Post-doctoral researcher - Data-Analyse (26820)

   →  Apply before 01/05/2024 (DD/MM/YYYY) 23:59 (Brussels Time)
   →  Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences  
   →  Department: PP01 - Data-Analyse
   →  Occupancy rate: 100%
   →  Number of positions: 1    
   →  Type of employment: Contract of unlimited duration with clause 
   →  Term of assignment: 3 years 
   →  Wage scale:  PD1 to PD4 (doctoral degree) 
   →  Required diploma: PhD 

About Ghent University

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15,000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With its 11 faculties and more than 80 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

Your tasks

The SEMlab research group at the Department of Data Analysis (Ghent University) is recruiting 1 postdoctoral researcher for the project: “From SEM to SAM: extending and evaluating the structural-after-measurement (SAM) approach to structural equation modeling.”, funded by the Flemish Research Foundation (FWO), under the supervision of Prof. Yves Rosseel.

The goal of the project is to further evaluate, refine, and extend the structural-after-measurement (SAM) approach to SEM, in order to make it faster, more scalable, more robust, and capable of fitting a wider range of latent variable models.

Reference papers:

Rosseel, Y., & Loh, W. W. (2023). A Structural After Measurement Approach to Structural Equation Modeling. Psychological Methods. https://doi.org/10.1037/met0000503

Dhaene, S., & Rosseel, Y. (2023). An Evaluation of Non-Iterative Estimators in the Structural after Measurement (SAM) Approach to Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 30:6, 926-940, https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2023.2220135

More specifically:

• You will contribute to the outputs of the project, most notably by (co-)authoring publications; co-organizing workshops and lecture series; and presenting your results at international workshops and conferences.
• You will assist the PI in managing the SEMlab research group and mentoring the PhD students of the group.
• You will actively contribute to the activities of the SEMlab research group and of the Department of Data Analysis at UGent.
• At least 70% of your assignment will be spent on academic research.

What we are looking for

• You hold a thesis-based doctorate in statistics, quantitative psychology, psychometrics, or a related discipline (obtained max. 6 years ago. This term of 6 years is determined by the date written on the above-mentioned required diploma).
• You are precise, creative, highly motivated and enthusiastic.
• You aspire to further develop your academic career.
• You have excellent English communication and writing skills.
• You can convert (statistical) algorithms to high-quality source code, preferably in R.
• You are familiar with structural equation modeling, or a related field.
• Preferably, you have published papers in the field of structural equation modeling.
• Preferably, you have documented international experience in academia.
• Experience with the R package lavaan is an asset.
• Experience with R programming, git and github are assets.

What we can offer you

• We offer you a contract of indefinite duration with a maximum term of 3 years.
• Your contract will start on 1/03/2024 at the earliest, but this can be negotiated, and depends on administrative procedures. The ideal starting date is 1/09/2024 or 1/10/2024.
• Your remuneration will be determined by salary scale PD1. Click here for more information about our salary scales. Please note that the gross salaries in this table need to be balanced with the current index.
• There is a working budget that will allow for international travel, attending workshops and conferences, and publication in open-access journals.
• You will join the SEMlab research group at the Department of Data Analysis, the home of the lavaan software project.
• You will receive a wide range of career development opportunities through the UGent Postdoc Talent Management Program, including participation in training and mentoring programmes and membership in the UGent Postdoc community.
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, a bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits (in Dutch).

Interested?

Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (see above). We do not accept late applications or applications that are not submitted through the online system.

Your application must include the following documents:

• In the field ‘CV’: your Curriculum Vitae, including the name, position, institution and email address of 2 referees, who may be contacted for recommendation.
• In the field ‘Cover letter’: your application letter in pdf format in which you state your interest and explain how you fit the criteria for this position.
• In the field ‘Diploma’: a transcript of the required degree (if already in your possession).
  - If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages.
  - If your PhD degree is not yet in hand, please submit your MA degree and evidence of the imminent completion of your PhD (for instance a letter of your supervisor stating the viva date).
• In the field ‘other documents’: two writing samples – as publication or manuscript – of what you consider to be your best work (PhD thesis, article, book chapter, etc.), and an example of R code that you wrote yourself.

Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB.

As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.

More information

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Yves Rosseel (Yves.Rosseel@UGent.be, +32(0)9/264 63 74). Important: do NOT send your application by email, but apply online.

Do you have a question regarding the online application process? Please read our FAQ or contact helpdesk (dpo@ugent.be - tel. 09/264 98 98).