Senior academic staff/Postdoc - Workleader “Uneven, unsafe and insufficient water access: resource governance in a mineral rush”

University of Antwerp

Antwerp, Belgium 🇧🇪

Job ID: 2739

Location: Stadscampus

Full/Part Time: Full-time

Regular/Temporary:

Let’s shape the future – University of Antwerp

The University of Antwerp is a dynamic, forward-thinking university. We offer an innovative academic education to more than 20000 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 Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA) aspires to be a global centre for research and dissemination of knowledge, dedicated to the past and present of societies and their natural environments in Africa, and in particular in Central Africa, in order to stimulate interest and ensure a better understanding of this part of the world by the general public and the scientific community, and to contribute significantly, through partnerships, to its sustainable development. The main missions of this Africa-focused institution therefore include the acquisition and management of collections, scientific research, the valorization of its results, the dissemination of knowledge, and the presentation of part of its collections to the general public.

The Institute of Development Policy of the University of Antwerp and the Royal Museum for Central Africa have the following full-time vacancy (100%) vacant in the area of Uneven, unsafe and insufficient water access: resource governance in a mineral rush”:

This position consists of two related appointments in the context of the federal government’s FED-tWIN funding program, in particular:

  1. A part-time (10%) appointment as Senior Academic Staff (ZAP) and a part-time (40%) appointment as postdoc researcher (BAP) at UAntwerpen, Institute of Development Policy. 
  2. Part-time (50%) appointment as contractual SW2 – workleader at the Royal Museum for Central Africa

FED-tWIN is a federal research program of the Federal Public Service Science Policy Programming Service (BELSPO) with the aim of stimulating sustainable cooperation between ten federal science institutions and Belgian Universities trough the funding of joint research profiles.

This  vacancy  is  part  of  the  FED-tWIN  research  profile Prf-2022-040 (WATERRUSH) “Uneven, unsafe and insufficient water access: resource governance in a mineral rush”. You implement the FED-tWIN research profile in the UAntwerpen (50%) and the Royal Museum for Central Africa (50%).

Summary of the FED-tWIN research profile: The global energy transition requires countries to transition to a low-carbon economy. But it still depends on critical minerals to produce, among others, the lithium-ion batteries needed for electric vehicles. The booming production of such batteries has intensified the global demand for cobalt, a mineral for which about 70% of global production currently takes place in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s Copperbelt region. This research project aims to understand the distribution of water resources, the impact of water pollution and the uneven access to clean water in the region, in order to propose policies that can ensure a fair, safe and sufficient access to clean water for communities in cities and mining areas.

Position at the University of Antwerp

  • The 10% ZAP assignment focuses on the three core tasks of Senior Academic Staff, namely education, research and services.
  • The 40% BAP assignment is aimed at reserach.

Education

  • You will provide high-quality education in the domain of the vacancy.
  • You will play a role in developing activating, student-centred and competence-driven programme components and study programmes.
  • You will supervise students and Master dissertations.

Research

  • You will conduct high-quality interdisciplinary research in the domain of resource governance and environmental sciences, within the research group Development processes, actors and policies, and in collaboration with Ecosphere.
  • You will conduct field research in the Central African Copperbelt region (DR Congo).
  • You will publish your research in high-ranking international journals.
  • You will develop an international scientific network.
  • You will assist in ongoing research projects and the activities of the Institute of Development Policy.
  • You will help coordinate project proposals and contribute to attracting external funding.
  • You will assist in the supervision of PhD students and other team members.

Services

  • You will contribute to the dissemination of scientific information towards a broad audience.
  • You will strengthen the network of contacts of the Institute with development actors at the international level and in the South. This includes research cooperation and outreach activities with partner institutes in the South.
  • You will play a role in the provision of both academic services and service to society, within the institution and externally.

Position at the Royal Museum for Central Africa

Research

  • You will conduct high-quality interdisciplinary research in earth sciences, environmental sciences and resource governance.
  • You will conduct field research in the Central African Copperbelt region (DR Congo).
  • You will conduct fieldwork, collect samples and/or, whenever possible, use and valorize the existing collections (rocks, maps, archives) at the RMCA.
  • You will publish your research in high-ranking international journals.
  • Your research activities will reinforce the ongoing research at the Earth Science Dept in the RMCA.
  • You will actively collaborate with scientific institutions in the study area.
  • You will help coordinate project proposals and contribute to attracting external funding.

Services

  • You will contribute to the dissemination of scientific information towards a broad audience.
  • You will take an active part in capacity-building initiatives of universities and research centers in DR Congo.
  • You will contribute to the outreach of the Earth Science Dept of the RMCA.

Profile

  • You hold a PhD in natural sciences, preferably oriented towards water availability and/or water quality, and pollution.
  • You obtained a PhD no more than 12 years before the predetermined deadline for submitting the application This 12-year period is extended by one year for any absence due to pregnancy, parental or adoption leave, as well as any long absence due to illness of the candidate or long absence due to illness of a first degree relative.
  • You have a minimum of two years of experience as a post-doctoral researcher.
  • Your research qualities are in line with the faculty and university research policies.
  • 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.
  • You demonstrate leadership potential and organisational skills.
  • You act with attention to quality, integrity, creativity and cooperation.
  • The following specific expertise and experiences are assets: expertise on heavy metals pollution and persistent organic pollutants, familiarity with natural resource governance, field experience in the Central African region.
  • Excellent knowledge of English and French is required. Knowledge of other languages is a plus.
  • 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. 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

The University of Antwerp offers :

  • A part-time 10% appointment as a member of the Senior Academic Staff 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.
  • A part-time 40% contract (open-ended) as a postdoctoral researcher
  • Your gross monthly salary is calculated according to the pay scale for a principal research fellow in the Contract Research Staff category (Dutch: Bijzonder Academisch Personeel, BAP) and calculated pro rata based on the employment
  • 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 October 2023.
  • You will do part of your work at the city campus, and part at the Groenenborger campus, in a dynamic and stimulating working environment.
  • Find out more about working at the University of Antwerp here and discover all the other benefits.

The Royal Museum for Central Africa offers:

  • A part-time (50%) appointment as contractual SW2 – workleader at the Royal Museum for Central Africa.
  • Your gross monthly salary is calculated according to the pay scale for a SW21 position in contractual employment.
  • Minimum remuneration (gross amounts adjusted to the current index, not including regulatory allowances): 63,728.12 euros (at 100%).
  • A permanent employment contract.
  • Workplace is in the RMCA at Tervuren, a dynamic and stimulating working environment with special attention to equal opportunities and diversity.
  • Full allowance for commuting by public transport, and/or a bicycle allowance.
  • The planned start date is 1 October 2023.

Want to apply?

  • You can apply for this vacancy through the University of Antwerp’s online job application platform up to and including 11 May 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. Please make a note of the following date for the selection interviews: 9 June 2023.
  • 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 Prof. Sara Geenen: sara.geenen@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.


POSITION TYPE

ORGANIZATION TYPE

EXPERIENCE-LEVEL

DEGREE REQUIRED

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