Eindhoven University of Technology is an internationally top-ranking university in the Netherlands that combines scientific curiosity with a hands-on attitude. Our spirit of collaboration translates into an open culture and a top-five position in collaborating with advanced industries. Fundamental knowledge enables us to design solutions for the highly complex problems of today and tomorrow.The Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry focusses on solving societal challenges in health, sustainable energy and circularity using expertise in molecules, materials and chemical processes. We collaborate with academia and industry to enlarge our chain of knowledge. Our top-notch research is internationally renowned and facilitated by a state-of-the-art research infrastructure. High-quality education and research, strong collaboration, independence of researchers and talent development are our core values.We are seeking a passionate and collaborative researcher who is eager to take on cross-disciplinary challenges at the interface of soft matter and bioengineering. Inspired by nature’s ingenuity in material design, you integrate experimental and computational approaches to create tailored materials with novel functionalities. As our next Assistant Professor in Experimental Soft Matter & Bioengineering, you will have the opportunity to establish your own independent research line and build a team within a dynamic, ambitious, and collaborative academic environment.The positionTU Eindhoven (TU/e) is a university of technology located in the heart of the high-tech industry in the Netherlands. The Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry and the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems at TU/e are ambitious academic centers renowned for their top research and education in areas such as Soft Matter, Polymer Science, Supramolecular Chemistry, Adaptive Materials, Functional Materials, (Bio)nanotechnology, Protein Engineering and Biomaterials. Our researchers develop fundamental insights to engineer next-generation adaptive materials to address societal challenges in areas such as sustainability, health, and energy. The department invites applications for a new faculty position in the following area:Experimental Soft Matter and Bioengineering. The solutions to the major societal challenges that we face require adaptive materials, custom-tailored in composition and in structure, which can be reconfigured for optimal performance and recycling. Developing such materials requires designable interactions between both molecular and macromolecular building blocks in complex mixtures. Bio-engineering and soft matter science are ideally positioned to address the fascinating fundamental research questions related to this radical transformation. We can draw inspiration from and build on existing biological building blocks, such as structural proteins and enzymes, and can design their material properties with a soft matter approach to tunable physical interactions between the constituent building blocks.Recent advances in computationally-assisted design of materials and proteins have accelerated this development and opened up a large design space that can be explored to create materials that address our societal needs regarding sustainability and function. As assistant professor, you will contribute to current research activities within the molecules and materials clusters of the department in general, and the self-organizing soft matter and bio-organic chemistry laboratories specifically. You will develop a curiosity-driven, original, challenging research direction aligned with and complementary to existing expertise in the department. Examples of interesting directions are AI-accelerated materials design, computational protein design, functional reaction-assembly networks with (bio)chemical feedback or adaptive soft, lifelike (bio)synthetic materials. This could lead to learning and information processing in soft matter or molecular systems, enabled by the quantitative, spatiotemporal characterization of their hierarchical organization, formation, interactions, dynamics and function.The position will be embedded in an interdisciplinary team of highly qualified researchers studying self-assembly processes in biological and bio-inspired soft matter aiming to advance our mechanistic understanding and establish guiding principles towards the rational design of novel (bioinspired) soft materials.Do you want to work together in a research unit, in an open-atmosphere department, and set up and expand your own, independent research line and team? Then please apply now!You will be offered the opportunity to establish an independent, largely externally funded research program in collaboration with colleagues at our department and at national and international institutions.Job RequirementsWe encourage you to apply if you have a PhD degree and at least two years of postdoctoral experience.
PhD in soft matter research, polymer science, or a comparable domain.
Affinity/experience with machine learning approaches
Ability to conduct high quality academic research, demonstrated for instance by a relevant PhD thesis and publication(s).
Ability to teach, shown by experience or assistance in teaching and positive evaluations of these teaching efforts.
Creative and dedicated to (multidisciplinary) collaboration.
Excellent communication skills.
Ability to be, or willingness to become, a good leader.
Empathy and good listening skills.
Flexibility and resilience.
Excellent proficiency (written and oral) in English.
Conditions of employmentA meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you:
Salary in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale 11 (min. € 4.728 max. € 6.433).
A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
A dedicated mentoring program to help you get to know the university and the Dutch (research) environment.
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with the prospect of becoming an Associate Professor. If you have a more senior profile, a tailor-made career proposal will be considered. * High-quality for academic leadership and teaching. * An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.
Partially paid parental leave and an allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
A Staff Immigration Team is available for
, as are a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) and .Information and applicationAbout usEindhoven University of Technology is an internationally top-ranking university in the Netherlands that combines scientific curiosity with a hands-on attitude. Our spirit of collaboration translates into an open culture and a top-five position in collaborating with advanced industries. Fundamental knowledge enables us to design solutions for the highly complex problems of today and tomorrow.The Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry focusses on solving societal challenges in health, sustainable energy and circularity using expertise in molecules, materials and chemical processes. We collaborate with academia and industry to enlarge our chain of knowledge. Our top-notch research is internationally renowned and facilitated by a state-of-the-art research infrastructure. High-quality education and research, strong collaboration, independence of researchers and talent development are our core values.We believe that diversity broadens our research scope and enhances the quality of our education. Our aims to advance talented female researchers, in order to thrive and be successful in top positions in science, contributing to the societal goal of promoting equal opportunities. The program addresses the aspirations and needs of women in industry, academia, and research institutes in order to support their ambition to become a professor at our university.Curious to hear more about what it's like as a professor at TU/e? Please watch the .More informationDo you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact one of the hiring managers: Prof. Dr. Ir. Ilja Voets, i.voets@tue.nl or +31 40 247 5303 or Prof. Dr. Ir. Jan van Hest, j.c.m.v.hest@tue.nl or +31 40 247 3737.Are you inspired to know more about working at TU/e? Please visitVisit our website for more information about the or the . You can also contact Thomas Slegers, Senior Recruiter, t.slegers@tue.nl or +31 6 1483 5214.Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our .ApplicationThis vacancy is part of the Irène Curie Fellowship and is currently only open to female candidates. Male applicants will not be considered for the position.We invite you to submit a complete application. The application should include a:
Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of three references.
Description of your scientific interests and plans (1-2 pages).
Statement of your teaching goals and experience (1-2 pages).
We look forward to receiving your application and will screen it as soon as possible.Type of employment: temporary employment with possibility of permanent employment | Contract type: full time | Number of positions: 1 | Full-time equivalent: 1.0 | City: Eindhoven | County: Noord-Brabant | Country: Netherlands | Reference number: 2025/411 | Published: 2025-09-04 | Last application date: 2025-10-31
