Post-doctoral Researcher on Fault slip in induced seismicity scenarios

The Department of Earth Sciences is looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral candidate with a background in numerical modeling (DEM, FEM, BEM).

Your job
You will work on the project “FastSlip”. In this position, you will develop and utilise scale-bridging techniques to model and investigate fault slip in induced seismicity scenarios.

The position is based at Utrecht University (UU) and the project itself is a collaboration between Utrecht University and the University of Twente (UT). You will join the existing team of one PD and one PhD student, led by André Niemeijer (UU), Hongyang Cheng (UT) and Tanmaya Mishra (UT).

The project is part of the research programme DEEPNL, funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The research programme is aimed at obtaining a better understanding of the effects of human activities in the subsurface. Yearly scientific and stakeholder meetings provide opportunities for interdisciplinary research and interaction with industry.

We are looking for a motivated candidate with a proven track record of developing and utilising numerical models. Familiarity with multi-scale or scale-bridging techniques is a pre.

You must have successfully completed a PhD programme in Earth Sciences, Physics, Computational Science or a related discipline by the time the position starts. Preferably, you will also have:

• Experience in computational techniques, such as FEM and BEM;
• Experience or strong interest in DEM is highly appreciated;
• Interest in earthquake / fault mechanics;
• Interest in experimental geomechanics;
• Adequate social/verbal/communication skills.

Due to the international character of our research, good command of spoken and written English is essential. We highly encourage applicants from all members of our community and of diverse backgrounds to join us.

We offer:

• a position (1.0 FTE) for 26 months.
• a full-time gross salary between € 4,075 and € 4,728 in scale 10.3-10.7 of the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities (CAO);
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University also offers a range of its own schemes for employees. This includes arrangements for professional development, various types of leave, and options for sports and cultural activities. You can also tailor your employment conditions through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage you to keep investing in your personal and professional development. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

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Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.

The Department of Earth Sciences conducts teaching and research across the full range of the solid Earth and environmental Earth sciences, with activities in almost all areas of geology, geochemistry, geophysics, biogeology and hydrogeology. The department hosts a highly international tenured staff of over 50 scientists and more than 110 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. We house or have access to a wide variety of world-class laboratories, among which are UU’s Electron Microscopy Centre, the Geolab, and the Earth Simulation Lab. We also have excellent High- Performance Computing facilities.

About Utrecht
The department and its facilities are located at Utrecht Science Park. Utrecht is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands with a population of nearly 360,000 and forms a hub in the middle of the country. Its historical city centre and its modern central station can easily be reached from the Science Park by public transport or by a 15-minute bicycle ride. Utrecht boasts beautiful canals with extraordinary wharf cellars housing cafés and terraces by the water, as well as a broad variety of shops and boutiques.