Post-Doc position: Knowledge for decision making on coastal sand nourishments

This research position is part of the NWO-funded SOURCE program: Sand nOURisment strategies for Sustainable Coastal Ecosystems. The SOURCE philosophy is that carefully planned sand nourishments in the present will create the required and desired resilient and dynamic multifunctional coastal landscapes of the future.

SOURCE will deliver the scientific knowledge, models and design tools to develop and evaluate nourishment strategies in a multi-stakeholder co-creation process. Our Living Labs are two sand nourishments along the Dutch coast. The 12 PhD, Post-Doc and other researchers at 8 academic institutes will collaborate closely with 25 partners from government organizations, research institutes, nature organizations and industry.

Your research aims to synthesize results and connect science to coastal management. The focus is on the Dutch policy of ‘holding the coastline with sand nourishments’. You will look at improvements within this present strategy (how nourishments are planned and designed and how stakeholders can contribute to this) as well as possible adaptations of the strategy given an expected accelerated sea level rise and an increasing pressure on space for various user functions. Your research will touch upon both the knowledge of the natural system (geology, morphology, ecology) and the question ‘how can future coastal management profit from co-creation with a variety of stakeholders’. Detailed research questions will be formulated together with you, tailored to your scientific background.

The research will be executed at Deltares, Delft and the University of Twente. You will work in close interaction with your Deltares and UT supervisors as well as fellow researchers within the consortium. Especially, close collaboration is foreseen with the Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat). Regular consortium meetings will accommodate knowledge exchange with our partners, increasing the relevance and impact of our research. Furthermore, you will present your work at (inter)national conferences and publish your findings in journal papers.

• Two-year fulltime Post-Doc position, preferably executed part-time and spread over the duration of the SOURCE project (until February 2030).
• Challenging work in an inspiring multidisciplinary environment with enthusiastic colleagues.
• Full status as an employee at the UT, including pension and health care benefits.
• Gross monthly salary between € 4241,- and € 5538,-, depending on your education and experience.
• Annual holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.
• Minimum of 41 holidays per year in case of fulltime employment (40 hours/week).
• We provide excellent mentorship and a stimulating research environment to accelerate your further professional and personal growth.

Your first responsibility is to carry out the research, but we motivate you to improve your management skills within the SOURCE project and to increase your teaching experience. We support you to broaden your knowledge by participating in national and international conferences and workshops and by visiting industrial companies, research institutes, and universities worldwide.