The Environmental Systems Analysis Group at Wageningen University invites applications for a post-doc position (4 years) in a challenging project entitled: "Development of a scientific modelling framework to bridge the gap between current and desired soil inputs of carbon and nutrients across major farming systems in Europe " starting between September 15th and December 1st 2022.

The Project is funded by the European Commission entitled NUTRIBUDGET Optimisation of nutrient budgets in agriculture under Call ID:HORIZON-CL6-2021-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-02.
The specific aim of the postdoc within NUTRIBUDGET is to develop a modelling framework to assess carbon and nutrient flows on farm level, assembling empirical and process-based models on various farming systems across Europe, considering agronomic impacts, soil quality and environmentally harmful losses at different scales. This consists of the following tasks:

• Develop a modelling framework to assess carbon and nutrient flows on farm level. This includes the ensemble of empirical, statistical and process-based modules into one farm model.
• Calculate the desired inputs of carbon and nutrients across major farming systems in Europe considering environmental target or threshold values for air quality, soil quality and water quality.
• Apply the modelling framework for selected case study regions.
• Compare and evaluate the suitability and applicability of empirical, process based and integrated ensemble models for optimizing carbon and nutrient budgets on farm level.
• Contribute to novel machine learning algorithms for elaborating the optimal carbon and nutrient budgets over space.

The Nutribudget project
The main objective of Nutribudget is to develop and implement a prototype of an integrated nutrient management platform, called Nutriplatform, in various regions across Europe, as a decision-support tool (DST) for farmers, advisors, European policy makers and regional authorities. About 17 universities, industrial partners, NGOs and SME companies are collaborating to innovate our knowledge to help agriculture to intensify sustainably in order to meet the demands of optimising yields without compromising environmental integrity or public health.

• a successfully completed PhD degree in environmental sciences or soil science or equivalent education;
• advanced experience in modelling, statistics and data handling
• proven experience in scientific writing
• ability to work independently as well as in our team
• For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially 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 compensation / 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 competitive gross salary of between € 2.846 and € 5.230,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10-11).

Wageningen University & Research 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 unique 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 17th 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 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.

Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire 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 inclusivity page. 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

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

With its roughly 30 branches, 6.800 employees and 12.900 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. Actually, WUR is the "highest ranking university in agricultural sciences worldwide". An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen's unique approach.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!