(Senior) Scientist solute transport and behaviour in soils

Are you a soil scientist interested in both soil solute transport models and their use in national and international context? Are you interested in doing applied research in societally relevant topics such as the behaviour of pesticides in the environment and sustainable food production? Then we may be looking for you!

The Environmental Risk Assessment team (WUR ERA team ) at Wageningen University and Research is looking for a new colleague to strengthen our team, with a background in modelling of environmental fate and behaviour of chemicals in soil. You will contribute to the (further) development, application and testing of our (spatially distributed) soil leaching model (Geo)PEARL (pesticidemodels.eu ). Together with colleagues you will set out, reshape and implement strategic development lines. In addition, you will contribute to the research at the interface between exposure and ecotoxicological effects of chemicals in the agro-ecological environment. You will work in a multidisciplinary team including researchers working with environmental fate models, such as TOXSWA, ecological effect models, and their integration, as well as researchers working on environmental chemistry, aquatic eco(toxico)logy, environmental risk to bees, aquatic plants, and non-target arthropods.

The Environmental Risk Assessment team provides science-based solutions to problems regarding risk assessment for pesticides and other (emerging) chemicals in a bio-diverse agricultural environment. Our team of 27 highly qualified employees, advanced laboratories, and exceptional outdoor test facilities have positioned us as world-renowned centre of expertise in this domain. We work with a range of clients including government agencies, NGOs, and industries, to develop models and support their use by third parties in the NL and EU pesticide authorisation procedure. Additionally, we conduct experimental research (GLP-certified) to predict the behaviour of organic contaminants in water, soil and air, as well as to determine their effects on ecosystems and focal organisms such as bees. Furthermore, we offer consultancy and training on sustainable pesticide management in upcoming economies.

• PhD in environmental sciences, system analysis or soil chemistry, or similar fields,
• More than 8 years of experience in the field of fate and behaviour of chemicals in soils,
• Knowledge of processes controlling environmental fate of chemicals in soils, such as hydrological processes, the impact of macropores, transport, sorption, and degradation,
• Experience and affinity with development and/or application of numerical models, e.g. in Fortran, Python, C or R,
• Being able to collaborate across disciplines,
• Experience in acquiring research projects in the field of fate and behaviour of chemicals in soils,
• A conceptually strong, proactive, motivated, and committed team player who is able to set out strategic lines of scientific development as well as to develop strategic collaborations in and outside the organisation,
• Ability to work in a project-driven environment, balancing scientific quality and pre-defined budgets and deadlines,
• Good social and communicative skills & being a pleasant team player;
• Fluency in English, at least C1 level . Knowledge of the Dutch language or willingness to learn it is a prerequisite. Strong international candidates will be offered an intensive language course to help them achieve the required level of Dutch.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment . A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• 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 hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• 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 4%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. We offer, depending on your experience, a competitive gross salary of between €2949,- and €5479,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the 

 (scale 10-11). Initially the contract is for 1 year. Upon satisfactory performance, a fixed contract and growing into higher scales are possible. Additionally, a contract for 32 hours is also an option.

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 multi-faceted position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

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.

For more information about the content of this position, please contact Sara Ahrari, Team Leader, e-mail: [email protected]  

For any other questions on the procedure you can contact Noorien Abbas, Corporate Recruiter, e-mail: [email protected]

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.
Please upload the following documents online.
1) Letter of motivation
2) Your CV
3) Two names of referents plus contact details

This vacancy will be listed up to and including March 27th , 2023. We hope to schedule the first job interviews in the first week of April.

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 .

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 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.