Post doc: Soil Health awareness and sustainability education and learning Wageningen • Wageningen University & Research

We are seeking a passionate Post-Doc candidate to join a dynamic EU Horizon project focused on enhancing soil health literacy and sustainability education. Engage in innovative learning activities, bridging science and society, and contribute to a vibrant international network. Benefit from a supportive work-life balance, sabbatical and parental leave, and access to campus sports facilities. Join us in advancing soil health awareness and socio-ecological sustainability. Read on for more information about this exciting opportunity.

Your job

We are looking for an enthusiastic Post-Doc candidate (or a candidate at the very end of the PhD trajectory) that will work on soil heath literacy and awareness, and help advancing environmental and sustainability education and learning. The selected candidate will work within the context of the LOESS (Literacy boost through an operational educational ecosystem of societal actors on soil health) project, a large EU Horizon project involving a network of over 20 core European partners.

The candidate will contribute to the project’s aim of boosting soil health literacy and awareness in both academia and society, and advancing socio-ecological sustainability. Within this aim, the candidate will be responsible for reviewing the current state of knowledge in this field, as well as creating, designing, coordinating, facilitating, and evaluating creative learning activities and events to enhance soil health literacy and awareness among diverse audiences, including academic targets (e.g. scientists, students) and non-academic targets (e.g. children, policymakers, general public).

This large EU project is part of the EU mission ‘A soil deal for Europe’. It embraces a Community Engaged Research and Learning approach as practiced for example through Living Labs and Science Shops. It brings together science and society, it values creative methods unifying science and arts, and it includes and connects formal learning in schools and universities, with knowledge in society and place-based learning through for example environmental conservation groups, urban food initiatives associations, city greening initiatives and social movements.

The position entails cross-collaboration and participation into various activities within this large project. The selected candidate will work on site at Wageningen University, Education and Learning Science group (ELS).

 Your duties and responsibilities include:

• Review knowledge status of soil health and sustainability education and learning
• Write academically, and present findings and learning tools at (international) events and conferences
• Coordinate, design, facilitate and assess creative learning activities (e.g. unifying science-arts) about soil health for different educational targets (from children to higher education students to civil society)
• Translate scientific knowledge about soil health (in relation to nature, agriculture, climate, sustainability) into inspiring text, creative illustrations, digital content to engage academic (e.g. scientists, students) and non-academic audience (e.g. policy makers, citizens)
• Build a network and organize events in a highly diverse international environment to enhance soil health awareness
• Develop and facilitate soil health Communities of Practice (CoPs) at WUR
• Participate in and represent ELS/WUR in consortium activities of the LOESS project, and participate in relevant activities at ELS and WUR.

Your team
This candidate will work in close collaboration with Valentina Tassone (WUR LOESS project leader), with experts from WUR Education and Learning Sciences and the large EU LOESS project.
Your qualities

• PhD degree (already completed or almost completed in one of the following fields: educational and learning sciences or soil science.
• analytical skills, capacity to review literature and map state of knowledge on soil health and sustainability
• ability to identify synergies, bridge disciplines and cross boundaries (e.g. soil-climate-agriculture-sustainability; science-society; science-arts)
• academic writing
• communication skills, able to inspire and connect
• academic record (as shown by PhD related outputs)
• expertise applying creative learning methods, e.g. artistic methods
• familiarity with working in international environments and within networks
• collaboration, pro-activity, flexibility
• proven proficiency in English (oral and written)

In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about language level C1 .
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;
• 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 temporary 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.
Do you want more information?

For more information about the position, please contact Valentina Tassone, assistant professor, LOESS WUR project leader, via de button "Solliciteer nu" op deze pagina.

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Jouke van Oostenbrugge, Corporate Recruiter, via de button "Solliciteer nu" op deze pagina. 

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 13 October, 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.