Are you and expert in climate systems? Do you have an experience in modelling how climate and vegetation interact? The Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) is looking for an enthusiastic educator and researcher to add climate-vegetation modelling skills to our multi-disciplinary team. IBED has research expertise in Earth, environmental and ecological sciences, and plays a leading role in several important teaching programmes within the Science Faculty. Our education has a strong Earth-system focus, particularly within the BSc Future Planet Studies and the MSc Earth Sciences. To strengthen the delivery of numerical and computational education, and broaden our scientific expertise, IBED is seeking to recruit an established educator and researcher specializing in mechanistically (physically based) modelling of climate-vegetation dynamics.

What are you going to do

The successful candidate will perform cutting edge research in developing climate-vegetation models integrating both abiotic and biotic components of the Earth-system and combining observational data in models through calibration as well as data assimilation for prediction and reanalysis. Dependent on the expertise of the candidate, the emphasis may lie on a regional, continental or global scale; or combine across them. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate an ability, and enthusiasm, to collaborate with experts already within IBED.  

You are expected to:

• contribute to education within the MSc Earth Sciences (ES) and the BSc Future Planet Studies (FPS) programs. Specifically, taking a leading role developing and enhancing the “Climate Change” (ES) and 'Climate change and sea-level rise' (FPS) courses;
• contribute to the cross-disciplinary MSc minor 'Sciences for Sustainability', alongside more social science facing collogues (Kruger);
• supervise research projects and literature reviews at BSc and MSc levels;
• publish in high level international journals, present at leading conferences, and supervise PhD researchers;
• attract external funding to sustain and expand your research line;
• actively pursue collaborations with relevant stakeholders inside and outside academia;
• the overall balance of the work load for this position will be approximately 50% education, 40% research, and 10% administration.

Further details can read here in the expanded profile document

What do we require

• A PhD in modelling of climate-vegetation dynamics, or a closely related field.
• Strong didactic skills, as evidenced by a track record of delivering university education on climate science and in numerical/computational skills.
• A qualification in university education (equivalent to the Dutch 'University Teaching Qualification' BKO); or willing to obtain the BKO within the first 1-2 years of appointment.
• A track record of publishing in international peer reviewed journals and obtaining external research funding.
• Experience of supervision BSc, MSc and PhD researchers.
• Fluency in English and in Dutch; or willing to learn Dutch to a level appropriate for teaching in Bachelor programmes taught in Dutch.
• A driven personality and a good team-player who can serve as a role model for students as well as junior lecturers and junior researchers.

Fixed-term contract: 12 months.

Our offer

A temporary contract for 32-38 hours a week, for the duration of 12 months. A permanent contract subsequently follows if we positively assess your performance.

The salary, depending on relevant experience before the beginning of the employment contract, will be €3,746 to €5,127 (scale 11) gross per month, based on a fulltime contract (38 hours a week). This is exclusive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

Are you curious about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits like our excellent opportunities for study and development? Take a look here.

University of Amsterdam

With over 6,000 employees, 30,000 students and a budget of more than 600 million euros, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is an intellectual hub within the Netherlands. Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted within seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. Housed on four city campuses in or near the heart of Amsterdam, where disciplines come together and interact, the faculties have close links with thousands of researchers and hundreds of institutions at home and abroad.  

The UvA’s students and employees are independent thinkers, competent rebels who dare to question dogmas and aren’t satisfied with easy answers and standard solutions. To work at the UvA is to work in an independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

Faculty of Science – Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 7,000, as well as 1,600 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

The Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) is one of eight research institutes of the Faculty of Science at the University of Amsterdam. The research at IBED aims to unravel how ecosystems function in all their complexity, and how they change due to natural processes and human activities. At its core lies an integrated systems approach to study biodiversity, ecosystems and the environment. IBED adopts this systems approach to ecosystems, addressing abiotic (soil and water quality) and biotic factors (ecology and evolution of plants, animals, and microorganisms), and the interplay between those. The IBED vision includes research encompassing experimental and theoretical approaches at a wide variety of temporal and spatial scales, i.e. from molecules and microorganisms to patterns and processes occurring at the global scale.