Do you like to contribute to innovative sensing solutions for sustainable environmental monitoring of topsoil and air above soil environments? Can you design, construct, operate and evaluate an active laser-induced fluorescence system on an Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) to detect and measure specific excitations as induced from in-situ sensors in the field? Then we are looking for you!

This research should advance remote sensing principles of integrated fluorescent LiDAR technology (fLiDAR) to achieve fluorescence mapping of the 3D environment, detect and localize fluorescent ID tags and support the fluorescence read-out of the sensors.

We look for a highly qualified researcher with good capability of designing and constructing innovative LiDAR based sensing systems, evaluating the system in controlled and field situations.. Experience with systematic design approaches, and mechatronics engineering for fluorescence and LiDAR systems as well as implementing these in a structured manner in a data-processing chain is essential.

The postdoc will participate in the EU-funded I-Seed project which seeks to develop a new generation of self-deployable, biodegradable, soft miniaturized robots endowed with fluorescence sensors which take inspiration from the morphology and dispersion abilities of plant seeds, to support in-situ monitoring of environmental parameters and extent existing sensor frameworks. The research will be conducted from the Laboratory of Geo-information Science and Remote Sensing (GRS) at Wageningen University in close collaboration with an international multi-disciplinary research team (Germany, Italy, Cyprus) combining expertise from bio-inspired robotics, material science, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and remote sensing.
You will work in an ideal working environment.

Our campus is an inspiring green place to work, and has been selected as the most sustainable campus in the world multiple times. Besides that, we have a top ranking in several fields, with a #1 ranking for environmental science, ecology and agriculture, as well as very strong rankings in other fields!
Are you curious to figure out more about our work? Check out our page with news, recent publications and video's.

• PhD in Mechatronics Engineering, Geomatics, Remote Sensing, Physics or a related field;
• Expertise in sensor design and construction based on LiDAR or laser-induced fluorescence systems, to develop innovative fluorescence based sensing approaches for detection, localization and read-out of sensors in heterogeneous environments;
• Experience in processing and analysis of remote sensing data and the development of relevant analysis methods;
• Strong scientific writing skills and publishing capacity as proven by a track record;
• Interest to collaborate in a multi-disciplinary research team;
• Good communication and writing skills in English.

We offer excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a position for three years with a competitive gross salary of between €3.746,- and €5.127,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 11).

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering an outstanding position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.
You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the "Best University" in the Netherlands for the 16th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief, known as the 30% ruling. Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well advised. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling, and other issues.

Equal opportunitiesWUR employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who encourage and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. For more information please go to our inclusive webpage. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment.

Wageningen University & Research

The mission of our University is to explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life. Nine specialized research institutes from the Wageningen Research Foundation and Wageningen University have joined forces to help answer the most important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With approximately 30 locations, 6,500 employees, and 12,000 students, it is one of the leading organizations in its domain worldwide. A coordinated approach to problems and the cooperation between various fields are at the heart of the outstanding approach of Wageningen.

We are the laboratory of GIS and Remote Sensing (GRS) of Wageningen University. Our fundamental research and education concerns our living environment: nature, landscape, land use, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, water management, and various claims on space. The laboratory is very international in terms of staff and student composition.