that demonstrate originality in addressing important fundamental questions in biomolecular sciences published in influential peer-reviewed journals
- a track record in university teaching appropriate to the career stage
- successfully (co-)supervised PhD students appropriate to the career stage
- received meaningful research grants from external sources appropriate to the career stage
- organizational competences
- the ability to work well in an international, culturally diverse, environment
- excellent command of spoken and written English.
And you are:
- a visible professional in the field of structural biology, using high-resolution single particle or tomography cryo-EM
- an inspiring leader who stimulates group members to get the best out of themselves
- a team player with good communication skills
- willing to acquire a University Teaching Qualification (Dutch: BKO) within three years
- able to speak the Dutch language or motivated to speak it within five years.
Organisation
The University of Groningen is a research university with a global outlook. The Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) is the largest faculty within the University. We offer first-rate education and excellent research in a wide range of subject areas, from classical ones such as mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry and biology, to interdisciplinary fields such as artificial intelligence, computer science, pharmacy, mechanical engineering, and materials science. Our staff members interact with students and staff from around the world.
The position we offer will be embedded in the Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute (GBB). GBB provides an excellent environment for ground-breaking research and comprises thirteen creative research units in biochemistry, biophysical chemistry, molecular and cell biology, computational and systems biology, genetics, and microbiology. Research in GBB is organized in two focal areas: ‘Molecular Mechanisms of Biological Processes’ and ‘Physiology and Systems Biology’.
The GBB EM facility includes a recently installed and excellently performing FEI Talos Arctica TEM equipped with a K2-summit camera, an energy filter and a phase plate; a new full-service contract has just been acquired. In addition, several other electron microscopes for screening and lower resolution analyses, as well as modern infrastructures for sample preparation and image processing are available. Whenever required, there is access to the EM facility NeCEN in Leiden, where two FEI Titan Krios TEMs are operational.
Conditions of employment
Depending on your career stage, we offer you accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities a full-time tenure track position as Assistant Professor or a full-time position as Associate Professor with:
- a salary, depending on qualifications and work experience, from € 3,974 (salary scale 11) up to a maximum of € 6,181 gross per month (salary scale 12) for a full-time tenure track Assistant Professor position. As Associate Professor the salary ranges between € 5,506 – € 7,362 gross per month based on full-time employment (salary scale 13 or 14)
- a holiday allowance and end-of-year bonus of respectively 8% and 8.3% of your yearly gross salary
- a start-up package (to be negotiated with the GBB director and dean)
- a pension scheme
- maternity and parental leave
- the possibility to work part-time (0.9 FTE or 0.8 FTE)
- a personal development trajectory and a mentor programme
- dual career support for partners of new faculty members moving to Groningen.
In case of a full-time contract as tenure track Associate Professor, you will initially be appointed for 7 years and your performance will be assessed after 5 years. This moment may be extended with at most one year in case of a life event (e.g. prolonged illness or maternity leave). If your assessment is positive, you will get a tenured appointment as Associate Professor.
In case of a full-time contract as Associate Professor, you will after a short probation period be appointed tenure with the possibility for being assessed after 5 years for promotion to Full Professor.
Please consult our website for more information about the working conditions at the University of Groningen: https://www.rug.nl/(…)with-us/that-is-why/
Application
We invite you to submit a complete application (as individual PDF files) including:
- a cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position
- a curriculum vitae, including a description of your major research foci, teaching experience, a list of your publications and a list with names of at least two references
- a concise description of your scientific interests and plans and how this connects to current research at GBB (max 2 pages A4)
- a statement on your vision on teaching, in particular pertaining to developments in your field, and what you would like to accomplish in our degree programmes (max 2 pages A4).
You may apply for this position until 26 September 11:59pm / before 27 September 2022 Dutch local time (CET) by means of the application form (click on “Apply” below on the advertisement on the university website).
The selection interviews will take place in October 2022.
The University of Groningen strives to be a university in which students and staff are respected and feel at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identities. We believe that working on our core values of inclusion and equality are a joint responsibility and we are constructively working on creating a socially safe environment. Diversity among students and staff members enriches academic debate and contributes to the quality of our teaching and research. We therefore invite applicants from underrepresented groups in particular to apply. For more information, see also our diversity policy webpage: https://www.rug.nl/(…)rsity-and-inclusion/
Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code (NVP): https://www.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/sollicitatiecode/ and European Commission’s European Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code
We provide career services for partners of new faculty members moving to Groningen.
Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated.
Information
For information you can contact:
- Prof. Dirk Slotboom, Scientific Director GBB and executive Chair for this position, +31 50 363 4209/4187, d.j.slotboom@rug.nl
Please do not use the e-mail address(es) above for applications.
Additional information
- Profile report in which the position is described in more detail
- More information about the research institute
- Assessment procedure and criteria