Tenure Track Assistant Professor on Planetary Atmosphere Sciences [1.0 fte]

We are looking for an Assistant Professor who will strategically strengthen our research in the field of exoplanets. The ideal candidate has a strong background in Planetary Atmosphere Sciences. New instrumentation (such as JWST, ARIEL, PLATO, and METIS) provides data to map out the diversity of extrasolar systems and to characterize exoplanets. The interpretation of exoplanet atmosphere data is closely linked to the evolution of a planet and its interior composition. We are particularly interested in a candidate who conducts forefront research into the formation and evolution of rocky exoplanet atmospheres, from either an observational or theoretical perspective. This focus area of strategic development for the Kapteyn Institute will connect to key themes of the Dutch Origins Centre. In this context, the candidate is also expected to engage in collaborations with other institutes at the Faculty of Science and Engineering, and with SRON, ASTRON and universities across the Netherlands, such as Leiden, Utrecht, Amsterdam, Nijmegen, and Delft.

The position we offer will be embedded in the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute. The mission of the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute is to perform front-line research in astronomy, astrophysics, and related fields, aided by the presence of NWO-institutes ASTRON and SRON and NOVA labs, and to provide an excellent educational environment for both graduate and undergraduate studies. The Institute’s mission and its policy and strategy are closely linked to and partly define the mission of the Netherlands Research School for Astronomy, NOVA, of which it is one of four member institutes. The excellent reputation of the Kapteyn Institute has made it possible to attract promising, high-quality astronomers to the University of Groningen. The facilities the Institute offers, such as access to world-class observing facilities, make the Kapteyn Institute a very attractive environment for astronomical research.

The successful candidate will have the following qualifications: a PhD degree in astronomy, or related fields, at least two years of postdoctoral experience outside of the Netherlands, preferably in a different country than where you received your PhD, a relevant international network, excellent research qualities, as shown by a publication record in international peer-reviewed journals and proceedings of renowned conferences, a good track record in teaching, appropriate to your career stage, organisational competences, cross-cultural sensitivity, and good command of spoken and written English. In addition, you are a team player with good communication skills, able to acquire substantial research grants from external sources, willing to obtain a University Teaching Qualification (Dutch: BKO) within three years, and able to speak the Dutch language or motivated to speak it within five years.

As Assistant Professor, you will set up and develop your own research line and research group, supervise PhD students and postdocs, acquire external funding, promote the societal relevance of your research, teach bachelor and master courses, contribute to the development of degree programs in Astronomy, and contribute to the organisation of the institute and faculty, for example, by participating in working groups and committees in the domains of teaching, research and management. At the stage of Assistant Professor, 60% of your time is for research, 30% for teaching activities and 10% for organisational tasks.

More details concerning the description of the position, working conditions, prerequisites and how to apply can be found HERE. Please also arrange for three letters of reference to be sent directly by your referees to [email protected]  by the indicated deadline. Applications received by Friday, September 15, 2023, at 23.59 (CEST) will be given full consideration. The on-site selection interviews will take place between October 9 - November 10, 2023.

The University of Groningen is an equal-opportunity employer, and we value diversity at our organisation. We do not discriminate based on ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the NVP Recruitment Code and the European Code of Conduct for the recruitment of researchers from the European Commission.