Postdoc Microbiological and chemical arsenic recovery from drinking water sludge

This postdoc position is part of the European research project “From Contaminant to Commodity (C2C): Toward a Circular Economy for Arsenic in Groundwater” involving partners in Denmark, Switzerland and Sweden. The overarching project goal is contribute to an improved management of arsenic-rich residues from the arsenic removal from drinking water and to establish procedures for the effective recovery and valorization of arsenic as critical raw material. In collaboration with project partners, the postdoctoral researcher will

• develop chemical and biological methods for arsenic extraction from arsenic-loaded sludge,
• identify suitable arsenic extraction or separation steps based on arsenic-loaded sludge structural properties and
• have the leading role in the exploitation and dissemination strategy for the project.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• Performing chemical and microbiological experiments in the laboratory using batch bottles and reactors
• Supervision of MSc students
• Leading the exploitation and dissemination of the project
• (optional) teach in BSc and/or MSc courses

Your team
At location, you will work within the Resource recovery sub-group of Environmental Technology. In the project, your main collaborators will be the other postdocs and PIs in the consortium.

You will work here
The department of Environmental Technology is a large and vibrant research group of about 30 scientific staff-members, 10 laboratory and technical support staff, 80 PhD candidates and 6 postdocs. The group has close collaborations with scientific institutes, industrial stakeholders and water organizations within the Netherlands and beyond.

You are a highly motivated and independent researcher with:

• A PhD degree in environmental bio(geo)chemistry, environmental technology, biotechnology, or a related field;
• Demonstrated capabilities in performing laboratory experiments;
• Excellent analytical and data processing skills;
• Experience with advanced solids characterization techniques and iron and/or arsenic chemistry is a benefit;
• Interest to work independently and in collaboration with the larger project team;
• A proven publication record.

This position requires an excellent English language proficiency (a mininum of CEFR C1 level). For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our special language page.

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;
• 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 year-end 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 € 3.546,- and € 5.538,- 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 contract for 0.8 FTE can be discussed. We offer you a temporary contract for the duration of two and a half year. Of course, we are happy to have a conversation with you if you have any questions about this.

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.

The mission of Wageningen University & 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, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below 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.

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.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands 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 coming to Wageningen.

Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account, dual career programs or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.