Postdoc position on Groundwater drought and adaptation (f/m/x)

Do you have experience with groundwater data analysis and modelling? Are you interested in studying groundwater drought and designing sustainable adaptation measures? And do you want to develop your project management skills? Please apply for this postdoc position at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU).

How do groundwater extremes develop and recover as a result of complex and interacting physical and anthropogenic processes under ongoing and future global change? What are the effects of drought adaptation measures related to groundwater? And what are potential unintended consequences on flood risk and other sectors? At VU Amsterdam we do research to find the answers to these questions.

We are now searching for a postdoctoral researcher with a groundwater data and modelling background to join our team. The postdoc will analyse groundwater level observations to assess the development, duration and recovery of groundwater drought, to quantify the role of climate, subsurface characteristics, vegetation, and water use, and to investigate effects of ongoing and future climate change and changes in water use and land management. They will also apply models to investigate how groundwater-related drought adaptation measures can influence the development and recovery of groundwater drought, to assess short-term and long-term (unintended) consequences of these drought adaptation measures on flood risk and other water users, and to investigate future adaptation pathways and their feasibility under different climatic and governance conditions.

This position is part of the GroundedExtremes and RESHAPE projects. GroundedExtremes is a 3-year European funded research project that aims to investigate groundwater processes in relation to hydrological extremes and the potential for improved groundwater management as a powerful adaptation strategy to both droughts and floods. In GroundedExtremes six postdoctoral researchers will study and compare groundwater dynamics, management and governance in four case studies: Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Sweden. RESHAPE is a 5-year NWO-funded interdisciplinary research program that aims to develop change-pathways to increase the resilience of Dutch sand landscapes in face of ongoing climate change. RESHAPE focuses on droughts, floods, biodiversity loss and deteriorating water quality and employs four PhD students and two postdoctoral researchers working on different aspects within this complex system.

We are looking for someone who is interested in inter- and transdisciplinary research and enjoys working together with the other early-career researchers in the two projects and with external partners and stakeholders. Additionally, we are searching for someone who is able to support the project management and organization of our (inter)national research projects and excited to develop project management skills. The postdoc will be based at the Water & Climate Risk group within the Institute for Environmental Science, and will collaborate with the Hydrology group at the Earth Sciences department and with KWR Water Research Institute.

Your duties

Groundwater data analysis to assess effects of climate change and land and water management on groundwater drought development and recovery
Developing a groundwater model to simulate drought adaptation measures that can be used in workshops with stakeholders
Write and contribute to scientific papers
Work with the team members and project partners
Support the project administration and management

Requirements

a PhD degree in hydrology, physical geography, earth or environmental science with a strong data analysis expertise
experience with (groundwater) data analysis
experience with modelling; ideally system-dynamics or agent-based modelling
strong programming skills (in R or Python)
experience in scientific publishing, exemplified by relevant and good quality peer-reviewed publications
good collaboration and communication skills to work in a larger multidisciplinary team and with international partners

Note: we are always looking for people who can enrich our institute with unique perspectives and experiences. We actively encourage you to apply if you are from an underrepresented group in academia. We welcome applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds (including gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, culture, ability, neurodiversity and minority identities), which we acknowledge enhances the quality of our research and education. Since women and other minoritized groups tend to refrain from applying when they do not tick all the boxes, we encourage you to apply even if you do not feel that you have all of the requirements listed above.

The postdoc will work with Anne Van Loon, Ype van der Velde and Marjolein van Huijgevoort. The postdoc will be based at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) and Earth Sciences department at VU Amsterdam and will be part of an active research group and a vibrant ECR community within the institute. The candidate will work in close collaboration with the GroundedExtremes and RESHAPE consortium partners, including Marijke Huysmans at VU Brussel.

Please find more information and how to apply on the VU website. The deadline is 10 January 2024. We strongly encourage applications from under-represented groups to increase the diversity of our team.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What documents are needed for the application? CV & motivation letter. We expect many application for this position, so please indicate clearly in your motivation letter why you are the best candidate for the position.
What is the expected starting date for the position? 1 April 2024.
Who is eligible for this position? The position is open to anyone around the world.
Do I need to have graduated from my PhD when applying? You will need to have your PhD submitted when you start the postdoc position, so if you are finishing your PhD in the coming months you are able to apply. If this is the case for you, please indicate clearly in your motivation letter when you are expecting to submit and graduate.
When are the job interviews? Job interviews are planned for end January 2024.
Will the postdoc be involved in teaching? Dependent on their expertise and interest, and the time available, the postdoc can be involved in teaching. This can be in the form of supervising BSc & MSc students, supporting computer / field practicals or giving lectures.