Job description
NIOZ is looking for a highly motivated estuarine ecologist (16 hours per week) to join the team of Principal Investigators (PI) in its department of Estuarine and Delta Systems (EDS, NIOZ-Yerseke). The estuarine ecologist will strengthen our research in estuaries and delta’s, most notably in the Zeeuwse Delta. This position is offered in close collaboration with our Wageningen Marine Research (WMR) colleagues in Yerseke, who offer a “Delta Onderzoeker” position for 24 hours per week (see WMR vacancy).
The department
The department of Estuarine and Delta Systems (EDS, NIOZ-Yerseke) studies how the interplay between organisms, hydrodynamics, sediment dynamics and biochemistry shapes the estuarine and delta environment in the context of natural and human-induced environmental changes. An important focus of our research is how these abiotic-biotic interactions create value for society, following for examples of the “Building with Nature” paradigm or investigating sustainable sources of marine biomass for food.
The vacancy
We have a job opening for an estuarine ecologist. The field of research is broadly defined as in line with the strong scientific ties that the EDS department has with the Zeeuwse Delta. The estuarine ecologist will contribute to our fundamental and frontier applied research focussed on finding and maintaining the balance between water safety (also in time of sea level rise) and preserving, restoring and utilizing the natural values of the highly dynamic deltaic environment. We offer flexibility for the selected candidate to shape her/his own research line within the multidisciplinary research approach of the EDS department.
Job requirements
We are looking for an excellent, highly motivated scientist with a PhD degree in (estuarine) ecology or equivalent and with experience in multidisciplinary research. You should have a keen interest in cutting-edge fundamental, process-oriented research in the estuarine environment, with an eye for the potential of translating this knowledge towards application. Your research will fit in the EDS research slogan “preserving, restoring and ultilizing our estuaries responsibly starts with understanding”. You will (co-)develop a rigorous research program in line with the current EDS research program, where collaboration with EDS and other -WMR- colleagues and potentially applied partners from society, is required. You will be working in an interdisciplinary context, together with other NIOZ researchers aiming to build a research program via the competitive acquisition of external funds from national and European funding agencies to support your research program. You should have proven excellence and scientific qualities, in line with the status of your career. You are keen to interact with PhD’s, undergraduate students and technicians. Experience in outreach of your research to local and regional communities and authorities is required. As you will have many interactions with local and regional stakeholders, good command of spoken and written Dutch is essential, as well as having very well-developed social skills.
Conditions of employment
Employment of this position at Royal NIOZ is by NWO (The Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research).
We offer a part-time tenure track position and after a successful review a permanent scientific staff position will be offered up to the level of senior scientist. Criteria for evaluation comprise a track record of publications, proven skills in acquiring funding and the creation of an international network. After a positive completion of the tenure track we offer the prospect of a tenured position. The startingsalary of this position is graded in scale 11, compliant to the CAO-OI (Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Research Institutes), furthermore we offer a pension scheme, a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, a year-end bonus of 8,3%, and flexible work arrangements.
You may expect attractive secondary employment conditions. We offer generous relocation expenses for employees coming from abroad and support with finding accommodation. The position will be located at Yerseke.
Application process
This vacancy was created in close cooperation with WMR and will be filled in conjunction with the WMR vacancy. Please apply for this combined position by sending your application to both vacancies.
Your application at NIOZ should contain:
• a cover letter describing your motivation for applying for this position with a concise research plan 1 – 2 pages for the next 1 – 6 years.
• a CV or resume
• contact information for three references
For more information about the position contact Prof. Dr. Klaas Timmermans (EDS Head of Department). For additional information about the procedure, please contact Mylene Lormans (HR advisor at NIOZ). Interviews will be planned on April 3rd 2023 and will be conducted at NIOZ in Yerseke.
