Post Doc on Shaping shoreface sand nourishments to optimise biodiversity

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Post Doc on Shaping shoreface sand nourishments to optimise biodiversity

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Job description

Offer DescriptionWe are looking for a Postdoctoral researcher in our team who has a passion for biodiversity research in coastal environments and who is keen to contribute to designing more eco-friendly shore face nourishments.Sand nourishment is a widely used coastal management strategy to counteract coastal erosion. Currently, 10 million m3 of sand are added to the Dutch coast annually. These volumes will need to be further increased to offset the expected rates of sea level rise. While adding sand to the shoreface, the local biodiversity will be impacted, however, it also creates opportunities for organisms to colonise the new niches that have become available. Our team aims to establish how nourishments can be best designed to minimise the overall biodiversity loss by optimising new habitat creation for plants and macroinvertebrates both above and below water.As a postdoc you will perform state-of-the-art research on environmental drivers of biodiversity on the beach, analyse large datasets to address the design of novel ecosystems and publish your results in international academic journals. You will share your results with stakeholders and scientists from other disciplines in order to translate these scientific results into recommendations for more eco-friendly sand nourishment designs under different environmental conditions that characterize the Dutch sandy coast.Your duties and responsibilities include:

• assessing the relationships between beach geomorphology, sediment characteristics, beach management and terrestrial plant communities from the tide line to the foredunes using existing data from locations differing in nourishment regimes along the Dutch coast;
• exploring relationships between topographic variation (i.e. habitat relief) and terrestrial biodiversity (plants & macroinvertebrates) at selected beach sites differing in grain size distribution;
• monitoring geo-chemical and geo-morphological aspects of the habitats developing at the living lab site by point-sampling (e.g. salinity, organic matter, soil moisture, elevation, sedimentation-erosion dynamics, aeolian transport) and spatially-explicit techniques (UAV above water);
• translating the extracted relationships into development pathways to explore if and how nourishment impact on biodiversity can be mitigated or even offset by alternative coastal landscaping design.

You will work in an interdisciplinary team spanning several chair groups of Wageningen that consists of a PhD-candidate (drs. Merlijn Hulsenboom) who works on nourishment impacts on benthos below water and three senior scientists within the Wageningen Environmental Science Group (dr. Juul Limpens, dr. Michel Riksen) and Wageningen Marine Research (dr. Marinka van Puijenbroek) who are experts on plant ecology, biogeomorphic feedbacks and dune building. You will be based at the Plant Ecology and Nature conservation group who has a lot of expertise on plant- and macroinvertebrate research in several ecosystems.Where to apply WebsiteRequirementsSpecific RequirementsYou are/have

• experience with ecological field studies, particularly with monitoring, identifying and analysing macroinvertebrate and plant communities;
• affinity (and ideally experience) with analysis of large datasets;
• team-player;
• good organizational and communication skills.

You also possess:

• PhD in ecology, biology, nature conservation or related field;
• fluency in Dutch (or willingness to learn Dutch through an intensive course) is a plus;
• experience in collaborating with partners from a variety of backgrounds is a plus;
• Knowledge about coastal geomorphology is a plus.

In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about C1.You will work here
You will be based in Wageningen at the . Other groups involved will be the Soil Physics and Land management group, Marine Animal Ecology, and Wageningen Marine Research. The research position is part of the NWO-funded SOURCE program: Sand nOURisment strategies for sustainable Coastal Ecosystems. The SOURCE philosophy is that carefully planned sand nourishments in the present will create the required and desired resilient and dynamic multifunctional coastal landscapes of the future. SOURCE aims to deliver the scientific knowledge, models and design tools to develop and evaluate nourishment strategies in a multi-stakeholder co-creation process.Additional InformationBenefitsWageningen University & Research offers excellent . 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;
• 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 € 3.345,- and € 5.331,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the (scale 10). As for your contract, we initially offer you a one-year temporary contract which can be extended for the duration of the project. Of course, we are happy to have a conversation with you if you have any questions about this.Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.
You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the ” ” in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.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.Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands 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 page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account, dual career programs 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.Selection processFor more information about this position, please contact Juul Limpens, Associate Professor,Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Noorien Abbas, corporate recruiter, .Do you want to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.You can apply till 24 march 2025. We hope to schedule the first job interviews on 14 and 17 April 2025.Procedure
As part of our selection process, an assessment may be incorporated within the procedureWelcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone’s unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.Additional commentsFor more information about this position, please contact Juul Limpens, Associate Professor,Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Noorien Abbas, corporate recruiter, .Do you want to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.You can apply till 24 march 2025. We hope to schedule the first job interviews on 14 and 17 April 2025.Procedure
As part of our selection process, an assessment may be incorporated within the procedureWelcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone’s unique contribution adds to the success of our organization. Website for additional job detailsWork Location(s)Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Wageningen University & Research Country Netherlands City Wageningen Postal Code 6708 PB Street Droevendaalsesteeg GeofieldContact CityWageningen WebsiteStreetDroevendaalsesteeg Postal Code6708 PBSTATUS: EXPIREDShare this page

Expected salary

€3345 – 5331 per month

Location

Wageningen, Gelderland

Job date

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 01:38:22 GMT

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