Severe floods and droughts are becoming increasingly common in Europe, with detrimental consequences for society and our ecosystems. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are crucial to ensure that our society and nature remain safe from water problems, and that we can adapt to the changing climate. However, there is still uncertainty about the effectiveness, costs, and trade-offs of NbS under extreme climate conditions.

At the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), we are searching for a postdoctoral researcher with an environmental economics and governance background to join our team and work on a new project called "Green adaptation pathways for a resilient future for river basins under increasing extreme floods and droughts". The project focuses on three tributaries (Dora Baltea, Geul, Erft) that are subject to floods and droughts. The aim of the project is to work with stakeholders in these rivers to devise new ways to deal with floods and drought. Through a participatory approach, investigation of current and future risks, and evaluation of NbS, the postdoctoral researcher will contribute to achieve effective policy and management of risks and adaptation to these climate extremes.

We are looking for someone who is interested in inter- and transdisciplinary research and enjoys working with other researchers in the project and with external partners and stakeholders. Additionally, the postdoctoral research will contribute to project management and organisation.

Your duties

• you create a co-creation approach for green adaptation futures in 3 EU water basins
• you map the stakeholders and governance structures in the context of drought and flood protection in these river basins
• you start up and guide a continuous engagement among stakeholders in the Netherlands
• you identify and evaluate monetary and non-monetary benefits of nature-based solutions for mitigating hydrological extremes
• you co-design recommendations for enhanced drought and flood governance
• you produce project deliverables and attend project meetings

• you have a PhD degree in interdisciplinary environmental sciences, environmental governance, environmental economics, human environmental geography, or a closely related field
• you are interest in hydrological extremes, nature-based solutions and river basin management.
• you have a background in qualitative and quantitative data analysis, survey design, interviews.
• you are experienced in ecosystem services valuation and governance mapping.
• you have experience in participatory approaches and stakeholder processes.
• your ability to work unsupervised and with transdisciplinary teams.
• you are fluend in both English and Dutch

We actively encourage you to apply if you are from an underrepresented group in academia. We welcome applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds (including gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, culture, ability, neurodiversity and minority identities), which we acknowledge enhances the quality of our research and education.

Fixed-term contract: 1 year.

An exciting postdoc position in a socially-engaged organisation with a supportive project team and an active early-career scientist community. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

• a salary of minimum € 3.226,00 (Scale 10) and maximum € 5.090,00 (Scale 10) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile Researcher 4. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
• a position for at least 0.8 FTE. Your employment contract will initially start with a 1 year contract with the possibility to extend with another 2 years.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• contribution to commuting expenses
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

About the institute
Established in 1971, IVM is a leading environmental research institute that is internationally recognised for its high quality research output in a range of environmental disciplines, as well as for its interdisciplinary work. The mission of the institute is to contribute to sustainable development and care for the environment through scientific research and teaching. IVM aims to do excellent problem-oriented research that is useful to a wide range of stakeholders in the Netherlands and internationally. A unique strength of our research is to understand sustainability problems in their social and economic context. IVM’s research community works within four departments: Environmental Economics; Environmental Geography, Environmental Policy Analysis; and Water and Climate Risk. Since 2001 IVM has been part of the Faculty of Science at VU Amsterdam (legal name Stichting VU).

Faculty of Science
Researchers and students at VU Amsterdam’s Faculty of Science tackle fundamental and complex scientific problems to help pave the way for a sustainable and healthy future. From forest fires to big data, from obesity to malnutrition, and from molecules to the moon: we cover the full spectrum of the natural sciences. Our teaching and research have a strong experimentally technical, computational and interdisciplinary nature.

We work on new solutions guided by value-driven, interdisciplinary methodologies. We are committed to research, valorisation and training socially engaged citizens of the world who will make valuable contributions to a sustainable, healthy future.

Are you interested in joining the Faculty of Science? You will join undergraduate students, PhD candidates and researchers at the biggest sciences faculty in the Netherlands. You will combine a professional focus with a broad view of the world. We are proud of our collegial working climate, characterised by committed staff, a pragmatic attitude and engagement in the larger whole. The faculty is home to over 11,000 students enrolled in 40 study programmes. It employs over 1,600 professionals spread across 10 academic departments.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely – a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 5,500 staff work at the VU and over 30,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.