PhD Candidate in Ecosystem Response to Tundra Fires at the Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group

Your job

Are you enthusiastic about understanding climate feedback processes in tundra ecosystems? Are you enthusiastic to conduct field- and remote sensing-based monitoring for impactful science? We are looking for a pro-active, analytical and self-motivated PhD candidate to contribute to our understanding of fire impacts on vegetation and carbon emissions in a rapidly warming Arctic. You will work on satellite image analysis and field inventories of ecosystem responses to tundra fires in remote Arctic sites. You will work at the Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation group (PEN) and collaborate with researchers in the Meteorology & Air Quality Group and colleagues at various other institutes. Your project will be embedded in the EMBRACER consortium.

About EMBRACER
At EMBRACER we work at the very frontiers of knowledge on climate change, Earth’s climate system and climate feedbacks. Within its 10-year research programme, funded by NWO, EMBRACER brings together a wide range of world-leading climate experts with the aim to address existing uncertainties about climate feedbacks at the boundaries between oceans, land, ice, and atmosphere. Our interdisciplinary approach and state-of-the-art infrastructure will bring us forward in our understanding of the impact of climate feedbacks emerging over the next decades to centuries.

Your tasks will consist of:

• Analysis of satellite images and climate data to study occurrence of tundra fires and subsequent regreening across climatic gradients;
• Remote fieldwork in fire-affected and pristine tundra in the Sisimiut – Kangerlussuaq region, in an interdisciplinary team;
• Vegetation surveys, soil physical monitoring and carbon flux observations;
• State-of-the art analysis of spatio-temporal and ecological data;
• Collaboration with researchers and (BSc/MSc) students from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds;

This is a fixed-term position of 18 months (1.0 fte), which will be extended to 48 months if you perform well.

Your qualities

You are a team player, and you are highly motivated to do environmental fieldwork and remote sensing studies. You like to analyze complex spatial and temporal data sets and you are able and willing to critically reflect on research. You are happy to constructively interact and collaborate with an interdisciplinary team, including local and international collaborators. You look forward to publishing your findings in leading international academic journals and to communicating them to a wide audience. You enjoy co-supervising students who will be doing thesis research within the framework of the project.

You also possess:

• An MSc in earth science, ecology, remote sensing, environmental science or a related field;
• Hands-on experience with environmental field studies (e.g., soil sampling, vegetation inventories, species inventories, ecosystem function measurement);
• Basic skills in satellite image analysis;
• Affinity and experience with data analysis and visualization in R, Python or equivalent;
• Excellent English language skills, both written and spoken;
• Team-player skills;
• Excellent organizational and communicational skills;
• The ability to perform physically demanding and mentally challenging remote fieldwork;
• Hands-on experience with identification of tundra vegetation, carbon flux measurements and permafrost monitoring are all considered a plus;
• Experience with managing and analyzing large spatiotemporal raster datasets is also considered a plus;

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here. The preferred starting date of the position is the 1st of November.

You will work here
You will be embedded in the EMBRACER network of PhDs and researchers , and participate in cohort-building activities, consortium meetings and trainings. In your daily work, you will be part of the Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, a diverse, interdisciplinary team focused on preserving biodiversity and ecosystem functions, and understanding vegetation-climate-soil interactions. You will be co-supervised by the Meteorology & Air Quality Group at Wageningen and Institute for Environmental studies at the Free University of Amsterdam.

We offer you

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

• 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 receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.901,- per month rising to € 3.707,-  in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

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. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.

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.

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. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, 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.

Do you want more information?

For more information about this position, please contact Dr. Rúna Magnússon or Prof. Guido van der Werf by sending an email to runa.magnusson@wur.nl  / guido.vanderwerf@wur.nl

For more information about the procedure, please contact Jessa Rozema, Corporate recruiter, jessa.rozema-stol@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.

Interested candidates should submit the following:

• A cover letter outlining motivation and suitability for the project (max. 2 pages).
• A CV, including relevant research experiences. The CV should include contact details for two relevant references (max. 2 pages).

This vacancy will be listed up to and including Monday 1st of September 2025. We hope to schedule the job interviews mid-September.

Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using the link below:

https://forms.office.com/e/Btpwz7zFQ5  

Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.

We are

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is ‘To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’.

We pursue this mission through a synergistic approach between Wageningen University and Wageningen Research Foundation (applied research). Our research focuses on questions within the domains of food, living environment, and society. With approximately 30 locations, 7,700 staff members, 2,500 PhD candidates, and over 13,000 students, Wageningen University & Research is among the world’s leading knowledge institutions in its domain. The integral approach to challenges and the collaboration across various disciplines form the core of the unique Wageningen approach.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR.


We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.