Postdoctoral researcher in functional plant ecology

Global environmental change is reshaping ecosystems worldwide, and we urgently need new insights into how interacting drivers, such as nutrient enrichment an drought, affect species diversity and ecosystem functioning, especially belowground. Understanding these interactions is particularly critical for temperate grasslands, which provide essential ecosystem services but are highly threatened and in need of restoration.

Your job
A promising avenue for grassland restoration is the use of priority effects, in which the order and timing of arrival of species is manipulated to steer community assembly toward desirable outcomes.

In this postdoctoral position, you will investigate how interacting factors of global environmental change, such as nutrient enrichment and drought, affect functional plant diversity (with a strong emphasis on belowground traits), soil biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning in temperate grasslands. In addition, you will design and implement a factorial experiment testing the potential of trait-based approaches to create positive priority effects across diverse environmental contexts, with the goal of advancing strategies for grassland restoration. You will join the Environmental Sciences section of the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University.

Your key responsibilities include:

• Designing, implementing, and managing several ecological experiments in the field and under controlled environmental conditions;
• Collecting, managing, and analyzing experimental data following the highest scientific standards, with attention to reproducibility and open science practices;
• Supervising and mentoring bachelor and master students involved in the research;
• Writing and publishing high-quality scientific articles in leading international journals;
• Presenting results at national and international scientific conferences;
• Collaborating within a multidisciplinary research team;
• Engaging with stakeholders in grassland restoration and biodiversity management, when relevant;
• Contributing to university courses offered by the department.

Required qualifications:

• A PhD in ecology, plant sciences, environmental sciences, or a closely related field;
• Strong expertise in plant ecology, with a focus on functional traits (especially root traits);
• Proven experience with fieldwork, experimental design and ecological experiments;
• Strong skills in data analysis and statistics (preferably in R);
• Demonstrated ability to publish in peer-reviewed international journals;
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently as well as in a team;
• Strong skills in supervising and mentoring students;
• Excellent written and spoken English.

Preferred / Desirable qualities:

• Experience with belowground ecology (measuring soil biodiversity and functioning) and/or plant-soil interaction research;
• Experience with multi-factor global change experiments;
• Affinity with or experience in grassland ecology and/or restoration ecology;
• Interest in gaining teaching experience;
• Ability to drive a car (driving license B).

We offer:

• a position (1 FTE) for 36 months.
• a working week of 36 - 40 hours and a gross monthly salary between € 3.546 and €5.538 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale 10 under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University also offers a range of its own schemes for employees. This includes arrangements for professional development, various types of leave, and options for sports and cultural activities. You can also tailor your employment conditions through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage you to keep investing in your personal and professional development. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

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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.