Vacatures Postdoc socio-environmental data integration

Are you motivated by the critical yet complex challenge of developing a spatiotemporal data integration framework to support human action-taking in complex land systems? If yes, this postdoc position at Wageningen University is just right for you!

The Geo-information Science team within the Laboratory of Geo-information Science and Remote Sensing is an interdisciplinary research group focused on integrated approaches to geospatial systems analysis. Our work applies a complex adaptive systems approach that explicitly emphasizes behavioural models of human action-taking and decision-making. Relying on geo-information science as the foundation of our research endeavours, we employ participatory methods and integrate qualitative and quantitative information to analyse the dynamic interactions within complex land systems. The resulting knowledge informs the development of conceptual and simulation models to help further our understanding of land use and land cover changes in space and time. Our research centres on integrating local perspectives with regional and global contexts to gain a deeper understanding of human-environment interactions.
Understanding and shaping land systems is a challenging undertaking. Land systems emerge from complex interactions among human behaviour, environmental processes, and socio-economic drivers, all of which vary across spatial and temporal dimensions. Bringing together diverse data, information, and knowledge—collected from survey data, narrative accounts, and participatory insights to sensor measurements and high-resolution geospatial data—is an essential prerequisite for studying these complex interactions. Varying disciplinary perspectives, data formats, and spatiotemporal resolutions create significant challenges for data integration.

While Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs) provide policies, standards, and technologies to host, manage, share, and regulate the use of geospatial data, they typically do not consider the integration of behavioural or human-centred data. These data necessitate stricter regulation for privacy protection, particularly when combined with location information or other sensitive data that could lead to the identification of individuals. They also pose challenges in contextualization, as human behaviour is often deeply influenced by cultural, social, and situational factors. Yet, behavioural and human-centred data are crucial to understanding complex land systems. Hence, we aim to expand the concept of SDIs to Socio-Environmental SDIs (or SE-SDIs).

We are seeking a postdoctoral researcher to develop an innovative SE-SDI that will serve as the foundation for addressing key challenges in complex land systems research. As a postdoctoral researcher, you will work on synthesizing multi-source, multi-modal data into a coherent data infrastructure and define the appropriate policies and standards for hosting, managing, and sharing the data typically used for analyses of complex adaptive land systems.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• Develop a robust methodological framework for integrating heterogeneous datasets -including qualitative and quantitative data - across spatial and temporal dimensions,

• define and specify metadata standards and policies for documenting and sharing data,

• collaborate with group members to align the data infrastructure with broader research goals,

• apply and evaluate the developed SE-SDI framework using real-world case studies.

You are a highly motivated and independent researcher with strong methodological skills and expertise in geographic information science. You should have a genuine interest in interdisciplinary research at the interface of social, environmental, data sciences, and policy research.

You also possess:

• A PhD in Geo-information Science, Environmental Science, Human Geography, or a closely related field,

• proven experience with spatiotemporal data integration and/or analysis of human–environment systems,

• knowledge of data governance and policies,

• demonstrated ability to publish scientific research and communicate results,

• experience working with interdisciplinary teams and stakeholder-engaged research,

• excellent written and spoken communication skills in English (Level C1)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proficiency in programming and data analysis tools (e.g., SQL, Python, R, GIS platforms),

• experience with integration of human subject data (e.g., questionnaires, interviews, eye-tracking, behavioural data).

Your team
You will collaborate with several GRS colleagues who have expertise in methods and tools for spatiotemporal analysis of complex land systems (including agent-based modeling), spatial data infrastructure systems and strategies, participatory serious gaming, and immersive technologies, as well as their applications in human-space interaction.

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 Prof. Sytze de Bruin (https://www.wur.nl/en/persons/sytze-de-bruin-1.htm).

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. Of course, we are happy to have a conversation with you if you have any questions about this.

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. 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 Prof. Dr. Sytze de Bruin: sytze.debruin@wur.nl

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Jouke van Oostenbrugge, Corporate Recruiter, via jouke.vanoostenbrugge@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 Januay 16th 2026. The first interviews are scheduled shortly after that.

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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