Postdoc in Long-Wavelength Radar for Forest Disturbance Monitoring

Are you motivated by the challenge of using next-generation radar data to advance forest disturbance monitoring and near-real-time alerting, while supporting efforts to combat deforestation and a better understanding of European forest dynamics? This postdoctoral position at Wageningen University offers the opportunity to contribute to both methodological innovation and operational monitoring.

The radar remote sensing team within the Laboratory of Geo-information Science and Remote Sensing is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to advance forest disturbance monitoring using long-wavelength radar data.

Radar remote sensing is highly valuable for forest monitoring because it is sensitive to structural change and enables systematic observation largely independent of daylight and cloud cover. At the same time, turning radar observations into reliable information on forest disturbance and regrowth remains challenging, as detection depends on wavelength, acquisition geometry, and environmental, seasonal, and atmospheric effects. These challenges are especially relevant with the new generation of long-wavelength missions, including NISAR and BIOMASS, and the upcoming ROSE-L mission.

The project focuses on developing and validating radar methods for forest disturbance monitoring and near-real-time alerting using long-wavelength data, with methods that are transferable across global forest ecosystems. It also applies these approaches to analyse European forest dynamics, including harvest, fire, wind damage, and bark beetle infestation. The work will pay particular attention to radar time series interpretation, large-scale implementation, and long-wavelength-specific effects such as ionospheric influences.

This position is embedded in a strong international and interdisciplinary research environment. The postdoctoral researcher will collaborate closely with international partners, including Prof. Cornelius Senf at TU Munich on European forest dynamics, and will be part of a well-established radar remote sensing network, including Dr. Maciej Soja at Wageningen Environmental Research. This provides an excellent setting for both fundamental and applied research, with opportunities to contribute to high-impact publications, collaborative projects, and operational monitoring products.

Your duties and responsibilities include: 

• Developing, implementing and validating long-wavelength radar methods for forest disturbance detection, with a focus on NISAR and preparation for ROSE-L;
• preprocessing multi-frequency radar data from C-, L-, and P-band sensors;
• studying forest disturbance regimes across Europe;
• supporting the operational RADD near-real-time alert system;
• leading project deliverables and ensuring the timely and high-quality execution of research tasks;
• contributing to collaborative research in an international consortium;
• publishing in leading peer-reviewed journals and communicating findings to scientific and stakeholder audiences.

Your team

You will join the radar remote sensing team within the Laboratory of Geo-information Science and Remote Sensing. The team studies human activities and the dynamics of forest ecosystems from regional to global scales using radar remote sensing. Its work focuses in particular on fundamental radar and multi-sensor methods, near-real-time change monitoring, and the integration of satellite observations with in-situ field data.

You will work here 

You will work as part of a research team within the Laboratory of Geo-Information Science and Remote Sensing (GRS), which is led by Dr. Johannes Reiche.

You are a highly motivated and independent researcher with strong methodological skills and expertise in radar remote sensing. You have a clear interest in multidisciplinary research at the interface of remote sensing and forest ecology and management. You combine scientific rigor with the ability to work collaboratively in an international research environment and to translate methodological advances into robust monitoring approaches.

You also possess: 

• a PhD in Remote Sensing, Data Science, or a related field;
• strong fundamentals in radar remote sensing;
• experience in processing and analyzing radar satellite data;
• experience with large Earth observation datasets and scalable data processing workflows;
• excellent programming skills, with strong proficiency in Python;
• experience with forest and/or land change dynamics;
• the ability to publish scientific research and communicate results effectively;
• experience working in interdisciplinary teams and with stakeholders;
• excellent written and spoken English skills (C1 level).

Preferred Qualifications: 

The following qualifications are considered an advantage:

• experience with deep learning methods relevant to Earth observation analysis;
• experience with European forest management and forest disturbance dynamics;
• experience with time-series analysis and near-real-time forest monitoring.

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;
• 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 of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between € 3.546,- and € 5.538,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10). As for your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract that can be extended - if possible within (company) organizational circumstances - on good performance, for the duration of the project (3 years in total). 

We encourage development and internal mobility within our organisation. Our recruitment and selection policy sets out the conditions that apply specifically to you as a (former) employee. If you have any questions, we are happy to help.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. 

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. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account, dual career programs 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.

For more information about the position, please contact Dr. Johannes Reiche: johannes.reiche@wur.nl

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Jessa Rozema, Corporate Recruiter, via jessa.rozema@wur.nl.

Ready to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

You can apply until Friday June 12, 2026. The interviews are scheduled for the first week of 22 June, 2026.

Procedure
As part of our selection process, an assessment may be incorporated within the procedure

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.

​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, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 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 the video below 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.

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