Professor of Bioscience Engineering

Department: Department of Bioscience Engineering
Regime Part-time

Let’s shape the future – University of Antwerp

The University of Antwerp is a dynamic, forward-thinking, European university. We offer an innovative academic education to more than 20 000 students, conduct pioneering scientific research and play an important service-providing role in society. We are one of the largest, most international and most innovative employers in the region. With more than 6000 employees from 100 different countries, we are helping to build tomorrow's world every day. Through top scientific research, we push back boundaries and set a course for the future – a future that you can help to shape.  

The Department of Bioscience Engineering in the Faculty of Science has the following part-time (20%) vacancy: senior academic staff (professor, ZAP) in the field of Human Health and Urban Liveability.

Position

You will contribute to the University of Antwerp’s three core tasks: education, research and services. Your role also includes organisational and managerial aspects.

Education

• You will provide high-quality education in the field of sustainable urban bioscience engineering, more precisely about human health and urban liveability, including applications of sustainable and nature-based technologies.
• Your educational assignment is situated in the Master of Bioscience Engineering: Sustainable Urban Bioscience Engineering. Your teaching role will evolve along with the study programmes. The courses you will teach in the Master programme may include a part of CityLab 3 – Human Health and Urban Liveability: Conceptual Framework (9 ECTS, 2^nd semester, 1^st master phase) and a part of CityLab 2 – Human Health and Urban Liveability: Integrated Case (6 ECTS, 2^nd semester, 1^st master phase). Also in the bachelor programme you are willing to take up some course like Molecular Biology (3 ECTS, 2^nd semester, 3^th bachelor phase).
• You will develop activating, blended, student-centred and competence-driven programme components and study programmes with a clear focus on the nexus between the education and the related research of Human Health and Urban Liveability.
• You will supervise Master students during their internship and their dissertations, and Bachelor students during their Bachelor Project.

Research

• You will advance high-quality scientific research in the field of human health and urban liveability and in the applications of sustainable and nature-based technologies, design and management within one or (preferably) several domains of bioscience engineering, with a focus on genetic engineering, molecular biology and biotechnology.
• You develop research lines that are complementary to the current activities within the Department of Bioscience Engineering.
• You will initiate new lines of research and coordinate the progress of scientific research projects. You will also participate in ongoing research programmes.
• You will acquire and manage national and international research funding.
• You will publish in peer-reviewed international journals and specialist literature.
• You will develop an international scientific network. You actively participate in scientific conferences.
• You will supervise PhD students and postdoctoral researchers.

Services

• You will play a role in the provision of both academic services and service to society, within the institution and externally.
• You will participate in student recruitment, boards and committees, popular science communication, and so on.
• You are open in taking up the role of president or vice-president of an educational committees.

Profile

• You hold a PhD in Bioscience Engineering or equivalent.
• You can demonstrate relevant experience in addressing urban environmental challenges and/or in research on the development and design of sustainable nature-based technologies and management.
• You have in-depth knowledge of molecular biology and genetic engineering preferably in an urban context
• You can demonstrate several years of postdoctoral experience (or equivalent), with relevant experience in teaching, research and service provision.
• You have experience in working on the nexus between education and research in the domain of Human Health and Urban Liveability.
• Your teaching competences are in line with the University of Antwerp’s educational vision. You are motivated to develop your teaching skills further through the professionalisation opportunities available.
• Your research qualities are in line with the faculty and university research policies. Having an excellent research portfolio is an added advantage.  Candidates are judged on their potential to contribute to excellent teaching and research.
• You are willing to contribute to the development of a high-quality, engineering-oriented (problem-solving) and research-based multidisciplinary education withing the Department of Bioscience Engineering. For this, you can look beyond the borders of your own discipline or field, both in term of content and skills.
• You demonstrate leadership potential and organisational skills.
• You act with attention to quality, integrity, creativity and cooperation.
• If you do not speak Dutch, the administrative language of the university, you should be willing to obtain a CEFR B2 level of proficiency in Dutch. As soon as you take on teaching duties as a programme component coordinator, you should be able to demonstrate a CEFR C1 level of proficiency in the language of instruction (for the Master programme: English). The University of Antwerp supports international staff members through an integration trajectory and offers tailor-made language coaching in compliance with Flanders’ statutory language regulations.

What we offer

• We offer a part-time appointment as a member of the Senior Academic Staff (Dutch: Zelfstandig Academisch Personeel, ZAP) for a period of 3 years. Following a positive evaluation, the appointment can be renewed. The level of your appointment (assistant professor, associate professor, professor or full professor) is determined on the basis of your professional experience and academic qualifications.
• Your gross monthly salary is calculated according to the pay scales for Senior Academic Staff (ZAP) and calculated proportionally on the basis of your employment percentage.        
• You will receive ecocheques, Internet-connectivity allowance and a bicycle allowance or a full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting.
• The planned start date is 1^st of January 2024 or as soon as possible after that date.
• You will do most of your work at Campus Groenenborger in a dynamic and stimulating working environment.
• Find out more about working at the University of Antwerp here and discover all the other benefits.

Want to apply?

• You can apply for this vacancy through the University of Antwerp’s online job application platform up to and including 28^th of September 2023 (by midnight Brussels time). Click on 'apply', complete the online application form and don’t forget to include the following documents: (1) your motivation letter, (2) the completed job application appendix for ZAP, (3) your academic CV.
• The selection committee will review all of the applications as soon as possible after the application deadline. As soon as a decision has been made, we will inform you about the next steps in the selection procedure.
• If you have any questions about the online application form, please check the frequently asked questions or send an email to jobs@uantwerpen.be. If you have any questions about the job itself, please contact dr. Karolien De Wael, chair of the Department of Bioscience Engineering (Karolien.dewael@uantwerpen.be)

The University of Antwerp received the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award for its HR policy. We are a sustainable, family-friendly organisation which invests in its employees’ growth. We encourage diversity and attach great importance to an inclusive working environment and equal opportunities, regardless of gender identity, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or age. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse characteristics to apply.