"Postdoc Position: Modelling Impacts of Agricultural Land Management Systems on Biodiversity"

Job Description

Are you interested in understanding the effects of different agricultural management practices on biodiversity? As a Postdoc, you will contribute to new knowledge and tools to refine how impacts on biodiversity are captured in life cycle assessment for agricultural products.

Organic and regenerative agricultural systems aim to reconcile agricultural production with the protection or restoration of biodiversity. However, the biodiversity benefits of these agricultural systems are not yet well understood. As a result, life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies fall short in differentiating the biodiversity footprints of agricultural products originating from conventional and more nature-inclusive agricultural management systems.

The aims of this two-year postdoctoral project are:

• To quantify and understand the effects of different agricultural management systems on biodiversity (such as impacts on species richness or species population sizes).
• To develop and apply corresponding LCA characterisation factors able to distinguish biodiversity footprints of agricultural products originating from different systems and practices.

As a postdoctoral researcher in this project, you will first establish a database with measurements of biodiversity in agricultural and corresponding natural reference sites, to be collected from primary literature. Next, you will develop quantitative relationships describing how biodiversity responds to different agricultural land management systems. Third, you will develop LCA characterisation factors by integrating the biodiversity response estimates with maps of agricultural management systems in species-area models for different ecoregions. This will result in a set of LCA characterisation factors that enable quantifying the biodiversity footprints of agricultural products originating from different management systems. Finally, you will apply the new factors in a use case and document the findings in at least one scientific paper.

This project is a collaboration between Radboud University’s Department of Environmental Science and Unilever’s Safety, Environmental & Regulatory Science (SERS) group. As a postdoctoral researcher, you will be based at Radboud University, with regular meetings and exchanges with the Unilever team.

Requirements

• You hold a PhD degree in ecology or environmental science.
• You have proven experience with quantitative analytical methods (meta-analysis, regression modelling, machine learning).
• You have a solid basis in at least one common high-level programming language (e.g. R, Python).
• You enjoy collaborative research in international, transdisciplinary teams.
• You have an excellent command of written and spoken English.
• Knowledge of life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) would be an asset but is not required.

Conditions of Employment

We will give you a temporary employment contract of 2 years. Your salary within salary scale 10 depends on your previous education and number of years of (relevant) work experience. The amounts in the scale are based on a 38-hour working week. You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus.

We offer Dual Career Coaching. The Dual Career Coaching assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands. You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20.

Additional employment conditions: Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

Employer

Radboud Universiteit, Faculty of Science. The Faculty of Science (FNWI), part of Radboud University, engages in groundbreaking research and excellent education. In doing so, we push the boundaries of scientific knowledge and pass that knowledge on to the next generation.

We seek solutions to major societal challenges, such as cybercrime and climate change and work on major scientific challenges, such as those in the quantum world. At the same time, we prepare our students for careers both within and outside the scientific field.

Currently, more than 1,300 colleagues contribute to research and education, some as researchers and lecturers, others as technical and administrative support officers. The faculty has a strong international character with staff from more than 70 countries. Together, we work in an informal, accessible and welcoming environment, with attention and space for personal and professional development for all.

Department: You will be based at the Department of Environmental Science of the Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES). The mission of our department is to produce scientific knowledge to support sustainable transitions. To achieve this, we aim to understand, project and address the impact of anthropogenic pressures on ecosystems and humans from the landscape to the global scale. This enables us to explore and develop wide-ranging sustainable solutions for the environmental challenges the world faces today. We are a diverse group that fosters a pleasant, collaborative and lively atmosphere.

You will collaborate closely with scientists from Unilever’s Safety, Environmental & Regulatory Science (SERS) group. SERS is part of Unilever’s global R&D function, with a dedicated team of scientists including many that are internationally recognised as leaders in their fields, with expertise in chemistry, cell biology, microbiology, toxicology, process safety, exposure science, computational and mathematical modelling, informatics and data science, and regulatory and environmental and sustainability sciences. The environmental sustainability science team has supported Unilever in its ambition to be a global leader in sustainable business. Unilever has been using LCA approaches for many years to assess the environmental impact of its products. The environmental sustainability science team looks to apply current scientific knowledge and impact assessment expertise while also continuing to develop new science and approaches.

Additional Information

You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Koen Kuipers. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application. We look forward to receiving your application.

The first interviews will take place on Wednesday 17 December. You will preferably start your employment on 1 March 2026.