Postdoctoral Researcher for Wadden Sea ecosystem modelling (24 months)

The Department of Coastal Systems (COS) of the Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ) is looking for a highly motivated and proactive postdoctoral researcher to carry out simulations with a hydro-biogeochemical model.

THE DEPARTEMENT 
The Department of COS studies integral coastal ecosystems and their populations of fish, birds, and other marine animals in the North and Wadden Seas as well as on a global scale. The department focusses on key physical, chemical and biological processes that determine the productivity and the ecological functioning of coastal areas. The coastal system is studied as a unity by considering the interrelations between the key compartments of the ecosystem (water, sediment, microalgae, macrozoobenthos, parasites, fish, marine mammals and birds).

THE POSITION
The Postdoc will join a team that is creating a marine lower trophic level model for the Dutch Wadden Sea. The model used will be GETM-ERSEM-BFM, a 3D mechanistic model that includes hydrodynamics, nutrient cycling, phyto- and zoo-plankton, as well as a 3-layer benthic model that includes remineralisation processes and a benthic food web based on five functional groups.

The Post-doc will make use of an extensive multi-year data set of analysed benthos samples collected in the NIOZ SIBES and SUBES programmes. The postdoc will compare the simulated and observed distributions of benthic functional groups and, where necessary, identify and implement improvements in the model formulations. The goal is to use the model to improve understanding of the factors driving the spatial and temporal distributions of benthic species groups.

A pro-active involvement with other NIOZ researchers working on the Wadden Sea ecosystem is foreseen. You are expected to publish your research results in peer-reviewed scientific journals and participate in international conferences. You will be integrated within an active group of PhDs and Post-docs within the COS department. The position aims to start in the beginning of 2026 and will run for 24 months. 

THE CANDIDATE 

• You have a PhD in a related discipline and have about three years of postdoc experience.

• The ideal candidate has thorough scientific expertise in marine modelling, oceanography, and marine biogeochemistry including lower trophic level ecosystem dynamics and benthic biogeochemical processes

• You have comprehensive experience with coding (ideally in Fortran). Experience with parallelisation and Linux clusters is an advantage.

• You have a demonstrated ability to work with scripting software (e.g. Phyton, Matlab, R) for visualisation and analysis purposes

• A research interest in, and proficient knowledge of, marine food web dynamics, biogeochemical fluxes, nutrient and carbon storage and the biological carbon pump is highly appreciated

• You have a demonstrated ability to work accurately, are well-organized, and can adapt to developing insights

• You are highly self-motivated, and able to work both independently and as part of a team

• You have excellent written and oral communication skills (in English) and have first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals and have presented at scientific meetings and conferences

 
We want to be a transparent institute with a healthy working climate and an inclusive culture, where people from diverse backgrounds and gender bring their talents and further develop these talents. We aim for inclusive decision-making processes and expect our leadership to show visible commitment, awareness of bias, and cultural intelligence. 

CONDITIONS 

• Employment of this position for 40 hours a week at Royal NIOZ  NWO-I for a duration of two years. 

• Salary compliant with CAO-WVOI  (Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Research Institutes) scale 10 or 11 depending on relevant experience. 

• The freedom to fulfill your role and space and opportunities for your personal (talent) development with the help of the NIOZ Academy. 

• 338 annualized holiday hours for a full-time 40-hour work week. 

• Pension scheme via ABP, 8% holiday allowance and a year-end bonus of 8.33%. 

• 2nd class public transportation travel is reimbursed 100%. 

• Employment benefits plan to exchange a portion of your salary for days off or vice versa, or can be used to purchase a bicycle with tax benefits. 

• We offer relocation expenses for employees coming from abroad and support with finding accommodation. 

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about this vacancy, please contact Dr. Johan van der Molen. For additional information about the procedure, please send an e-mail to working@nioz.nl.

The deadline for applications is 14 November 2025. Interviews are planned for 1 December 2025.