The successful candidate will be part of the JPI-AXIS funded project ‘LAnd MAnagement for CLImate Mitigation and Adaptation’ (LAMACLIMA) uniting climate scientists, (agricultural) economists and stakeholder engagement experts from 6 leading European institutes.

The LAMACLIMA project: There is now strong evidence that anthropogenic changes in land cover and land management (LCLM) are substantially affecting climate through the release of carbon to the atmosphere (biogeochemical effects), the alteration of local energy and water fluxes at the land surface, and their interaction with large-scale atmospheric dynamics (biogeophysical effects). The objective of the LAMACLIMA project is to advance the scientific and public understanding of LCLM-climate coupled effects and to elaborate sustainable land-based adaptation and mitigation measures. We will unravel potential of future scenarios to achieve both the Paris Agreement as well as several key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We will investigate the local and remote biogeophysical and biogeochemical effects of three key changes in LCLM (re/afforestation, irrigation and wood harvest) on climate and their implications for several sectors (agriculture, water availability, forestry and economic productivity). The outcome of these analyses will serve as a basis to develop a lightweight tool to support land use decision making. This web-based, open source tool will be used to collect feedback from stakeholders (NGOs, industry, public institutions, etc.). Ultimately, we aim at uncovering ‘optimised’ scenarios in terms of LCLM, SDGs and associated future climate targets, to support integrated assessment of the land-climate-economy nexus.

Working within a small team, the successful candidate will be responsible for setting up and analysing a series of climate model simulations using the state-of-the-art climate model EC-Earth.

Your duties

• setting up and analysing a series of EC-Earth climate simulations
• participation in joint project meetings (both teleconferences and in-person)
• co-supervision of MSc and PhD students
• authoring and co-authoring manuscripts submitted to high-quality journals
• some limited support with teaching is expected

• PhD in physics, climate science, meteorology, geosciences, computational science or a related field
• experience in Earth System modelling is required, and experience with EC-Earth is a strong advantage
• excellent skills in programming and data analyses of simulated and observed data
• strong collaboration and communication skills to work in a larger team of researchers from other disciplines involved in international research projects

A challenging position in a socially involved organisation. On full-time basis the remuneration amounts to a minimum gross monthly salary of €2,709 (scale 10) and a maximum €4,274 (scale 10), depending on your education and experience. The job profile: is based on the university job ranking system and is vacant for at least 0.8 FTE.

The initial employment contract will affect a period of 3 years, with the possibility of extension.

Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• a maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• optional model for designing a personalised benefits package
• a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge

https://workingat.vu.nl/vacancies

The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. And to be a university where personal education and societal involvement play a leading role. Where people from different disciplines and backgrounds work together on innovations and on generating new knowledge. Our teaching and research embrace the whole spectrum of science – from the humanities, the social sciences and the pure sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.
 
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 23,000 students. We employ more than 4,500 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible, located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity is one of our university’s core values. We are an inclusive community, and we believe that diversity and international activities enhance the quality of education and research. We are always looking for people who can enhance diversity on our campus thanks to their background and experience.

The Faculty of Science inspires researchers and students to find sustainable solutions for complex societal issues. From forest fires to big data, from obesity to medicines and from molecules to the moon: our teaching and research programmes cover the full spectrum of the natural sciences. We share knowledge and experience with leading research institutes and industries, both here in the Netherlands and abroad.

Working at the Faculty of Science means working with students, PhD candidates and researchers, all with a clear focus on their field and a broad view of the world. We employ more than 1,250 staff members, and we are home to around 6,000 students.

About IVM and the department Water and Climate Risk
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 Policy Analysis; Environmental Geography; and Water and Climate Risk. Since 2001 IVM is part of the Faculty of Science at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (http://www.ivm.vu.nl).
 
The department of Water and Climate Risk studies hydrological and climate processes, and how these processes lead to risks and opportunities for society, the economy, and the environment. A defining characteristic of the department is a multi-disciplinary approach that combines expertise from natural sciences with knowledge from the fields of economics, e-Science and geography. This approach has led to a unique research portfolio of water and climate risk projects, and the department is a global leading institute in flood and drought risk assessment, and risk management research.
 
The candidate will work under the direct supervision of Dr. Dim Coumou who has an Associate Professorship within the department of Water and Climate Risk. His research group focusses on understanding physical drivers of climate extremes using both machine learning techniques and climate models. His team strongly collaborates with national and international institutes including the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. For more info, please visit: http://www.climateextremes.eu