Are you intrigued by interactions between birds and the atmospheric environment, in extracting biological information from operational weather radar, in contributing to the development of models of bird movement at sea that allow for  mitigation of potential negative impacts of wind farms on migratory and resident bird populations? Then this 2.5 year Postdoctoral Researcher position with Dr Judy Shamoun-Baranes, leading animal movement ecology research in the Department of Theoretical and Computational Ecology within the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED, see ibed.uva.nl) at the University of Amsterdam might be of interest to you.

This postdoctoral position is part of the project 'Interactions between birds and offshore wind farms: drivers, consequences and tools for mitigation' funded by NWO-TTW. The project team includes 3 PhDs and 3 postdocs as well as experts from UvA and the NIOZ and collaborators from KNMI and SURFSara. The project aims include:  increasing our understanding of the factors that influence bird movement patterns at sea, bird interactions with wind farms and population consequences of these interactions. Research results will be used for mitigation of potential negative impacts of wind farms on migratory and resident populations and to support a transition to renewable energy. Integrating radar measurements of bird movement, individual GPS tracking, and demographic measurements with environmental data, we will measure and model bird movement at sea in response to environmental conditions, from large scale migration patterns to the fine scale flight behaviour of seabirds within wind farms. A predictive migration model will be developed to support the temporary shutdown of wind turbines. We will also develop a roadmap and tools for a national e-science infrastructure for remote monitoring of avian movement.

What are you going to do?

Within this project we offer a 2.5 year postdoctoral position focusing on biometeorology. The main aims of the postdoctoral position will be to lead the (1) development of methods to improve the quality and information content of bird movement data extracted from weather radar and bird detection radar, (2) development of methods to integrate movement data extracted from different radar systems and (3) contribute substantially to research on meteorological drivers of spatio-temporal dynamics of avian flight over the North Sea.  Furthermore the postdoctoral researcher will help to compile the necessary meteorological data needed for analysis.  This position will require coordination with other members of the project team, including a postdoc involved in developing the e-science infrastructure to support the project. We offer the possibility to be involved in the supervision of PhD candidates and in undergraduate and graduate education.

We are looking for you if you meet these criteria:

• a PhD in Meteorology,  Earth Sciences, Physics, with an interest in contributing to animal movement research;
• strong computational and programming skills;
• experience working with large datasets;
• excellent written and oral communication skills;
• an interest in working on a collaborative and interdisciplinary project;
• experience with radar technology and radar data or a clear willingness to learn.

Fixed-term contract: 1 year.

A temporary employment contract, preferably starting at 1 December 2019 for the duration of 30  months. Initially, we will appoint you on a temporary basis for one year. We offer you subsequently an extension of the employment contract of 1.5 years if we assess your performance positively. The appointment is full-time (38 hours per week), but part-time employment (0.8 fte minimum) implicating a longer extension as compensation is negotiable.

The salary, depending on relevant experience before the beginning of the employment contract, will be €2.709 to €4.274 (scale 10) gross per month, based on a full-time appointment (38 hours a week). These amounts are exclusive 8 % holiday allowance and 8.3 % end-of-year bonus. A favorable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities applies.

Are you curious about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits like our excellent opportunities for study and development? Take a look at our website.

University of Amsterdam

With over 5,000 employees, 30,000 students and a budget of more than 600 million euros, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is an intellectual hub within the Netherlands. Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted within seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. Housed on four city campuses in or near the heart of Amsterdam, where disciplines come together and interact, the faculties have close links with thousands of researchers and hundreds of institutions at home and abroad.  

The UvA’s students and employees are independent thinkers, competent rebels who dare to question dogmas and aren’t satisfied with easy answers and standard solutions. To work at the UvA is to work in an independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

Faculty of Science – Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 6,500, as well as 1,600 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

The Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) is one of eight research institutes within the Faculty of Science. Our scientific work aims at a better understanding of the dynamics of ecosystems at all relevant levels, from genes to ecosystems, using a truly multi-disciplinary approach, and based on both experimental and theoretical research. We want to unravel how ecosystems function in all their complexity, and how they change due to natural processes and human activities.

Research in the Department of Theoretical and Computation Ecology (TCE) within IBED,  focuses on understanding the complexity of ecological systems by using theoretical and advanced computational approaches.