Are you an experienced researcher with a PhD interested in continuing your pursuit of scientific questions in a diverse, ambitious, and competitive environment? Are you someone with the desire to improve your mentorship skills, develop your own research ideas, establish new collaborations, and pursue new funding opportunities? We have a vacancy for a postdoc in biobased materials, with possibility to work part-time. Will you join our team?

What will you be doing?
We, the Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter Laboratory (PCC), have an open postdoctoral position available in the research domain of biobased materials. Your role will be to strengthen and establish promising collaborative research lines in PCC and at Wageningen University and Research (WUR). You will be part of a team of experienced and ambitious postdocs striving for scientific excellence within the stated science domain. Simultaneously, you will develop your own research vision and ideas, and talent in supervision and establishing new collaborations. This position offers extensive scientific freedom to pursue your own interests and obtain preliminary data as you are expected to pursue your own funding opportunities. You are expected to apply for your own funding (e.g NWO talent program Veni). You will be provided with coaching and mentorship in grant writing.
You will be offered the ability to work closely together with existing PhD candidates within PCC to develop your own leadership and mentorship abilities.

PCC is a group of likeminded scientists interested in phenomena where creative chemistry is essential, complex physics is a rule rather than an exception and biology comes to life. See the introductory video below about PCC, who we are and what we do:



We understand that you are triggered and want to apply immediately. Please read the 'Do you want to apply' section below for more guidance.

SCIENCIFIC OUTLINE
The flat oyster reefs have disappeared due to overfishing and destructive bottom trawling. Reintroduction of hard substrate is needed to kickstart oyster reef formation, and often concrete is used for robust structures, however, it has a high CO2 footprint and requires a significant amount of materials. For oyster larvae, wasted oyster shells are the ideal substrate for oyster larvae to settle. Individual shells, however, do not make a reef; they must be held together. Adhesive technology is infrequently used in wet environments as water is detrimental to the performance by promoting swelling of the material or weakening the contact with the adherend. Marine sandcastle worms have solved these issues using proteinaceous complex coacervate glues to form extremely durable underwater structures. Inspired by these natural solutions, you will work with a diverse team of researchers to develop a bio-inspired complex coacervated-based alternative for cement that binds oyster shells together. You will produce different versions of this adhesive material for direct application testing, including based on more fine shells that will mimic the function of concrete for creating dedicated functional and interlocking structures. Pilot research has shown promising results regarding adhesive performance and oyster larval deposition and survival.

Besides your willingness to learn, mentor PhD students, presentation skills and ambition:

• you have a PhD in a relevant field for PCC. Postdoc experience is a bonus;
• you have the ambition to pursue an academic scientific career;
• you have the ability and ambition to establish new international collaborations within and between research groups at WUR;
• of course you are fluent in English (C2 level).

Wageningen University & Research offers 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 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 € 4.490,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10). Additionally, a reduced hour contract (0.8/0.6 full-time equivalent) can be discussed.

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.

Wageningen University & 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. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen's unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.

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

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.