All Things Urban

Wageningen University & Research provides education and generates knowledge in the domain of healthy food and living environment. ‘To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’. That is the mission of Wageningen University & Research (WUR). A staff of 6,500 and 10,000 students from over 100 countries work everywhere around the world in the domain of healthy food and living environment for governments and the business community-at-large. The strength of WUR lies in its ability to join the forces of specialised research institutes and the University. It also lies in the combined efforts of the various fields of natural and social sciences. This union of expertise leads to scientific breakthroughs that can quickly be put into practice and be incorporated into education. This is the Wageningen Approach.

Are you the enthusiastic Assistant Professor we are looking for? Do you have academic expertise in the areas of Urban or Regional Economics? Then apply for this challenging position at our chair group! Because of the high residential density, cities are great places to foster change. Change in terms of circular economy, sustainable energy and food consumption, as well as healthy life-styles and societal participation. This change is urgent, because with our current consumption and production behaviour, we will soon reach the planetary boundaries. To use the potential of cities and their inhabitants to foster change, the Urban Economics (UEC) group at Wageningen focusses both on micro and macro processes. At the micro level, the research of the UEC group concentrates on economic behaviour, institutions, and the incentives that can contribute to more sustainable urban consumption and healthy lifestyles. We combine insights from behavioural- , micro- and spatial economics and apply this to behaviour with respect to choice and social decision making, while taking into account subjective factors, spatial and social context and (expected) consequences of behaviour. At the macro level, the UEC group focuses on the impacts of urbanization on actors and activities in the urban-rural interface. Important issues in this respect are the economic analysis of the changed relation between food production and consumption as well as the potential for energy and circularity transitions in cities and their hinterland. We use spatial econometric and regional input-output modelling approaches to better understand optimal interactions between cities and rural areas, for example in the context of regional food supply systems, climate change mitigation, nature conservation and recreation activities. As a group, we aim to execute impactful research. We are well connected to AMS (the Advanced Metropolitan Solutions Institute in Amsterdam), Innovation Lighthouse (a partnership-based organisation of real estate owners, innovators and researchers to make buildings more sustainable through innovation), and the European Regional Science Association (ERSA). As mentioned this position will be placed in the chair group Urban Economics. We seek to fill a tenure-track position at the Associate or Assistant professor level in urban economics. Candidates must have completed a Ph.D. in Urban or Regional Economics or Economic Geography and several years of working experience in research and supervision (of students or colleagues). Preference will be given to individuals with research interests that are centered in the urban/regional area and with possible spillovers to other areas of emphasis in the group, including behavioral economics and health economics. In this challenging career trajectory: - you acquire, lead and implement innovative and creative (inter-)national research projects in the UEC group; - you are a senior researcher who collaborates with colleagues and supervise PhD students, BSc and MSc theses and you develop and teach courses; - you contribute to the further development of the UEC group. Tenure Track is a career path for hardworking scientists who pursue to excel in education and research. We seek to attract scientific talent and to stimulate and support their development.

As a successful candidate you have: - a PhD in urban/regional/spatial economics, or economic geography; - affinity with and experience in health economics and/or behavioural economics is appreciated; - a good track-record in terms of publications; - experience in both theoretical and empirical research; - proven experience in writing research proposals; - experience in teaching and supervision of (PhD) students. We seek a strong team player with a good network within academics and the wider society who is willing to contribute to the wider interests of the group. For this position you will need an excellent English language proficiency (a mininum of CEFR C2 level). For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our special language page.

We initially offer a fixed-term, 7 year contract which, upon positive evaluation based on criteria elaborated in the University's Tenure Track policy, can lead to a permanent employment contract as professor. Your salary will depend on expertise and experience and the maximum gross salary for Assistant Professors is €5.826,- per month and for Associate Professors the salary can grow up to €6.940,- per month. Both based on a full working week of 38 hours in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement Dutch Universities. An appointment of 0.8 FTE is negotiable. In addition, we offer: - 8% holiday allowance; - a structural end-of year bonus of 8.3%; - excellent training opportunities and secondary employment conditions; - flexible working hours that we determine together in good consultation; - excellent pension plan through ABP; - 232 vacation hours, the option to purchase extra and good supplementary leave schemes, e.g. the possibility to work a maximum of 2 hours per week extra for extra leave; - a flexible model to put together part of your employment conditions yourself, such as a bicycle plan; - a lively workplace on the Wageningen Campus; - make use of the sports facilities on campus for a small fee. Wageningen University & Research stimulates internal career opportunities and mobility with our internal recruitment policy. For your personal development we offer you the ‘Development program Tenure Track’. This program supports you in further development of your competences. We also offer you the possibility to gain the Basic Teaching Qualification (BKO) which is a requirement in the Tenure Track policy. With us you get a versatile job in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere for students and staff from over 100 countries around the world. You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 15th consecutive time. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief, known as the 30% ruling.

This job is available for international candidates.