The Utrechtse Heuvelrug is under severe pressure from climate change. Extended hot, dry summers are reducing water table levels, causing soil desiccation, and increasing the risk of forest and heathland fires. The increase of extreme climate events has destroyed natural and cultural heritage and put lives at risk. It is therefore urgent that climate adaptation is integrated in the management of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. However, this is not a straightforward task. The region comprises of diverse ecosystems and land use types that are owned and managed by a multitude of private and public actors, each with their own priorities and goals. Therefore, there is a requirement for a hub to bring different stakeholders and knowledge together to improve climate adaptation in the region.

Whilst the university can contribute to helping address these challenges, more work needs to be done to align research and education with the challenges faced within the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. We aim to create a transdisciplinary education and research hub where the academics and societal stakeholders can learn together how to achieve interrelated sustainability transitions in a way that protects the intrinsic, relational and instrumental value of nature within the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. 

To help establish this hub, we seek a project coordinator who will have a central role in establishing and further developing a transdisciplinary social-ecological education and research hub in the landscape of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. The aim is to set up a long-term collaboration between National Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug and Utrecht University, which will contribute to cooperatively improving climate adaptation and protecting and improving the unique natural and cultural heritage of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. 

Your tasks will include but are not limited to:

• organising transdisciplinary workshops and symposia;
• facilitating and designing transdisciplinary education and research projects;
• collating existing social-ecological data;
• contributing to proposals for funding from various funding bodies;
• creating outreach content to strengthen the collaboration;
• building connections with stakeholders in the Utrechtse Heuvelrug via non-profit organisation National Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug, Utrecht University and other relevant institutes.

In addition of the role of project coordinator, you can also choose to have an extra 0.2 FTE teaching position. This is not obligated, so you can choose whether you want to include the 0.2 FTE teaching or not. If you choose the extra 0.2 FTE teaching, the total position will be 1 FTE.

We are looking for a colleague with:

• a Master's degree in environmental sciences, geosciences, biology, sustainable development, natural resource management or related fields;
• a strong interest in contributing to the protection and climate adaptation of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug;
• an interest in and experience with project coordination, stakeholder involvement and/or organisation of workshops and symposia, or a strong motivation to acquire this experience quickly;
• ideally experience in scientific research and/or higher education;
• a critical, open, and interdisciplinary approach to research and education;
• strong teamwork affinity to work in a diverse environment of scientists, students and various stakeholders;
• excellent written and spoken Dutch and English skills, as well as good general communication skills.

We offer a temporary position (0.8 FTE) for two years in an international working environment.  The gross salary will be €2,960 (scale 10 according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) per month for a full-time employment. Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% per year.

In addition, Utrecht University offers excellent secondary conditions, including an attractive retirement scheme, (partly paid) parental leave and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). For more information, please visit 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 strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

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 Department of Sustainable Development conducts teaching and research across a large range of sustainability challenges, with a special focus on environmental sciences, environmental governance, business and innovation, and energy and resources. The department hosts a highly international staff of over 200 junior and senior scientists and lecturers. Research and education in our department thrives on inter and multidisciplinary collaborations, which are highly needed to address today's intricate sustainability issues.

Non-profit organisation Nationaal Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug is a small organisation (10 people) founded to protect and preserve the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. Via this organisation, a unique collaboration with (private) landowners, municipalities, the Province of Utrecht and other stakeholders is formed to work on this common goal. Together we make sure that the area's unique nature, landscape and cultural heritage is preserved for future generations.

The Utrechtse Heuvelrug consists of 20,000-hectare consecutive forest and heathland. Adding the flanks, with valuable wet nature, this number increases to 40,000 hectares. The Southern part of the Heuvelrug, an area of 10,000 hectares, has the official status of National Park. Besides this valuable nature at the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, the Heuvelrug also has a lot of cultural-historic value, as there are, for example, many estates, burial mounds, and remnants from several wars (Napoleon, WWI, WWII).

Non-profit organisation Nationaal Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug serves as a broker between different parties within the Utrechtse Heuvelrug with the aim of cooperatively protecting and improving the unique natural and cultural heritage of the area. Together, the following key climate adaptation themes for the Utrechtse Heuvelrug were identified:

• vital nature: climate change increases risk of forest fires, leads to loss of heathlands and tree species, creates stress on fauna;
• transitional flanks: climate adaptation on the flanks of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug is complicated due to competition for space to facilitate agriculture, energy, housing and mobility transitions;
• landscape of values: the Utrechtse Heuvelrug is an area with important intrinsic and relational values for many people, and it also has functional value, such as the ecosystem service of purifying water;
• mobility and recreation: whilst visitors are encouraged to enjoy the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, this needs to be managed in a sustainable way that creates a net benefit for humans and nature;
• cultural and historical landscapes: the region has a long cultural heritage, which is threatened by extreme climate events.