Postdoc position on Antarctic Mixotrophic Microalgae

University of Amsterdam (UvA); Netherlands; On-site; EUR 41,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Housing assistance

ABP pension

Holiday allowance

Career training

Relocation help

Job summary

The University of Amsterdam invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher in the MACS project within IBED. You will study how environmental stressors affect Antarctic microalgae, combining lab experiments with fieldwork at Rothera station and collaborations with two other postdocs.

The position offers a 1-year temporary contract (38 hours per week) with possible extension, a starting date around 1 January 2027, and a competitive Dutch salary with 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end

Qualifications

• PhD in phytoplankton ecology or related field.
• Experience with culturing aquatic microorganisms and fieldwork in marine ecosystems.
• Experience with omics techniques and bioinformatic/computational analyses is a plus.
• Willingness to perform extended fieldwork at Rothera station, Antarctica.
• Strong English communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and perform laboratory experiments with cultured microalgae under multiple environmental factors.
• Participate in a research expedition to Rothera station to assess microalgal species composition and perform field experiments.
• Publish results in international scientific journals.
• Present results in department meetings and at conferences.
• Supervise BSc/MSc students who wish to do an internship.

Skills

Postdoctoral experience

Marine ecology

Laboratory experiments

Fieldwork capability

English communication

Education

PhD in phytoplankton ecology

Environmental microbiology

Biological oceanography

Tools

Bioinformatics

Omics analyses

Molecular techniques

Job description

Organisation/Company University of Amsterdam (UvA) Research Field Biological sciences » Biodiversity Biological sciences » Biology Environmental science » Ecology Environmental science » Global change Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Application Deadline 28 Sep 2026 - 21:59 (UTC) Country Netherlands Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Not Applicable Hours Per Week 38.0 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Are you fascinated by marine microbes? Are you interested in the dynamics of microalgal communities, and how they are affected by environmental change? Do you like to combine laboratory experiments with molecular methods and fieldwork in polar ecosystems? We have a vacancy for a postdoctoral researcher within the NWO-funded project ‘The key role of mixotrophy in Antarctic Carbon and Sulfur Cycles’ (MACS).
Join us!
The Antarctic seasonal sea-ice zone is rapidly changing, with consequences for the key primary producers: microalgae growing in sea-ice and water. While traditionally regarded as purely photoautotrophic, many of these microalgae likely also feed on other microbes or take up dissolved organic matter. Such a mixotrophic lifestyle might help them to survive the polar night and allow them an early start in the growing season, long before other algae receive sufficient light to pick up growth. Additionally, microalgae contribute to the production of the trace gas dimethylsulfide (DMS) that has an impact on climate via cloud formation. The MACS project aims to understand the role of mixotrophic protists in Antarctic C- and S-cycles. Such mechanistic understanding will help predict how changing ice cover will affect microalgal growth and DMS-production in the future, and whether feedbacks might be expected in a changing climate.
What are you going to do?
As a postdoc in the MACS project you will investigate how multiple environmental stressors affect the community composition, physiology, and gene expression of Antarctic microalgae, with a particular focus on their mixotrophic nutrition. You will resolve how mixotrophy contributes to carbon cycling during ice melt in spring and how this contribution depends on environmental conditions. You will perform laboratory experiments and fieldwork in collaboration with two other postdocs within the project.
Tasks and responsibilities:

• Design and perform laboratory experiments with cultured microalgae to assess their response to multiple environmental factors under controlled conditions;
• Participate in a research expedition to Rothera station, West Antarctic Peninsula, to assess microalgal species composition and perform field experiments to quantify their rates of feeding and photosynthesis;
• Publication of the results in international scientific journals;
• Presentation of the results in the department, at meetings of the Netherlands Polar Program, and at (international) scientific conferences;
• Supervision of BSc and/or MSc students who wish to do an internship on Antarctic microalgae.

Your profile
We are looking for an enthusiastic candidate, who enjoys a combination of laboratory experiments and field studies. You have a keen interest in marine microalgal ecology and are eager to perform research in Antarctica. You are a well-organized team player, but also able to work independently, and enjoy collaboration in an international team.

Your experience and profile:

• A PhD degree in phytoplankton ecology, environmental microbiology, biological oceanography or a related field;
• Experience with culturing aquatic microorganisms, physiological assays and fieldwork in marine ecosystems;
• Experience with omics-techniques and bioinformatic/computational analyses are a plus;
• Willingness and ability to perform extended fieldwork at Rothera station, Antarctica;
• Strong communication skills in English.

Our offer
We offer a temporary employment contract for preferably 38 hours per week for a period of 1 year, with the possibility to the extend the contract for another 15 months upon a positive evaluation of your performance. The preferred starting date is 1 January 2027. For this position the University Job Classification profile Researcher 4 applies.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between € 3,706 to € 5,760 (scale 10). In addition, you will receive an 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end allowance.

A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants.

The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.

Besides the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment at Science Park we offer you multiple fringe benefits:

• 232 holiday hours per year (based on fulltime) and extra holidays between Christmas and 1 January;
• multiple courses to follow from our Teaching and Learning Centre;
• a complete educational program for PhD students;
• multiple courses on topics such as leadership for academic staff;
• multiple courses on topics such as time management, handling stress and an online learning platform with 100+ different courses;
• 7 weeks birth leave (partner leave) with 100% salary;
• partly paid parental leave;
• the possibility to set up a workplace at home;
• a pension at ABP for which UvA pays two third part of the contribution;
• the possibility to follow courses to learn Dutch;
• help with registration at UvA- Housing for a studio or small apartment when you’re moving from abroad.

Are you curious to read more about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits, take a look here .
About us
The Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) is one of eight research institutes of the Faculty of Science at the University of Amsterdam . The research at IBED aims to unravel how ecosystems function in all their complexity, and how they change due to natural processes and human activities. At its core lies an integrated systems approach to study biodiversity, ecosystems and the environment. IBED adopts this systems approach to ecosystems, addressing abiotic (soil and water quality) and biotic factors (ecology and evolution of plants, animals, and microorganisms), and the interplay between those. The IBED vision includes research encompassing experimental and theoretical approaches at a wide variety of temporal and spatial scales, i.e. from molecules and microorganisms to patterns and processes occurring at the global scale. The University of Amsterdam has excellent high performance computing facilities. Furthermore, IBED has a dedicated computational support team with specialized knowledge of bioinformatics, (geo)database management and scientific programming. IBED also works with non-academic partners to deliver transdisciplinary science for society.

The position will be based in the Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology . The department of Freshwater & Marine Ecology aims to increase our understanding of the biodiversity and dynamics of freshwater and marine ecosystems from the level of molecules and genes to entire ecosystems.

Applications should include the following information (all files besides your cv should be submitted in one single pdf file):

• a detailed CV including the months (not just years) when referring to your education and work experience;
• a letter of motivation;
• a list of publications;
• the names and email addresses of two references who can provide letters of recommendation.

A knowledge security check can be part of the selection procedure. (for details: national knowledge security guidelines )

We will invite potential candidates for interviews soon after the closing date. The interviews will be held in the course of October 2026.

Do you have any questions, or do you require additional information? Please contact:

Susanne Wilken, Associate Professor, [e-mail] , T: [phone].