"Postdoctoral fellow – eDNA & Coral Reef Biodiversity"

Have you completed your PhD? Are you eager to enrich knowledge on biodiversity as a postdoc? Then Naturalis in Leiden is the place for you.

Pursuing a postdoc at Naturalis means working on research with a truly global impact — contributing directly to biodiversity. With state-of-the-art museum collections and lab facilities, many inspiring colleagues and access to our international network, Naturalis offers everything you need to strengthen your career as a scientist.

As a Postdoctoral fellow, you will have ample opportunities to showcase and share your research and results widely, through publications, presentations, or with partners in our international network. You will receive strong support, with access to our dedicated Research Coordination Office. You will build valuable professional connections by participating in both the academic and social activities of our PhD- and postdoc community. Furthermore, through our collaborations with diverse partners, you will strengthen your international profile.

This is what you'll be doing: Are you a motivated and collaborative postdoc ready to make a significant impact on marine biodiversity conservation? Join the exciting Marine Time Machine project at Naturalis Biodiversity Center for a 2-year position focused on the coral reef ecosystems of Indonesia. This project explores how coral reefs will respond to environmental changes related to sea surface temperatures and eutrophication. We aim to understand biodiversity shifts and their impact on ecosystem functioning. This position offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of molecular ecology, biodiversity informatics, and coral reef conservation—linking natural history collections, cutting-edge research, and real-world environmental challenges.

As a key member of the team, you will collaborate closely with Indonesian partners and engage with external collaborators, including taxonomists, marine managers, and conservationists. You will design and execute eDNA sampling strategies and perform library preparation for sequencing. The role requires extensive work with bioinformatics tools to analyze biodiversity datasets, leveraging the wealth of historical and contemporary collections housed at Naturalis, to track coral community changes. Working together with specialists as well as students, you will contribute to building and curating a DNA barcoding reference database for Indo-Pacific scleractinian corals and sponges. You will lead scientific manuscripts and present findings at international conferences, while collaboration with PhD candidates in the team will give possibilities to act as co-author on joint publications. Furthermore, you will have the chance to develop your leadership experience by helping coordinate selected project activities and providing support to a team of PhD candidates.

Here's what we have to offer: A gross monthly salary of €3,768.00 to €4,897.00 gross/month for a full-time contract (36 hours). This position is for 32 hours/week. End-of-year bonus of 3.4% of your gross annual salary and 8% holiday pay. Time off thanks to 27 days of leave per year with full-time employment. Plus 1 extra day that you can use for a holiday that is important to you. Commuting allowance depending on your means of transport. Pension scheme via PFZW, where Naturalis pays 60% of your premium. Plenty of development opportunities. We support your growth and give you unlimited access to the online training platform Goodhabitz. Fascinating knowledge events. These help you stay up to date on the latest developments in both your own field and outside it, such as our lectures and gatherings on various (scientific) topics. You can also attend – or take part in – the fascinating internal information session ‘Naturalis Draait Door’. Nice extras such as discounts on software and hardware for private use, collective health insurance plans, and a bicycle scheme. You’ll also enjoy discounts in our museum restaurant and unlimited free access to our award-winning museum for you and your family. Fun team outings. We also get together for drinks every month, organize an annual BBQ and a fantastic New Year's party. Not your scene? That's fine too, of course. All team activities are voluntary. A unique work environment in a state-of-the-art building where you will feel proud to work every single day – we guarantee it!

What you bring to the table: You are capable of conducting independent research, working in an organized manner, and structuring your approach effectively. At the same time, you know when to seek help when necessary. You enjoy collaborating with colleagues, supervisors, and external partners, and you actively maintain both your internal and external networks. You are skilled at identifying opportunities and engaging others with your ideas. Additionally, you can translate complex topics into compelling narratives, making them accessible even to those outside of the scientific community. In addition, you have: A PhD in marine biology, molecular ecology, bioinformatics, or a related field. Experience in eDNA library preparation and high-throughput sequencing workflows. Experience in molecular reference database development and curation. Strong analysis skills and bioinformatics expertise, particularly in metabarcoding pipelines and taxonomic assignments. Scientific publications. Familiarity with Indo-Pacific coral biodiversity and reef ecosystem dynamics. An interest in working across cultures and disciplines. Background in coordinating collaborative research activities or field logistics. Excellent English speaking and writing skills. Experience in mentoring students or early-career researchers, or willingness to develop these skills. Knowledge of coral identification or taxonomy of select scleractinian taxa is a plus and you are willing to develop your knowledge in this area. Certified scientific diver is a plus, or willingness to obtain certification. If you don’t quite have all requirements, but think that you would make a good member of our team, then convince us in your application. We’re open to different perspectives.