Vacancy

Postdoc Hydrological Modelling

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June 18, 2024
Location Wageningen
End date Sun 7 July 2024
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Your job

The Soil Physics and Land Management chair group at Wageningen University and Research is seeking a postdoc researcher in hydrological modelling who will be responsible for the numerical modelling work in project RESTARTIN: “Restructuring and enhancing strategies with a transformative approach for integrated water disaster management in India and the Netherlands”. This work will involve not only the modelling itself, but also the use of high-resolution satellite imagery to assess vegetation water conditions for calibration, the design of land-use change scenarios (eventually with modelling), and interactions with stakeholders and socioeconomic researchers to translate potential adaptation options into practice.
Your duties and responsibilities include:

  • apply a surface and groundwater model to several regions in the Netherlands (Limburg, Brabant and Holland);
  • assess climate change scenarios and design compatible land-use scenarios;
  • assess the impact of climate change on flood and drought conditions;
  • test potential adaptation options in coordination with stakeholders;
  • some involvement in related educational activities is possible.
You will work here
You will work in project RESTARTIN, jointly funded by NWO and DST-India. Most of the work will be developed within the Soil Physics and Land Management chair group in WUR. But it will be closely coordinated with researchers at IHE-Delft working on detailed risk assessment and socioeconomic analysis. It will also be closely linked with similar activities being performed by Indian researchers in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra. Some travelling to India is therefore expected.

The intended starting date of this position is 1 September 2024.

Your qualities

You hold a PhD degree in hydro(geo)logy, environmental sciences or equivalent. You also possess:

  • strong and broad conceptual and methodological knowledge of hydrology at the soil-water-plant and watershed scales, including relevant numerical models (e.g., HEC-HMS/RAS, SWMM, HBV, SWAT, SHE, VIC, MODFLOW, CATHY, HGS, FEFLOW, DSSAT, etc.), and model calibration/validation techniques;
  • in-depth experience with GIS packages (e.g., ArcGIS, Qgis) and advanced data analysis techniques;
  • in-depth experience with scripting in R, MATLAB, Python, FORTRAN, etc.;
  • experience in scientific writing, conducting research, and a publication record in hydrology;
  • ability to work independently and to take ownership of the assigned tasks, including making independent decisions on implementation details.
In our international working environment, there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about level C1.

You can see that there are plenty of challenges ahead of you. These challenges can also be seen as development opportunities. So, if you do not yet have the track-record required in the vacancy, but do have solid work experience, we would also like to invite you to apply.

We offer you

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

  • sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
  • working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
  • the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, per week;
  • there is a strong focus on vitality, and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
  • a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
  • excellent pension scheme.
In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between € 3.226 and € 5.090 for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10 ). Initially, we offer you a one-year contract, which will then be extended until the end of the project if there is mutual enthusiasm. Of course, we would be happy to discuss this with you if you have any questions.

Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 19th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

Do you want more information?

For more information about this position, please contact Prof. dr Coen J. Ritsema, chair of the Soil Physics and Land Management group,  coen.ritsema@wur.nl; or Dr João Nunes, Associate Professor, joao.carvalhonunes@wur.nl.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Noorien Abbas, corporate recruiter, noorien.abbas@wur.nl.

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.
This vacancy will be listed up to and including 7 July 2024. We hope to schedule the first job interviews on 15 July 2024.

Procedure
As part of our selection process, an assessment may be incorporated within the procedure.

Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment.

We are

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!


We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.

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