Do you have experience in research on the effect of human activities on marine mammals and do you want to advice on a sustainable use of the North Sea? If so, this vacancy might be of interest to you.
"Several marine mammal species, including harbour and grey seal and harbour porpoise inhabit the North Sea area. This area is also one of the most heavily used seas by man. Several of the human activities that take place, including offshore wind parks, underwater explosions, seismic surveys and shipping may impact these marine mammals. This calls for applied research into the effect of these activities and how these effects can be mitigated or reduced. The increasing interest in further developing the North Sea for human use has led to a growing demand for related research and expertise. As a result, we are now looking for an experienced and independent researcher to strengthen our team and our connections to Ministries, companies and NGOs."

The team in which this challenging position becomes available focuses on the possible disruptive effects of human activities on seals and other marine mammals. We would like to welcome a senior marine mammal researcher, who will work with direct colleagues in this team as well as closely with other research teams within WMR, WUR and beyond.

As a (senior) Researcher you will be involved in the following:

• Independently leading various research projects, aimed at possible disruptive effects of human actions on seals and other marine mammals. Examples of projects can be found here;
• To further strengthen and enlarge the research field based on your expertise, together with the team.
• Is advisory to governmental and non-governmental committees.
• Acquiring research projects and building up and maintaining an (inter)national network.
• Contribute to a long-term vision in support of national and international research agendas.
• Publishing in scientific literature and presenting research results at (inter)national conferences, symposia and meetings.

• You have completed a relevant academic study in Natural or Life Sciences with a focus on marine ecology. You have a PhD in a field relevant to this position.
• You have broad experience in conducting ecological research on marine mammals independently and expertise in the effects of disturbance on seals and other marine mammals, especially noise. You have basic knowledge of and experience in the use of (bio)acoustics.
• You have experience in acquiring new research and you have a relevant network.
• You have experience with project management.
• You have quantitative skills and experience with R.
• You can describe research in clear and high-quality reports and you can translate results into concrete advice to government, users and other stakeholders.
• You publish in scientific journals.
• You are customer-oriented, enterprising, result-oriented, strong in communication, flexible and stress resistant.
• You can balance the role of science versus the consequence for society and policy.
• You like to work in a team, you dare to be critical and you can work under time pressure.
• Your level of communication skills in English is at least C1. Knowledge of the Dutch language or willingness to learn it is a prerequisite;

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

• 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 hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• 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 4%;
• excellent pension scheme.
• the possibility of partially paid parental leave;
• the opportunity to work part-time.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. We offer, depending on your experience, a competitive gross salary of max € 5.479,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CAO Wageningen Research (scale 11/WO-researcher 3). The location is Den Helder, The Netherlands.

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 multi-faceted position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

Wageningen University & Research

Wageningen University & Research
The mission of Wageningen University and 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, 7.200 employees and 13.200 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen's unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.

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

Wageningen Marine Research (WMR) is a leading, independent research institute that focuses on strategic and applied marine ecological research. The institute was established in 2006. Products and services are executed on a project basis (more than 400 research projects) and show a wide diversty: field research, experiments on a realistic scale, on lab scale, data management and modelling. The institute has modern research facilities and is ISO 9001 certified. One of the research focuses in our organization is understanding the ecology of marine mammals, including harbour and grey seals and harbour porpoise in the North Sea, one of the busiest seas in the world. Human activities in the area include shipping, underwater explosions, seismic surveys, sand mining, fisheries and the construction and exploitation of offshore wind farms all potentially affecting these marine mammals or their environment. Research is being conducted into the effects of these activities and how these can be mitigated or reduced. Airial surveys, acoustic monitoring and telemetry and biologging are used for this, among other things. Based on our expertise, modelling and study results, policy and management advice on sustainable use of the North Sea is provided to our clients, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Rijkswaterstaat and private companies. The increasing interest in further developing the North Sea for human use is leading to a growing demand for applied research and expertise.

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