Wageningen University and the Climate Adaptation Services Foundation in collaboration with 8 other European partners are involved in the project Unpacking climate impact CHAINs. A new generation of action- and user-oriented climate change risk assessments (UNCHAIN). UNCHAIN aims at further developing a practical and manageable climate change risk assessment framework based on the concept of Impact Chains. UNCHAIN will address, support and integrate a broad array of stakeholders. Its audiences are local authorities, private businesses, private home owners, and sub-national and national authorities in their capacity of supporting and facilitating local policy-making.
UNCHAIN's scientific objectives will in general contributing to enabling accurate, science based, high resolution CC risk assessments, and will in particular relate to six innovations relating to existing climate change risk assessment frameworks: (1) address a shift in adaptation focus from merely adjusting to the possible need for transforming society; (2) apply the concept of co-production of knowledge during all stages of knowledge production; (3) analyse how societal change, regardless of climate change, can affect local climate change vulnerabilities and the socio-economic consequences involved in local climate change adaptation; (4) develop a framework for an improved understanding of uncertainties involved in local decision-making on climate change adaptation, aiming to shift focus from mastering to managing such uncertainties; (5) identify risks of mal-mitigation and mal-adaptation and how to reduce such risks, and (6) identify transnational climate risks and ways to adapt to such risks.
At the core of the project are cases (two cases per country) that will be used as a 'laboratory' to develop and test the new climate change risk assessment framework.
Within the project a three year full time post-doc position is available. The post-doc will be responsible for two case studies. The first case study focusses on Climate change impacts on financial investment portfolios and the second case study is about Risks and impacts of climate change on railway infrastructure. In addition the post-doc will be responsible for the Evaluation of all case studies in the project by first developing a methodology for the evaluate how the case studies contribute in testing the five main innovation of UNCHAIN and thereafter evaluate how the five innovations have been included in the case studies and to what extent they have contributed to improved risk assessment and climate change adaptation.
The post-doc will be employed by Wageningen University but the post-doc is expected to work both at Wageningen University and the Climate Adaptation Foundation in Bussum.

The candidate is an enthusiastic team player with the following qualifications:

• PhD in Climate or Environmental Sciences or related field
• Strong data analyses and computer programming skills
• Proven scientific ambition, proven performance in scientific writing, and strong ambition and experience in publishing scientific papers
• Very good English communication skills
• Knowledge of Dutch or willingness to learn Dutch to interact with stakeholders
• Willingness to teach in BSc and MSc courses and supervise MSc students
• Willingness to travel to project meetings and partners
• Flexibility to adjust your work based on feedback of Stakeholders and project Partners
• Willingness to work in both Bussum and Wageningen

We offer a full time Postdoc position for three years at Water Systems and Global Change Group of Wageningen University starting on 1 September 2019. Depending on your expertise and experience a salary from a minimum of € 2709,- (gross) to a maximum of € 4274,- (gross) based on fulltime employment.

In addition, we offer:

• 8% holiday allowance;
• a structural year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent training opportunities and secondary employment conditions;
• flexible working hours and holidays can possibly be determined in consultation so that an optimal balance between work and private life is possible;
• excellent pension plan through ABP;
• 232 vacation hours, the option to purchase extra and good supplementary leave schemes;
• a flexible working time: the possibility to work a maximum of 2 hours per week extra and thereby to build up extra leave;
• a choice model to put together part of your employment conditions yourself, such as a bicycle plan;
• a lively workplace where you can easily make contacts and where many activities take place on the Wageningen Campus. A place where education, research and business are represented.

Wageningen University & Research

The Water Systems and Global Change Group at WUR is a solution-oriented multidisciplinary research group focusing on water systems and global change. We aim to contribute to a world with sufficient, climate-proof and clean water for society, food production and nature. Currently this is often not the case; there is either too much, too little or too dirty water. These water stressed situations result in a variety of problems. In the future, these problems may increase as a result of global change. Our mission is to create new knowledge to contribute to sustainable water systems in a changing global environment. Our research and teaching contributes to a better understanding of how water systems are affected by global change, what the impacts are on society and nature, and how to adapt to these changes and/or mitigate the problems. We combine measurements, modelling and participatory approaches to achieve our objectives. Our water assessments serve as basis for climate & water information systems, providing actionable knowledge to farmers, water managers and policy makers. Our water stress assessments assist in the transition towards long term sustainable water systems across the globe.
Our mission

• To create new knowledge to contribute to sustainable water systems in a changing global environment.
  Our vision
• Sufficient, clean and climate-proof water for society and nature.