Associate Professor of Veterinary Public Health

Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Population Health Sciences, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences

 

HOURS PER WEEK: 32 to 40

RESPOND BY: September 13, 2024

Universitair Hoofddocent Veterinaire Volksgezondheid - Werken bij de Universiteit Utrecht - Universiteit Utrecht (uu.nl)

 

Do you want to contribute to the development of veterinarians in public health? Would you like to contribute to education, research and policy in the areas of food safety, zoonoses, animal welfare, epidemiology and environmental hygiene within the One Health concept? Then this vacancy offers a wonderful opportunity!

 

What will you be doing?

With its educational programmes and research lines, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Utrecht University prepares students and professionals for working in, among other things, the field of Veterinary Public Health. We work on public health problems related to animals, their (by)products and living environments, in order to support human health and the environment. Veterinary medicine has a rich history of contributing to public health, mainly through providing guarantees, conducting inspections and monitoring food of animal origin. We also do this through prevention, control and eradication of zoonoses, monitoring and maintaining animal health and welfare, including monitoring of feed and medicine use, protecting the environment and contributing to epidemiological research.

 

In addition to knowledge transfer, we believe that professional development and research skills are essential components of academic training. We structurally integrate these components into the programme, including internships and individual supervision of students by tutors, which is part of the duties of this position.

 

As an associate professor, you will work within the “One Health Microbial” group at the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS). You are primarily responsible for coordinating, developing and implementing education in the field of veterinary public health. This mainly concerns education in the Bachelor's programme in Veterinary Medicine and the Master's programme in Veterinary Medicine. You will also be involved to a lesser extent in other educational programmes, such as the Bachelor's programme Care, Health and Society, Education for Professionals (OvP), and the Master's programmes of the Graduate School of Life Sciences (GSLS).

 

Together with other colleagues, you will also contribute to research in the field of food safety. This could include research to improve the inspection of animals/carcasses in the slaughterhouse in the context of food safety and animal welfare, but also research into the influence of primary production and the transition in this phase on the safety of animal products. Research into (the epidemiology of) foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistance also falls within the scope of the group.

 

The research tasks also include: acquiring external research funding, setting up and executing research projects (mostly interdisciplinary and organisation-wide projects), and supervising students and PhD candidates within this research direction. Other important tasks lie in the field of policy making and advice, and working on future-proof partnerships within and outside the faculty.

 

What do you bring with you?

We are looking for a colleague with a proactive and open attitude. You enjoy working with colleagues in and outside your team and you are able to build bridges to other teams. Within your field, you know what is going on and you are aware of the relevant (social) developments and challenges. You use these insights to arrive at a joint, goal-oriented and enthusiastic approach. You also bring the following with you:

• You have a PhD in veterinary public health or related disciplines and you have been trained as a fully qualified veterinarian (with a diploma recognized in Europe - EAEVE).
• You like to be part of a team and express this by being open to collaboration in various contexts and by sharing knowledge and experiences.
• You are able to take responsibility for the development of employees. You are open to feedback. You strive for a collegial, open and inclusive working environment.
• You have work experience and passion for university education; you can coordinate, implement and develop educational programmes. You strive to provide inspiring education, in which you use various learning methods in a creative way.
• You have relevant work experience in research and consultancy in the broad field of veterinary public health, and food safety in particular. You can support this with a proven track record (including publications, projects, supervision).
• You are experienced in setting up research and are able to acquire research funding.
• You are experienced in sharing research results. You regularly publish in your own research area, you integrate research results into your education and you share findings with colleagues.
• You have a Basic Qualification for Education (or experience that makes it possible to obtain this quickly). You are also prepared to obtain the Senior Qualification for Education and the Senior Qualification for Research within two years of starting in this position.
• You have a broad network, nationally and internationally.
• You have excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Dutch. If you are not able to speak Dutch yet, you are prepared to learn it and make it your working language within three years of starting in this position.
• If you are a European specialist in veterinary public health (diplomat ECVPH) or have an equivalent specialization, this is a big plus for this position.

 

What do we offer?

We offer:

• a position for 12 months with the prospect of a permanent employment contract;
• a working week of 32 to 40 hours with a gross monthly salary of at least € 6,224 to a maximum of € 7,575 for a full-time employment contract (scale 13 of the collective labor agreement for Dutch Universities);
• 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible employment conditions based on the collective labor agreement for Dutch Universities.

If during the interviews it appears that a position as associate professor (scale 13) is too early, a position as assistant professor (scale 12) is also a possibility.

 

In addition to the employment conditions that are laid down in the collective labour agreement for Dutch universities, Utrecht University has a number of its own regulations. For example, there are agreements on professional development, leave arrangements, and arrangements in the field of sports and culture. You will also receive a discount on software and other IT products. We also give you the opportunity to expand your employment conditions via the Employment Conditions Choice Model. In this way, we are happy to encourage you to continue to grow. For more information, see working at Utrecht University.

 

About us

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in performing research and providing inspiring education. At Utrecht University, various disciplines work intensively together on socially important themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability.

 

At the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, we train veterinarians and scientists of the future, we provide care to animals and we conduct leading and socially relevant research. We view the world through veterinary glasses and see that the health and well-being of animals, humans and the environment are interconnected. By sharing our knowledge and working together, we make the greatest positive impact. Our 1,500 students and 950 employees inspire and strengthen each other. What unites us is our passion and the will to make the world a better place from an integral perspective.

 

A committed education and research community offers students, professionals and policy-makers maximum support in steering developments in these areas. The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine does this in collaboration with other institutions in the country, such as the NVWA and the RIVM, which enables rapid and adequate anticipation of developments and development questions from the field.

 

The Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS) is an interfaculty research institute; a collaboration between the faculties of Veterinary Medicine, Medicine, and Sciences. In addition, the IRAS is supported by the RIVM and TNO Research and Advice. The mission of IRAS is to provide education and conduct research in the field of health risks to humans due to exposure to pathogens and potentially hazardous substances in the environment, at work or in the food chain. The institute also conducts research into the effects on ecosystems.

 

The One Health Microbial group led by Prof. Dr. Lidwien Smit at IRAS consists of approximately 40 colleagues. Within this group, part of the group works within the Veterinary Public Health (VV) team, with Dr. Lapo Mughini-Gras and Dr. Len Lipman as leads for research and education, respectively. We are committed to bridging the gap between One Health research and daily veterinary education.

 

More information

For more information, please contact Dr. Lapo Mughini-Gras via l.mughinigras@uu.nl or Dr. Len Lipman via l.j.a.lipman@uu.nl.

 

Application

As Utrecht University, we want to be a home for everyone. We value employees with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and identities, including cultural, religious or ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. We strive for a safe and inclusive environment in which everyone can flourish and contribute.

Are you interested in applying? Send your motivation letter and CV via the application button.

The first interviews will take place from week 38 in 2024.

Respond no later than 13 September 2024.