Tenure Track professor (research) Interaction between science, innovation and large language models

1 - Working at the VUB

For more than 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and solidarity, and this is very much alive on our campuses among students and staff alike. 

 

At the VUB, you will find a diverse collection of personalities: innovators pur sang, but above all people who are 100% their authentic selves. With some 4,000 employees, we are the largest Dutch-speaking employer, in the private sector, in Brussels; an international city with which we are only too happy to connect and where (around) our 4 campuses are located. 

 

Add to this our principle of free research - in which self-reflection, a critical attitude and an open, creative mind around scientific and social issues are central - and you have a university that is fundamentally groundbreaking and pioneering in education and research. In short: the VUB all over again. 

 

Moreover, the VUB is a member of EUTOPIA, an alliance of like-minded European universities, all ready to reinvent themselves.

2 - Position description

The Faculty of Social Sciences and Solvay Business School, Department Business Technology & Operations, is looking for a tenure track lecturer. 

 

More concretely your work package contains: 

 

Education and Research domain:

 

Business, technology and operations: The interaction between science, innovation and large language models.

 

Education tasks:

 

• You will be responsible for teaching an equivalent of up to 6 ECTS per semester of course units at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Solvay Business School in the broad field of (business) economics and management, more specifically in the domain of ICT, statistics and econometrics.
• You will be supervise a limited number of bachelor papers and master theses in the domain.
• Your teaching load will increase to an equivalent of up to 24 ECTS per academic year after a period of 5 years, that is 12 ECTS on average per semester, both in English and in Dutch.
   

 

Research tasks:

 

• You conduct research on the interaction between science, innovation and large language models and more broadly in the domain of (business) economics and management.
• You supervise doctoral students.
• You publish in high-quality journals.
• You contribute to the acquisition of internal and external (research) funds.
• You invest in scientific (inter)national and interdisciplinary collaborations that contribute to both fundamental scientific contributions and practically useful policy recommendations.
• Your research fits within the research vision of the Business, Technology and Operations (BUTO) department and the Data Analytics Lab (DATALAB) research group. Your research focuses on the development and application of large language models (LLMs) to automate and improve science. This is part of the broader research field Automating Science. Your research thus consists of two central pillars: (1) investigating the operationalisation of automated research processes, where LLMs actively interact with scientists and innovators, and (2) understanding the evolution of science by analysing patterns and trends in science and innovation (e.g.literature and citation networks) using AI.
• You will find more information about the research and the research group DATALAB at https://data.research.vub.be/ .
   

 

Other tasks:

 

• You will take up research-level service roles in the research group, department, faculty and/or university. 
• You will build and maintain an international research network. 
• You will create external visibility for the research group, department, faculty and/or university in society.
   

 

For this function, our Brussels Humanities, Sciences & Engineering Campus (Elsene) will serve as your home base. 

3 - Profile

What do we expect from you?

 

• You hold a PhD in (applied) economic sciences.

 

• You have a good research record with internationally refereed publications in the broad field of (business) economics or management.
• You have demonstrable participation in the public debate on your research domain.
• You have expertise in obtaining external research funding.
• You have expertise in teaching and supervising bachelor and master theses.
• You master English at ECC level C1. At the end of the tenure track appointment, you should master Dutch at ECFR level C1.
   

 

• You subscribe to the university’s vision of education. The full text in relation to this is available on the university website.

 

• Every first appointment is dependent upon the successful delivery of a teaching session.  

 

• Language regulations:

A member of the academic staff who is entrusted with a teaching assignment must also be able to demonstrate that the language of instruction is known at ERK level C1 through a qualification certificate or through an adequate diploma. The VUB also provides courses in, for example, academic English.

 

The administrative language of the VUB is Dutch. In case of insufficient knowledge of Dutch, the VUB will provide an integration course. After a maximum of five years, a member of the academic staff must demonstrate adequate knowledge of the administrative language (ERK level B2).

 

For a complete overview, please consult the complete language regulations on https://jobs.vub.be/content/Regulations-concerning-language-proficiency/. 

 

Certificates demonstrating knowledge of the language can already be added to the application. 

 

The VUB wants to be a reflection of the society where everyone's talent is valued, regardless of gender, age, religion, skin color, migration background, disability and neurodiversity.

4 - Offer

Are you going to be our new colleague?

 

You’ll be offered a tenure track appointment, for an assignment of 1 FTE, for 5 years, with eligibility for tenure in the rank of senior lecturer by the end of this initial period, with planned starting date 01/10/2025. 

 

You’ll receive a salary linked to one of the scales set by the government.

 

At the VUB, you’re guaranteed an open, involved and diverse workplace where you are offered opportunities to (further) build on your career.

 

As well as this, you will also enjoy various other benefits:

• Extensive homeworking options, a telework allowance of 50 euros per month OR an internet fee of 20 euros per month;
• An open and informal working environment where attention is paid to work-life balance, and exceptional holiday arrangements with 35 days of leave (based on a fulltime contract), closure between Christmas and New Year and 3 extra leave days;
• Cost-free hospitalisation insurance;
• Full reimbursement of your home-to-work commute with public transport according to VUB-policy, and/or compensation if you come by bike; 
• A wide selection of meals in our campus restaurants at attractive prices;
• Excellent and affordable facilities for sport and exercise, a range of discounts via Benefits@Work (in  all kinds of shops, on flights, in petrol stations, amusement parks...) and Ecocheques; 
• Nursery near campus, discount on holiday camps; 
• The space to form your job content and to continuously learn through our VUB learning platforms and training courses;
• And finally: great colleagues with a healthy drive.

5 - Interested?

Is this the job you’ve been dreaming of?

 

Then apply, at the latest on 14/03/2025, via jobs.vub.be, and upload the following documents:

• your motivation letter, including your vision on education and research, and an explanation about the development of your future research;
• your curriculum vitae, including you academic dossier; 
• your diploma (not applicable for VUB alumni) and language certificates.

 

Do you have questions about the job content? Contact Thomas Crispeels of Vincent Ginis at thomas.crispeels@vub.be of vincent.ginis@vub.be or on +32-2 614 83 09.

 

Would you like to know what it’s like to work at the VUB? Go to jobs.vub.be, and find all there is to know about our campuses, benefits, strategic goals and your future colleagues.

 

Would you like more information about EUTOPIA? Go to eutopia-university.eu, and read more about the role of the VUB in the development of the EUTOPIA alliance.