Application Deadline: Applications are now closed
Possible start date: 1st of February 2024
Duration: 3+ years,
Job location: Doorwerth, the Netherlands
Bruto monthly salary: starting at €3.877 gross per month to €5.090 depending on professional experience (with possible bonuses)
Job type: research assistant
Fields: geocomputation, environmental sciences, Earth observation, data science, high performance computing
Employer: OpenGeoHub foundation
Job description
OpenGeoHub foundation is a not-for-profit research foundation with headquarters at the Agro Business Park, Wageningen, the Netherlands. We aim to become world experts in producing global and regional spatial predictions of soil, vegetation and climatic variables. For this, we use high performance computing / optimisation and state-of-the-art machine learning.
OpenGeoHub foundation is looking for a post-doctoral researcher in the field of applied geocomputation and geoinformatics (programming in Python, R, Bash, Julia and similar), specifically focused on using state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms and GIS software to help implement land degradation and land potential modeling frameworks, modeling Gross Primary Productivity, dynamics in canopy height and estimating gaps between potential and actual ecosystems.
You would work for OpenGeoHub on current and future European Commission-funded and global projects where there is a need to develop new solutions for geocomputing, optimize and automate modeling frameworks and deliver scientific outputs in a timely manner. You would primarily contribute to the Global Pasture Watch project (https://www.landcarbonlab.org/data) and the Horizon Europe project Open-Earth-Monitor (2022–2026); also actively contribute to the www.OpenLandMap.org and OpenDataScience.eu data portals. You will be part of a team producing significant regional and global datasets and data services.
You would also be encouraged to network with other researchers and groups world leaders in their fields. OpenGeoHub works closely with IIASA (Geo-wiki.org), Wageningen University (Laboratory of Geo-information Science and Remote Sensing), EURAC Research, ETH (Tom Crowther’s Lab), The Woodwell Climate Research Center, Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry (Biogeochemical Integration Department), Institute for Geoinformatics (ifgi) / University of Münster, GFZ Helmholtz German Research Centre for Geosciences, GiLAB.rs, and many other organizations. Our clients / collaborating organizations also include: The Nature Conservancy, UNCCD, World Resources Institute, Conservation International and others.
“Are you looking for an academic career in Data Science and Earth Observation to help monitor land degradation and map land potential?”
Your profile
Minimum requirements:
- You have a PhD degree in the field of environmental science and/or remote sensing and/or geoinformatics; combined with a background in GIS, geocomputation, and/or environmetrics.
- You are independent in running geocomputing in R and/or Python and/or Bash.
- You have experience with working with cloud-optimized data solutions such as Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFFs and Geoparquet files.
- You have experience / background knowledge of time-series data sets and their analysis and visualization.
- You have experience with processing global EO data sets e.g. Landsat ARD, Sentinel, MODIS and similar.
- You are competent at, and enjoy developing analytical solutions, producing value-added datasets, writing up and reporting research / results of experiments.
- You know how to document your code using computational notebooks and present and defend your results and conclusions.
- You have experience working with cloud-/web-based solutions for geocomputing e.g. Slurm, Google Earth Engine and/or Amazon AWS.
- You are fluent in English.
- Note: if you are a non-EU citizen older than 30 years, according to the Dutch Immigration rules from 2022, the Dutch immigration office (IND) might require that you show proof of a PhD degree obtained from the top 200 universities.
INFORMATION AND APPLICATION
Questions:
Questions regarding this position can be directed to Tom Hengl, email: tom.hengl@opengeohub.org
Applications, including: (1) a CV, (2) a statement of your interest and vision, and (3) self-assessment based on the minimum requirements, should be uploaded via this link (applications are closed). Please prepare all documents as a PDF before starting the application.
Our offer:
We offer a full-time position for 3 years, with possible extension, within a very stimulating international innovation and research environment aiming at solving global and regional environmental problems at large scales. You will work in a dynamic work environment with enthusiastic colleagues usually from a variety of countries.
- Starting salary will be: €3.877 gross per month with possible bonuses;
- Working on high-profile global and continental scale projects / networking with leading researchers in the field;
- A holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary;
- Minimum of 29 holidays if in full-time employment;
- Professional and personal development programs.
We strongly encourage a high degree of responsibility and independence, while collaborating with other colleagues. Flexi-hours and occasional remote working (1 day a week) are also possible upon agreement with the OpenGeoHub Management Board.
