Postdoc in Wetland Water Monitoring & Risk Assessment

About us

The University of Luxembourg is an international research university with a distinctly multilingual and interdisciplinary character.

The Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine (FSTM) at the University of Luxembourg contributes multidisciplinary expertise in the fields of Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, Computer Science, Life Sciences and Medicine. Through its dual mission of teaching and research, the FSTM seeks to generate and disseminate knowledge and train new generations of responsible citizens in order to better understand, explain and advance society and environment we live in.

The Department of Engineering (DoE) is interdisciplinary and active in the classical domains of civil, electrical, mechanical, and computational engineering. The focus of research is on the development of technological solutions, the sustainable and economical use of all kinds of resources, the offer of competences for the technological requirements of Luxembourg and the Greater Region industrial and public actors. Special emphasis is given to numerical simulation to reduce the required experimental effort, but the validation of the models on laboratory setup will remain an essential asset.

A two-year postdoctoral position in engineering is jointly available at the ProWater Research group (Dr. Silvia Venditti) and the Chair for 'Urban Water Management' (Prof. Dr. Joachim Hansen), Department of Engineering.

Your role

• Contributing to teaching - lectures for Master students and thesis supervision
• Assistance in PhD student supervision
• Writing of grant applications, project reports, and scientific papers
• Close collaboration and knowledge exchange with national and international collaborators

The successful candidate will be hired as follows:

• 80% in the frame of the RESET project funded by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) under the INTER/Water4All Project with Principal Investigator: Dr. Silvia Venditti, with Technical University of Madrid (Spain) acting as the Leading Partner; The RESET project aims to recover valuable resources-water, nutrients, and energy-from urban wastewater streams that are not yet part of circular reuse systems. Its key objectives are to develop concepts and evaluate technologies at laboratory and pilot scales for both decentralized and centralized water reuse and resource recovery, as well as to model water reuse networks to support the implementation of these solutions. A central component of the project is the operation of a constructed wetland pilot plant located at a public school, designed to treat light greywater from a swimming pool and enable its reuse for toilet flushing. Particular emphasis will be placed on system monitoring and risk assessment
• 20% in the frame of the TWIST project funded by Administration de gestion de l'eau with Principal Investigator: Prof. Joachim Hansen, with SIDEN - Syndicat des eaux résiduaires du Nord acting as the Leading Partner; The TWIST project aims to demonstrate the full-scale implementation of constructed wetlands with a dual function: providing quaternary treatment for micropollutant removal during dry weather conditions, and simultaneously treating combined sewer overflows during wet weather events

Your profile

• PhD in Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Biology, Environmental Chemistry, Civil Engineering or related disciplines
• Strong background in environmental water monitoring, ecological modelling, risk assessment and environmental toxicology
• Experience in real scale scenario implementation, water treatment and pilot operation
• Advanced competence in laboratory and analytical work is necessary
• A proven experience in collaborative projects
• Fluent written and verbal communication skills in English are mandatory, skills in French, German and/or Luxembourgish are an asset, but not necessary

We offer

• A modern, dynamic university with a personal and inclusive atmosphere. Multilingual and international character. Staff coming from more than 90 countries. Member of The Guild of European Research Intensive Universities
• An exceptional research environment, supported by skilled staff and high-quality equipment. Strong links to professional sectors and the Luxembourg labour market. A unique urban campus with excellent infrastructure
• A partner for society and industry. Cooperation with European institutions, innovative companies, the Financial Centre and a wide range of non-academic partners including ministries, local governments, associations, and NGOs

How to apply

Applications should include:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover letter detailing your motivation for applying to the advertised research topic and/or project, including how your background, interests, and career goals align with its objective
• PhD diploma or a letter/information indicating the expected defense date
• Transcript of all modules and results from university-level courses taken
• List of publications
• Names, contact information and current position of 1-2 referees who can, upon request, provide an assessment of the application. Please indicate their relationship to you

Early application is highly encouraged, as the applications will be processed upon reception. Please apply ONLINE formally through the HR system. Applications by Email will not be considered.

All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. In line with our values, the University of Luxembourg promotes an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and are dedicated to upholding equality and respect for our employees and students.

General information:

• Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract 24 Month
• Work Hours: Full Time 40.0 Hours per Week
• Location: Kirchberg Campus
• Internal Title: Postdoctoral researcher
• Job Reference: UOL08205

The yearly gross salary for every Postdoctoral Researcher at the UL is EUR 85176 (full time).