Your job
Are you a talented and passionate researcher in Hydrology, Environmental Hydraulics or a related field? Do you have a strong desire to contribute to cutting-edge advancements in water management? Then we may have the perfect opportunity for you!
The Hydrology and Quantitative Water Management Group (HWM) at Wageningen University and Research is looking for two inspiring academics to complement our research and teaching:
- Assistant/Associate Professor (Tenure Track) in Hydrology
- Assistant/Associate Professor (Tenure Track) in Environmental Hydraulics
These two vacant positions are new, allowing academics with different backgrounds to apply and complement the current team. Examples of directions in which we would like reinforcement are catchment hydrology, precipitation, data science, hydrological extremes, vadose zone, salt-fresh water interfaces, nature-based/inclusive solutions, estuarine dynamics and sediment transport. For the position in environmental hydraulics, a link with delta landscapes is required.
These are Tenure Track positions, allowing you to grow to more senior functions. The promotion is based on an evaluation of research, teaching and project acquisition, but more subjective contributions (such as outreach and service to the university or scientific community) are also recognized and rewarded. Your time is divided between research (~30%), education (~30%), project acquisition (~30%) and services (~10%). The exact division can be determined together with the group, taking your preferences into account.
Specifically, you will:
- Perform research actively: write scientific publications, present at conferences and peer review
- Acquire research projects: build consortia to apply for funding from EU or Dutch government, or write proposals for personal grants
- Supervise PhD and postdoc researchers, as well as BSc and MSc students
- Teach, organise, and innovate courses in the BSc program “Soil, Water, Atmosphere”, the MSc program “Earth and Environment” and some other BSc and MSc programs within the domain of environmental sciences
- Reach out, for example through collaborations with water authorities and engineering firms
- Contribute to the group, university or scientific community
For your research and teaching you will have access to world-class experimental facilities and instruments, including our laboratory for water and sediment dynamics, a soil hydrophysics laboratory, field equipment (such as ADCP, DTS, ERT) and high-performance computers. To support you as a teacher, you will join the Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Program that is adopted by all universities in the Netherlands.
Your qualities
The ideal candidate has
- PhD in hydrology, environmental hydraulics or related field;
- Track record of peer-reviewed journal papers;
- Vision on current research opportunities ;
- Network of research partners in academia, government and industry;
- Skills to acquire research funding (preferably successful project or grant proposals);
- Experience with academic teaching and the ambition to develop and teach courses;
- Experience with supervising students or PhD researchers;
- Energetic and pro-active mindset (someone who is not afraid to take initiative);
- Ability to work both as a team player and independently;
- Oral and written communication skills in English;
- Background in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math);
To be considered for the role of an associate professor, a track record of funding acquisition and experience with project leadership are required.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable environment, and we particularly encourage applications from talented female candidates to help us achieve a better gender balance within our scientific staff.
We offer you
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;
- the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
- 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 December bonus of 8.3%;
- excellent pension scheme.
In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will be offered a fixed-term, 7 year contract which, upon positive evaluation based on criteria elaborated in the University’s Tenure Track policy, can lead to a permanent employment contract as professor. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between € 3.974 and € 6.702 for a full-time working week of 38 hours in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 11-13). The position has a size of 0.8-1.0 fte (30-38 hours per week).
Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.
You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 18th consecutive time.
Coming from abroad
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.
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 and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling. For instance under the “30% rule”, certain categories of international staff can receive tax exemption on approximately 30% of their gross salary.
Do you want more information?
For more information about this position, please contact Martine van der Ploeg, Chair and Professor (HWM), by e-mail: martine.vanderploeg@wur.nl
For more information about the procedure, please contact Noorien Abbas, Corporate Recruiter, by email:noorien.abbas@wur.nl
Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.
This vacancy will be listed up to and including 10th July 2023. We hope to schedule the first job interviews in the second half of August 2023.
Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. For more information please go to our inclusivity page. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment.
We are
Wageningen University & Research
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, 7,200 employees (6,400 fte) and 13,200 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 this video to get an idea of our green campus!
https://www.youtube.com/embed/ApLORCXXhm4?enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.wur.nl
About HWM
We are the Hydrology and Quantitative Water Management Group (HWM), a dynamic and committed team of 14 academics, 7 support staff, and around 40 PhD researchers and postdocs. Our focus is on hydrology and environmental hydraulics, which we combine to understand and quantify hydrological processes in catchments, aquifers, rivers and deltas. We develop novel sensing techniques, create models and perform field and lab experiments to advance process understanding. Furthermore, theoretical developments are tested in a fully equipped water and sediment dynamics laboratory, a soil hydrophysics laboratory, as well as in the field. This supports water managers in predicting the effects of changes in climate, land use or water management, designing nature-based solutions or forecasting hydrologic extremes.
Teaching and research at HWM are closely intertwined. Our teaching is rooted in earth and environmental sciences, with connections to engineering. We use active teaching methods such that students obtain a fundamental understanding and appreciation of the hydrologic system, its component processes and its interactions with atmosphere, soil and biosphere. Students develop analytical, field, laboratory and computer skills, which we practice in the classroom, hands-on tutorials, practicals and student projects.
We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.