Postdoc: Developing green façades for building insolation

Job description
Are you a highly motivated and curious postdoctoral researcher with a strong interest in plant ecology, ecophysiology, and nature-based solutions for greener cities? Do you enjoy bridging fundamental ecological knowledge with practical applications? Then Wageningen University & Research offers an exciting opportunity for you.
BIO-SKIN (Bio-Inspired Outer Surfaces to Kool, Insulate and Nurture) is developing bio-based, waste-derived, and circular façade systems that integrate plant growth. The project goal is to help develop bio-based facade panels that keep buildings cool, insulate, support biodiversity, and contribute to more sustainable urban environments. We work in a team of people with backgrounds in design, materials, biomaterial chemistry, architecture, biology, engineering, sustainability, and the built environment.
In this position, you will investigate how plant-soil-insect interactions develop in ecosystems with shallow soils and translate these ecological insights into design principles for next-generation green façades. Your research will contribute to a better understanding of how ecological communities establish and function in constrained urban environments, while helping to develop façade systems that support biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
As a postdoctoral researcher, you will combine fundamental and applied research to develop innovative green façade concepts that enhance ecosystem complexity and deliver key ecosystem services, including thermal insulation, carbon sequestration, microclimate regulation, and habitat provision for insects and other arthropods. For this, you will make theoretical assessments of optimal flora/fauna combinations for providing shading and cooling, as well as to boost biodiversity. You will then coordinate the design and execution of façade-panel experiments in close collaboration with a PhD candidate, analyse ecological and physiological data, and contribute to scientific publications.
The project offers a unique opportunity to connect ecology, ecophysiology, urban greening, and green façade design.
We are looking for a candidate who enjoys working in interdisciplinary teams. You will bring expertise in plant ecology and ecophysiology to a collaborative group of researchers, designers, and material developers, and partners from companies that produce green façades, jointly creating innovative green façade solutions that contribute to sustainable construction and healthier urban environments.
Your activities include:
Investigating plant species performance, community assembly and plant-insect-soil interactions in shallow-substrate systems (drawing on insights from literature as well as field studies);
Analysing ecological and ecophysiological datasets;
Publishing results in peer-reviewed journals and presenting findings at scientific conferences;
Collaborating with academic and non-academic partners to translate scientific insights into practical applications.
Teaching in courses and supervise BSc and MSc students
You will work here
The research is embedded within the
Biosystematics Group
and the
Laboratory of Entomology
You will be supervised by
dr. ir. Casper Quist
and
Prof. Bregje Wertheim
. As a member in the BIO-SKIN team you will work one day a week together with the other BIO-SKIN PhDs and Post-docs at the
AMS institute in Amsterdam
. In addition, you will be embedded in the PE&RC graduate school (
Home | PE&RC
), which will allow you to follow a wide variety of training courses and provide support during your academic journey.

Requirements
For this project we are looking for an enthusiastic and skilled Post-doc with a strong interest in plant ecology and ecophysiology.
You also possess:
A PhD in plant ecology, urban ecosystems or a related field;
A strong interest in nature-based solutions for the build environment;
Experience in conducting systematic literature reviews and/or meta-analysis;
Excellent communication skills in English and experience with scientific writing;
A creative and proactive team player that would like to work in a multidisciplinary environment.
In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position
language level
C1 is required.

Conditions of employment
Fixed-term
contract
: 1 year.
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 € 3.706,- and € 5.760,- 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. We initially offer a one-year contract that can be extended - if possible within (company) organizational circumstances - on good performance, for the duration of the project.
We encourage development and internal mobility within our organisation. Our recruitment and selection policy sets out the conditions that apply specifically to you as a (former) employee. If you have any questions, we are happy to help.
You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment.

Employer
Wageningen University & Research
The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.
Read the
5 reasons
why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!
We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.