Assistant Professor of Development Economics

The Development Economics Group at Wageningen University & Research invites applications for an Assistant Professor in development economics, beginning in July 2025 (or later agreed upon date). We seek an enthusiastic and high-quality colleague, with expertise in empirical and/or theoretical development economics, to complement our team.

As Assistant Professor you will be expected to:

• develop and implement research projects and publish in top (field) journals in economics,
• develop and teach courses, in collaboration with colleagues, and supervise PhD students and BSc and MSc theses,
• acquire funding to realize your research agenda,
• contribute to a lively, friendly, and inclusive working and learning environment.

To be considered, applicants must hold a PhD in Economics, or a related field, with a focus on development. In addition, their written application material must demonstrate:

• ability to publish in leading academic journals,
• ability to work in interdisciplinary and international research teams,
• excellent communication and writing skills,
• excellent quantitative research skills,
• good didactic qualities and enthusiasm for teaching and working with students,
• commitment to learn Dutch (for non-Dutch speakers) within 2 years of appointment.

What we offer

You will be offered a fixed term contract and evaluated after 18 months based on criteria in the University's Academic Career Framework policy; a positive evaluation leads to a permanent (tenured) employment contract. Depending on your experience, we offer a gross monthly salary between 4,492 and 6,148 euro for a full-time position (38 hours per week) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (scale 11), plus an annual 16.3% (holiday + end-year) payment bonus. We also offer excellent terms of employment including a generous pension scheme, partially paid parental leave, and working hours that can be discussed and arranged to allow for the best possible work-life possible.

For incoming researchers from outside the Netherlands, you may additionally qualify for a special tax relief, known as the 30% ruling. Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration will also help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and if applicable for your family. We can also assist you with additional advice and information to help your partner find a job, housing, schooling, and other issues.

About us

Ranked the seventh best university in the world for development studies and 67th best university in the world overall, the mission of Wageningen University & Research is to "explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life." With its roughly 7,200 employees and 13,200 undergraduate and postgraduate students, the university focuses on finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy living environment and is one of the leading organisations worldwide in its domain.

Within the Development Economics Group, our mission is to contribute to an improved understanding of what enables equitable economic development, through conducting research on sustainable development, institutions, conflict and poverty alleviation. We aim to generate knowledge about which policies work to reduce poverty and inequality, to share our findings with the relevant stakeholders, and to train new generations of researchers and practitioners. The group is also known for its ambitious and collegial nature, with ample support for personal and professional development and for internal faculty promotion.

To apply

You can apply using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website: https://www.wur.nl/en/vacancy/assistant-professor-in-development-economics.htm

Applicants should provide a CV, cover letter, writing sample (job market paper), research statement, teaching statement, and if applicable a teaching portfolio summarizing courses taught and student evaluations. Three reference letters are also needed; these must be sent by the reference letter writers to [email protected] by the application deadline.

The application portal will remain open until 19 December midnight CET (19 December 23:00 UCT). We hope to schedule the first round of virtual interviews for the end of January 2025 and to conduct flyouts in February.

For more information about this position, please contact Erwin Bulte, Professor and head of the Development Economics Group, at [email protected] or Maarten Voors, Associate Professor, at [email protected]. For more information about the procedure, please contact Noorien Abbas, corporate recruiter, at [email protected].