Are you a hardworking researcher with strong quantitative skills and knowledge of climate change impact assessments and adaptation development? Do you have the ability to deploy simulation models especially in crop production and water resources for climate impact assessment and adaptation development? Perhaps this position can be the ideal job for you!

For our team Climate Resilience at Wageningen Environmental Research, we are hiring a Climate Change Adaptation Specialist. You will work on topics such as:

• climate change impacts on water availability and food production around the world;
• adaption to climate change in food systems;
• resilience to climate variability and change.

You will primarily analyse climate data and quantitively assess the impacts of climate change on water availability and food production using agricultural, hydrological and/or water resources models. Based on the model analyses you will craft adaptation strategies and pathways, and assess their effectiveness and robustness using both quantitative and qualitative analytical tools.

You will participate and contribute to international projects, including projects in East Africa and South/South East Asia. You will actively engage with various partners and clients from governments, NGOs and commercial enterprises You will contribute to the acquisition of a sustainable project portfolio. Your project results will be disseminated through client oriented reports and possibly papers in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings; using popular media is encouraged. You will be member of a larger team of scientists within and outside Wageningen UR working on this topic.

• a university degree (MSc) in agricultural sciences, environmental sciences, climate sciences or earth sciences. A PhD is preferable;
• strong quantitative skills in terms of analyzing and processing large data sets;
• at least three years of proven experience with modelling impact of climate change on water resources, and/or
• at least three years of proven experience with modelling impact of climate change on agricultural production;
• proven experience in climate change adaptation project development and implementation;
• demonstrated experience with project acquisition;
• customer-oriented attitude;
• excellent writing and oral communication skills in English for diverse audiences; ambition to publish future work;
• a great teammate who can work independently and who also communicates well with colleagues, partners and (potential) clients and research funding agencies.

Desirable requirements include:

• experience with any of the models we already use (LPJmL, VIC, WOFOST, CERES, CropSyst, SWAT);
• experiences with downscaling methods;
• experience with the visualisation of impact assessment results to facilitate communication to partners;
• experience with GIS, R, Python.

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

• 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;
• sabbatical leave, study leave, and paid parental leave;
• 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 3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. We offer, depending on your experience, a competitive gross salary of between €3.336,- and € 5.183,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 11). The appointment is for minimally 32 and maximally 36 hours per week, for a period of 24 months. In case of good functioning and if future research financing allows, there is a possibility for a permanent position after 2 years.

WUR encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a multi-faceted position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

Coming from abroad
We are the #1 research centre for life sciences in the domains of agriculture, environmental science and food. 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 informed. 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.

Wageningen University & Research

The mission of Wageningen University and Research is "To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life". Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to find solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With its roughly 30 branches, 6.500 employees and 12.500 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. A coordinated approach to problems and the cooperation between various subject areas are at the heart of Wageningen's outstanding approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.

The Climate Resilience team
Climate change will impact every aspect of society and nature. Analysing present and future trends to assess impacts on all sectors of society is essential for the development of solution-oriented management and policy options. Policy makers at every governmental level as well as managers in both small and large private companies seek solutions to protect their assets from the adverse effects of climate. Beyond that, they often also seek to gain from the opportunities offered by climate change and to connect any interventions with non-climate issues to seek synergies and efficiency improvements. The Climate Resilience team has built up a considerable track record in this complex field, studying interactions between hydrology, land cover and land use (including urban environments) and climate (change) in the Netherlands and worldwide. Our main areas of interest are climate resilient cities, climate information services and nature-based solutions for climate adaptation.