Assistant professor in Analysis of Dynamical Systems

Are you a mathematician working on the analysis of dynamical systems? Join us

Join the Department of Mathematics of Utrecht University as Assistant Professor in the Analysis of Dynamical Systems. Together with the other staff members, you will be responsible for the formation of the future generation of mathematicians. Applications are welcome from the broad research area of analysis of dynamical systems, including nonlinear PDEs/ODEs, bifurcation theory, stochastic PDEs, and optimal control. Other topics in the analysis of dynamical systems are welcome.

The position entails roughly 50% research and 50% teaching.

You will continue to develop your research line individually and/or in collaboration with other scientists. You will apply for external funds, supervise PhD candidates and postdocs, and organise relevant scientific meetings at national or international level.

You will teach courses at a variety of levels, from first-year Bachelor's to advanced Master's courses. Master’s courses can be taught either at the local level or as part of the national master programme, Mastermath. You will be involved in the supervision of Bachelor's and Master's theses as well as smaller-scale projects. We encourage teaching innovation and university funding is available to develop new ideas and methods.

By engaging in the daily life of the Mathematical Institute and taking on positions of responsibility, you will help shape the future of the department.

You will play a committed role in all aspects of academic life. Ideally, your eligibility is exemplified by: 

• a PhD in mathematics or related discipline; preferably related to the described research area;
• a collection of significant research achievements and a proven track record of international publications in leading journals;
• high potential for the acquisition of external research funds;
• a research focus connected to at least one field of application;
• proven ability or potential for supervision of postdocs and/or PhD candidates and commitment to supervision of BSc and MSc students;
• commitment to teaching and the ability to teach courses in the Bachelor's and Master's programmes in Mathematics and mathematics courses for related disciplines, based on an in-depth understanding of current developments in the field;
• a committed role in or ideas for (inter-)national activities in scientific and/or societal communities;
• a track record in or ideas for outreach activities and public engagement;
• Utrecht University expects all to be proficient in English (level C1). If you do not have a command of Dutch, we ask for a willingness to learn the language within 5 years. Utrecht University will support you in this.

You are required to have or to obtain a University Teaching Qualification (UTQ) during the first two years of the appointment.

In view of our policy to improve the gender balance we strongly encourage women to apply.

We offer:

• a position as Assistant Professor (1.0 FTE) for 12 months. After a positive evaluation, this will be converted into a permanent contract;
• a full-time gross salary, depending on previous qualifications and experience, between €4,492 and €6,148 in the case of full-time employment (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.

Working at the Faculty of Science means bringing together inspiring people across disciplines and with a variety of perspectives and backgrounds. The Faculty has six departments: Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Information & Computing Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Together, we work on excellent research and inspiring education. We do so, driven by curiosity and supported by outstanding infrastructure. Visit us on LinkedIn and discover how you can become part of our community.

Within the Faculty of Science and across Utrecht University, we deeply value the contributions of every employee, recognizing that each person's efforts are essential to achieving our shared mission. Our Recognition and Rewards (R&R) philosophy is central to how we value each individual's contribution to working toward a better world. The R&R principles—collaboration, leadership, room for development, transparency, and quality over quantity—are fundamental to how we work together and are integral to all our activities, including the recruitment process.

The Mathematical Institute of the Department of Mathematics organises and teaches the Bachelor's curricula in Mathematics as well as the (English-taught) Master's programme in Mathematics and some service teaching in mathematics. The Institute is internationally recognised for its research in both pure and applied mathematics. It houses the Utrecht Geometry Centre and maintains a long-standing tradition of transdisciplinary collaboration with other scientific fields including, among others, atmosphere/ocean sciences, computational life sciences, mathematical biology, mathematical economics, medical and seismic imaging, theoretical computer science, and theoretical physics. We participate in university focus areas in Complex Systems and Applied Data Science. 

If you have any questions that you’d like us to answer, please contact Dr Sjoerd Dirksen at s.dirksen@uu.nl. 

Do you have a question about the application procedure? Please send an email to science.recruitment@uu.nl.

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.

If you are enthusiastic about this position, just apply via the 'apply now' button Please enclose:

• your letter of motivation;
• your curriculum vitae, including publication list;
• research statement (at most three pages (A4), including background, best accomplishments, and future plans);
• teaching statement (at most two pages (A4), including teaching vision, best accomplishments, and future plans);
• the names and email addresses of at least three contacts whom we can ask for a reference letter, at least one of whom can address teaching abilities.

The deadline for this vacancy to apply is Monday 25 November, 23:59 CET.

Interviews will be scheduled on 6 and 7 February 2025. The preferred starting date is 1 September 2025, or earlier.

If this specific opportunity isn’t for you, but you know someone else who may be interested, please forward this vacancy to them.

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