Medical Staff Member – Orthodontics And Dentofacial Orthopedics

• Reference: 2430
• Employment percentage: 100%
• Application deadline: 31-03-2025

Breaking grounds as medical staff member

Being a top performer in patient care, university education and scientific research is the main mission of UZ Leuven (University Hospitals Leuven) and KU Leuven (University of Leuven). In Belgium and Europe, we play a leading role, which we want to maintain and further expand. To this end, 10,000 passionate employees in UZ Leuven and 13,000 employees in KU Leuven combine their expertise every day. UZ Leuven became the first Belgian hospital to obtain the international JCI label for safe and quality care and was ranked 44th in the World’s best hospitals 2024 by the American magazine Newsweek. Since 2016, KU Leuven has been leading the Reuters list of Europe's most innovative universities (7th in the world). KU Leuven Dentistry currently occupies the 17th place in the QS World University Rankings, and is also ranked 22th in the Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities.

The Medical Department Dentistry aims to provide the best possible care to all patients and has a strong multidisciplinary team of experienced clinicians with extensive expertise. We want to be among the top centers for oral health care by excelling in the fields of patient care, university education and scientific research. In this context, the Medical Department Dentistry currently has a vacancy in the field of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics.

How will you break grounds?

As a staff member in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics, your week will at start consist of 4 out of 5 days of clinical activities and clinical teaching. Your clinical work focusses on the orthodontic treatment of pediatric and adult patients, as well as patients with special care needs such as cleft lip and palate patients or patients with other craniofacial syndromes. You teach and conduct research within the discipline of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics and you contribute to the Master-after-Master program in Specialized Oral Care, with regard to the specialty training in orthodontics. These are all considered your combined tasks to be performed in contribution to the UZ Leuven Medical Department Dentistry and the KU Leuven Department of Oral Health Sciences.

• The position is based on three pillars:

• CLINICAL CARE: as a medical staff member, you know how to work quality-oriented and innovatively, and to provide excellent patient care in second- and third-line dental care. You have the appropriate attitude towards working with children and specific patient groups.
• EDUCATION AND TRAINING: you give theoretical and practical courses to Bachelor/Master Dentistry students, as well as to students of the Master-after-Master in Specialized Oral Health Care with clinical specialization in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics. You organize training courses in the context of Continuing Dental Education.
• CLINICAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH: you have a proven track record in scientific research and want to actively contribute to the relevant domain. You publish in leading journals and supervise PhD students.

• In a positive spirit of interdisciplinary collaboration and patient orientation, you build constructive relationships and show strong communication skills in terms of consultation, information flows and teamwork.
• You can rely on your organizational talent and know how to set the right priorities and keep structure, even under stressful circumstances.
• In terms of people management, you can manage and inspire colleagues and collaborators, or you are willing to develop these competencies.
• You advance the vision and values of UZ Leuven as an international medical expert and of KU Leuven as a leading educational and research university institution.
• You represent the Medical Department Dentistry within UZ Leuven and KU Leuven, in professional organizations, as well as in a number of governmental institutions.
• You strengthen existing partnerships and create new ones with national and international dental organizations.
• As staff member, you are offered the opportunity to treat patients privately during own consultation moments.

What do you need?

• You are recognized as an Orthodontist in Belgium or are eligible and willing to apply for recognition.
• You obtained a PhD after having publicly defended your doctoral thesis.
• You have a clear clinical track record and an interest in clinical work.
• You have a thorough knowledge of the current treatment protocols in dentistry and are highly skilled in advanced diagnostics and treatment techniques in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics.
• You are willing to participate in the supervision of the dental emergency service in orthodontics.
• A good knowledge of Dutch and English is a requirement, and mastery of French is a plus.
• You are communicative in your relationship with colleagues, students and staff, and can work well in a team.

Candidates who do not yet sufficiently master the Dutch language, are expected to achieve proficiency within 2 years reaching CEFR level B2 to be able to provide dental care, other services and education in Dutch properly.

• Candidates who are not recognized as a General Dentist in Belgium will have to urgently follow the process of recognition according to the guidelines of NARIC-Vlaanderen: https://www.vlaanderen.be/en/naric-vlaanderen.

What do you get in return?

• A challenging position in an exciting and complex university hospital environment with many development opportunities at a professional level.
• A tenured staff position with numerous extralegal benefits.
• Possibility to be appointed as a KU Leuven Clinical Lecturer for the academic teaching assignment.
• After a 12-month trial period and a positive evaluation, you will be able to join the Permanent Dental Staff (VTS) of the Medical Department Dentistry.
• After one year, you can potentially apply for a 20% part-time academic staff professorship (ZAP) position (KU Leuven, Department of Oral Health Sciences), if human resource units to this end are available, while you also meet the research profile requirements.

Ready to break grounds?

Send your application letter with extensive curriculum vitae, mentioning the title and reference number of the vacancy (2430), before 31/03/2025 to UZ Leuven, Medical Dental Department Dentistry, attn. prof. Guy Willems, Kapucijnenvoer 7 block a - bus 7001, 3000 Leuven or by e-mail to guy.willems@uzleuven.be, with a copy to UZ Leuven, General Management, attn. the Chief Medical Officer prof. G. Van Assche, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven or by e-mail to gert.vanassche@uzleuven.be.