Join us at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University! We are searching for a highly motivated scholar in the field of hydrology who fits with our interdisciplinary research group.

Your job
In this position you will contribute to the development of the academic portfolio of education and research activities focused on environmental hydrology within the framework of sustainable management of water resources and related terrestrial ecosystems. Working time will be split between 50% teaching and 50% research for the first two years, and 60% teaching and 40% research thereafter.

As Assistant Professor Environmental Hydrology you will focus on catchment hydrology and the interaction between surface water and groundwater from local to regional scales. Within this context the candidate is expected to develop an internationally renowned research line on a preferred subject for example related to global change, water availability and quality, or risks of anthropogenic activities for water resources. You are familiar with water system analysis and quantitative research methods and/or modelling.

The candidate will contribute to the acquisition and execution of externally funded research projects. Coaching and supervising PhD students is also one of your responsibilities. You will be stimulated and coached in applying for personal research grants.

Your teaching will be embedded in the internationally leading BSc programme Global Sustainability Science and MSc programme Water Science & Management. All teaching will be in the English language, which includes course teaching as well as supervising BSc and MSc projects.

We look for candidates with a PhD in (Environmental) Hydrology, Earth Science, or closely related discipline. You have a proven interest in hydrology in the context of sustainable management of water resources.

We encourage applications from candidates who additionally:

• have affinity with working in an interdisciplinary research and teaching environment;
• have experience with and interest in academic teaching;
• hold a Dutch University Teaching Qualification, or are willing to acquire this in the near future;
• have an eye for innovations in teaching methods and are prepared to contribute to the optimization of the quality of teaching;
• have scientific creativity and productivity, as shown by recent peer-reviewed publications in relevant fields of research;
• are able to demonstrate English language proficiency (CEFR C1 level or comparable);
• are effective and efficient, able to think outside the box, have excellent social skills and are team players;
• are willing and able to acquire and carry out externally funded projects.

We offer:

• a position for 2 years, with an intended extension of either another two years or a conversion to a permanent position, subject to performance. Further career development to Associate Professor level is possible;
• a full-time gross salary between €4,332 and €5,929 in scale 11 of the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU);
• 8% holiday bonus and 8.3% end-of-year bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave, and flexible employment conditions based on the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities.

In addition to the employment conditions from the CAO for Dutch Universities, Utrecht University has a number of its own arrangements. These include agreements on professional development, leave arrangements, sports and cultural schemes and you get discounts on software and other IT products. We also give you the opportunity to expand your terms of employment through the Employment Conditions Selection Model. This is how we encourage you to grow. For more information, please visit working at Utrecht University.

Universiteit Utrecht

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.

The Environmental Sciences Section is one of the five groups of the Copernicus Institute. In this section you will collaborate in a dynamic, ambitious and internationally leading team of researchers and teachers with a focus on fundamental and applied research on human-environment-ecosystem interactions, through a system approach and across spatial and temporal scales. It is our mission to understand interactions between global change and ecosystem processes, for sustainability of ecosystem services to humans. We are interested in the interaction between humans and the environment, taking into account the water and nutrient cycles, in order to develop sustainable solutions for water management, nature management and restoration, and land use. In this position you will contribute to these themes through education and research.

For more information about this position, please contact Dr. Hugo de Boer at h.j.deboer@uu.nl.

Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.

Information about the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development and the Environment Sciences Section can be found here:

• https://www.uu.nl/en/research/copernicus-institute-of-sustainable-development
• https://www.uu.nl/en/research/copernicus-institute-of-sustainable-development/research/research-groups/environmental-sciences

The education programmes of Water Science & Management and Global Sustainability Science are outlined in detail here:

• https://www.uu.nl/en/masters/water-science-and-management
• https://www.uu.nl/en/bachelors/global-sustainability-science