The Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level. We are searching for a highly motivated natural scientist in the fields of water resources management, hydrology and sustainability who fits with our interdisciplinary environmental sciences research group. Because of the male/female ratio of the Environmental Sciences group we especially invite female candidates to apply.

 

The Assistant Professor will contribute to scientific research and teaching in the field of water resources management in the light of sustainable development. Focus is on the knowledge of hydrological processes, how they are influenced by anthropogenic activities and how water resources management can steer environmental interactions in the direction of sustainable use of water resources and the associated ecosystem functions. Particular attention is foreseen to the spatial and temporal patterns of, and the interactions between, the relevant physico-chemical and human processes on the regional scale of catchments and/or aquifers.

Expertise is required in hydrological research in the context of several of the following subjects:

• environmental management of water resources at the catchment and aquifer scale (e.g. impacts of land use and vegetation, water infrastructure, land subsidence, water quality deterioration and salinization);
• climate change mitigation and adaptation;
• water availability and quality;
• water-energy-food nexus;
• risks of anthropogenic activities for water resources;
• urban water cycle.

We encourage applications from candidates that:

• have a PhD;
• have experience with and interest in academic teaching of water-related courses incl. tutoring of BSc and MSc thesis projects;
• have a network for acquisition of externally funded projects and internships for students;
• have experience with multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research approaches;
• have a strong record of international peer-reviewed publications;
• are well connected to relevant academic partners as well as water management organisations and other relevant stakeholders;
• have excellent communication skills and interpersonal relationships. 

 

The candidate is expected to develop an internationally renowned research line. The candidate will teach in the BSc programme Global Sustainability Science and the MSc programme Water Science & Management. All teaching of courses will be in the English language. In addition, the candidate will be expected to supervise BSc and MSc projects, as well as to contribute to the acquisition and execution of externally funded projects. Coaching and supervising PhD students is also one of your responsibilities. You will be stimulated and coached in applying for a personal research grant.

We offer a full-time tenure track position that starts with an initial period of two years, with either an intended conversion to a permanent position or an extension of another two years, subject to performance. Further career development to Associate Professor or Full Professor is possible. The gross monthly salary dependent on qualifications and experience and will start between €3,475 and €5,405 per month (scale 11/12 Collective Labour Agreement of the Dutch Universities). Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8 % and a year-end bonus of 8.3 % per year. We offer a pension scheme, (partly paid) parental leave, collective insurance schemes and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). More information is available at: working at Utrecht University

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 societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability. Utrecht University plays a prominent role in our society and contributes to finding the answers to topical and future societal issues.

Utrecht University has been ranked in the 2017 Academic Ranking of World Universities as the best university in the Netherlands, and as one of the leading research universities in Europe.

The city of Utrecht is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, with a charming old center and an internationally oriented culture that is strongly influenced by its age-old university. Utrecht city has been consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in the Netherlands.

Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences offers education and research concerning the geosphere, biosphere, atmosphere and anthroposphere. With 2,200 students (BSc and MSc) and 500 staff, the Faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty is organised in four Departments: 1. Earth Sciences 2. Physical Geography 3. Innovation, Environmental & Energy Sciences and 4. Human Geography & Urban & Regional Planning.

The position will be affiliated with the Environmental Sciences group, one of the four research groups of the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development. The Institute is responsible for research on relations between humans and the environment, environmental policy and its influence on sustainable development and the management of innovation. The Copernicus Institute has been evaluated in the 2014 international review as the highest ranked research institute in sustainability sciences in the Netherlands. Since then, the institute has intensified its efforts in maintaining its leading position, among others by opening up positions at our Institute for international scientists and by developing new, internationally oriented teaching programmes.

The Environmental Sciences group is a dynamic, ambitious and internationally leading team of researchers with a focus on fundamental and policy-oriented research of environmental processes, from local to global scales. 

The University is committed to a strategic orientation on four overarching themes, which include Sustainability. The Assistant Professor who is now being hired will thus be able to develop his/her career at this main strategic theme of the University, opening up numerous opportunities for university-wide interaction and support.