Postdoctoral Researcher in Integrated Modelling of Managed Aquifer Recharge

Are you a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual passionate about Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR), Nature-Based Solutions, Contaminants of Emerging Concern, and Circular Water Systems? Do you want to be part of an interdisciplinary research team? Then we may have the perfect opportunity for you!

We are looking for a proactive and self-motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to play a central role in an ambitious international research project, AquiCirc (funded by Water4All), addressing one of today’s most pressing global challenges: securing safe and sustainable groundwater resources in a circular water economy. You will work at the interface of science, practice, and policy, collaborating with leading academic institutions, water authorities, and industry partners across Europe and Africa.

You will, as part of the AquiCirc project team at Wageningen University, contribute to the scientific coordination and integration of research on groundwater recharge, water reuse, and contaminant risk management. Within this interdisciplinary and international consortium (Belgium, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Tunisia), you will be responsible for strengthening coherence across work packages, supporting data integration and open science practices, and contributing to the development of transferable insights for optimizing MAR systems under diverse environmental conditions.

Specifically, you will contribute to the evaluation of MAR performance in the Dutch case study through the potential design and execution of monitoring and field sampling activities, including groundwater levels and water-quality measurements. You will synthesize hydrological, hydrogeological, and water-quality datasets and integrate these with results from other international case study sites. You will contribute to the development and application of integrated surface water–groundwater and reactive transport models to assess MAR performance, support scenario analyses and optimization strategies, and translate model outcomes into actionable insights. You will also contribute to cross-site comparison and knowledge transfer, and co-author peer-reviewed publications and policy-relevant outputs aimed at stakeholders, such as water managers and regulators.

This position offers a unique opportunity to build an international profile in applied groundwater research, gain experience in leading large collaborative projects, and contribute directly to nature-based solutions for resilient and circular water management.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• Develop, apply, and interpret integrated hydro(geo)logical and water-quality models (including surface water–groundwater and reactive transport models) to assess MAR performance, contaminant fate, and system optimization under current and future scenarios.
• Lead and contribute to monitoring and field sampling activities at the Dutch Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) case study site, including groundwater level and water-quality measurements, and ensure high-quality data collection and documentation.
• Coordinate and contribute to consortium-level deliverables led by Wageningen University, including the kick-off, interim, and final project reports, ensuring compliance with FAIR and open-science principles.
• Synthesize and integrate data and modelling results across international case study sites to support cross-site comparison, scenario analysis, and the development of transferable guidelines for MAR optimization.
• Disseminate research outcomes through peer-reviewed scientific publications, stakeholder workshops, and policy-relevant outputs, in close collaboration with international partners and Dutch water authorities.
• Actively engage and collaborate within the larger project team (other PhDs, Postdoctoral Researchers, Principal Investigators, and project teams) towards the common goals of the project.

Your team
You will work within an interdisciplinary and internationally oriented research environment at Wageningen University, embedded in the Soil Physics and Land Management (SLM) Group. You will be part of the AquiCirc core team, working alongside Dr Reynold Chow (SLM), Dr. Nikola Rakonjac (SLM), Prof. Ruud Bartholomeus (KWR Water Research Institute and SLM), and Dr Syed Mustafa (Hydrology and Environmental Hydraulics Group), combining expertise in hydrogeological modelling, groundwater–surface water interactions, and water quality assessment.

Your work will be closely connected to both academic and applied water research. In addition to your base at Wageningen University, you will have regular interactions with water sector practitioners and researchers, including possible short research visits and meetings at KWR Water Research Institute. This setting offers a unique opportunity to collaborate at the interface of fundamental research and real-world water management, while engaging with an international consortium of academic and stakeholder partners across Europe and Africa.

You will work here
The Soil Physics and Land Management Group (SLM) at Wageningen University & Research is a dynamic research and teaching group within the Soil Science Cluster that focuses on understanding soil physical and hydrological processes and their central role in sustainable land and water management. SLM’s research spans fundamental and applied studies on how water, heat, sediments, and solutes move through soils and landscapes, how these processes interact with vegetation and groundwater, and how land use and management affect soil degradation, conservation, and restoration. The group’s mission is to address global societal challenges related to water and food security, climate adaptation, and sustainable land management by advancing scientific knowledge and developing innovative tools and solutions. SLM is involved in a broad range of activities, from field and laboratory experiments to process and modelling studies and impact assessments, and contribute to the education of BSc and MSc students through courses on soil physics, groundwater modelling, impact assessment, and sustainable land management.

You will also collaborate with colleagues from the Hydrology and Environmental Hydraulics (HWM) group at Wageningen University.

You are a motivated, independent, and collaborative researcher with a strong interest in hydrogeology, water quality, managed aquifer recharge, and sustainable water management. You are analytical, solution-oriented, and able to communicate complex scientific concepts effectively to diverse audiences.

You also possess:

• A PhD (or a nearly completed PhD) in Hydrogeology, Ecohydrology, Hydrology, Water Resources, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Hydroinformatics, or a closely related field, preferably with a strong foundation in numerical modelling and hydrogeological field investigation.
• Proven experience in hydrogeologic or reactive transport modelling (e.g., MODFLOW, FEFLOW, MT3D), water quality assessment, or field-based groundwater research.
• Strong programming/scripting and data analysis skills in Python, R, MATLAB, or a comparable language.
• Proven experience in end-to-end hydrogeological field investigations, from project planning and hypothesis-driven fieldwork design, to data collection, analysis, and conceptual model development.
• Proven scientific writing and presentation skills, with the ability to publish research results in high‑impact peer-reviewed academic journals.
• Proven experience or willingness to develop skills in stakeholder engagement.
• A team player mentality and demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary and multicultural research environment.

In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about language level C1. Dutch language skills would be an asset.

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.

As for your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract that can be extended - if possible within (company) organizational circumstances - on good performance, for the duration of the project (2,5 years in total). 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.

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.