Postdoc: Climate-Smart Urban Trees & Soil Biodiversity

Naturalis; Netherlands; On-site; EUR 42,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

End-of-year bonus 3.4% of gross salary

8% holiday pay

27 days leave per year + 1 extra day

Commuting allowance

PFZW pension (Naturalis pays 60%)

Training via Goodhabitz

Laptop and phone allowance

Museum access for you and family

Job summary

Naturalis in Leiden invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow to advance biodiversity research with a focus on climate-smart urban tree planting and soil biodiversity. You will join a vibrant international team, contribute to two national programmes, and develop open-source decision tools integrating species distribution models and soil data.

A strong research network and dedicated support will be available.

Qualifications

• PhD in ecology, biology, data science, statistics, environmental science, or CS.
• Strong quantitative and computational skills with experience in predictive modelling, ML, or statistical analysis.
• Experience with stakeholder engagement and co-design methods.
• Experience publishing research in scientific outlets.
• Excellent command of English; Dutch knowledge is required due to national orientation.

Responsibilities

• Develop guidance, frameworks, and open-source decision tools for climate-adapted soil-smart urban tree planting.
• Build professional connections through the PhD/postdoc community and collaborations.
• Receive support from the Research Coordination Office.
• Contribute to Thirsty Cities and Fertile Soils programmes integrating models and data.
• Create open-source tools to optimise tree placement and management.

Skills

Quantitative methods

Data analysis

Machine learning

Soil biodiversity

Tree-soil-microbiome interactions

Plant ecology

Education

PhD in ecology or related field

Job description

Naturalis in Leiden invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow to advance biodiversity research with a focus on climate-smart urban tree planting and soil biodiversity. You will join a vibrant international team, contribute to two national programmes, and develop open-source decision tools integrating species distribution models and soil data.

A strong research network and dedicated support will be available.