Postdoc position - Analyzing pesticide degradation across scales for sustainable food production Wageningen • Wageningen University & Research

Are you passionate about advancing soil health research across Europe? Dive into the complex world of pesticide degradation in soil, influenced by microbial activity, soil properties, and farm management practices. Join an interdisciplinary team to lead data analysis, conduct experiments, and write scientific publications. Benefit from sabbatical leave, study leave, parental leave, and access to campus sports facilities. Enjoy a vibrant international community and a competitive salary. Read on to learn why this position could be your next career move.

Your job

Are you fascinated to do research on soil health with samples from all over Europe? Do you want to better understand how pesticide degradation in soil is affected by microbial activity, soil properties, and farm management practices? Are you open to work in an interdisciplinary team and use various methods at different scales? Then we are looking for you!

The amount and type of pesticide residues in soil are important indicators of soil health. Pesticide degradation in soil is a complex process influenced by microbial activity, soil properties, and farm management practices. Understanding these interactions is important for predicting pesticide persistence, optimizing sustainable agricultural practices, and mitigating environmental risks.

In this postdoc you will advance the fundamental understanding of pesticide residues in soils through experimentation, modelling, and big data analysis. You will:

• Combine existing farm management, soil property and soil pesticide residue data at the European scale to disentangle impacts of different drivers on the amounts and types of pesticides found in soil.
• Expand an existing trait-based model to understand and quantify the role of the microbial community in pesticide degradation. 
• Validate the theoretical findings with degradation experiments in the soil-plant system.

Your duties and responsibilities include leading data analysis and writing of scientific publications and supervising master thesis students. This position is jointly funded by the Soil Geography and Landscape Group, Soil Biology Group, and  Soil Physics and Land Management Group. In addition, you will collaborate closely with the Joint Research Center (JRC) of the European Commission, including a 1 month research stay at the JRC in Ispra, Italy.

This position is for 2.5 years, the intended starting date is from 1st of September 2025 (or on agreement).

You will work here
You will be hosted at the Soil Geography and Landscape group. The mission of SGL group is to improve and share understanding of patterns and dynamics of soils, landscapes and earth surface dynamics and their drivers, like climate change and human-landscape interactions. The group uses integrative approaches that combine biophysical and anthropogenic elements to gain insight in past, present and future system dynamics. Through this, we aim to support system-based solutions in land management and spatial planning, sustainable management of soils, landscapes and ecosystems (e.g. sandy, riverine, deltaic and urban), and protection of cultural and geoheritage.Together with three other chair groups, the Soil Geography and Landscape Group forms the Wageningen Soil Cluster, which has an excellent international reputation in soil science.
Your qualities

We are looking for a motivated and collaborative researcher with strong analytical thinking skills and a desire to grow within an interdisciplinary team.

The ideal candidate would have:

• A PhD degree in soil science, environmental/agricultural sciences, biogeochemistry or a related discipline;
• Demonstrate proven affinity with the application of statistical methods for data analysis of large datasets in the domain of agronomy and environmental sciences using R language for statistical computing;
• Experience with process-based modeling or willingness to learn;
• Hands-on experience in conducting controlled experiments, especially in soil or microbial systems
• Demonstrate excellent level of English and strong academic writing skills;
• A systems-thinking mindset, with the ability to integrate insights from multiple domains and contribute to a cohesive research framework

You can see that there are plenty of challenges ahead of you. These challenges can also be seen as development opportunities. So if you do not yet meet all of the points outlined above, but are motivated to develop in these directions, we would also like to invite you to apply.
We offer you

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;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more,  per week;
• 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 December 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 € 3.378,- and € 5.331 for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10). Additionally, a contract for 0.8 FTE can be discussed.  Initially we will offer you a temporary contract for one year which can be extended for the duration of the project (2.5 years) if you perform well. 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.
Do you want more information?

For more information about this position, please contact Julian Helfenstein, assistant professor, via de button "Solliciteer nu" op deze pagina..

For more information about the procedure, please contact Noorien Abbas, Corporate Recruiter, by email: via de button "Solliciteer nu" op deze pagina.

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.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including 14th July 2025 . We hope to schedule the first job interviews on 22nd and 23rd July 2025.

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.

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.