Your job
Are you passionate about facilitating agricultural adaptation strategies and improve the livelihood of farmers living in the saline regions of the Bangladesh Delta? Do you want to pursue an interdisciplinary PhD research project about climate services to support salinity management and sustainable agriculture in Bangladesh? If so, an exciting job opportunity is waiting for you!
The Earth Systems and Global Change Group, Wageningen University, is looking for a motivated doctoral (PhD) candidate to join an interdisciplinary research project focused on “Adaptive delta management for climate resilient agriculture and food security in Bangladesh”. This PhD project will co-create and co-design climate information services for short-to-long-term adaptation strategies for smallholder farmers to tackle weather and salinity problems in Bangladesh via living lab approach.
As part of this project, you will be involved in the following key objectives:
- Needs assessment – Through living labs, you will identify gaps, needs, local and scientific local weather forecast knowledge required for small-scale, saline cropping systems in the study area.
- Co-design climate information services for salinity management in the DROPapp by integrating local and scientific knowledge. In this project, you will integrate the local forecasts based on observed local ecological indicators and scientific forecasts based on numerical weather prediction using Machine Learning approach (hybrid forecast). The app is also expected to be equipped with seasonal forecast for agricultural planning. You will co-design the short-, medium-, and long-term adaptation strategies based on both the salinity information and weather forecasts.
- Co-production of adaptation strategies – You will co-develop short- to long-term strategies with smallholder farmers to address weather variability and salinity intrusion. Building on challenges identified through living labs and in collaboration with local stakeholders, you will design adaptation strategies that respond to climate change impacts on agriculture and aquaculture. Using the DROPapp, you will support decisions on crop calendars, salt-tolerant varieties, water management, and early warning-based actions.
- Evaluate the benefit of adaptation strategies and climate information services – You will perform a comprehensive evaluation of the technical, socio-economic, and environmental benefits of adaptation strategies and climate information services implemented in the farmers’ communities compared with control communities. We expect that the updated climate services used by farmers will improve farmers’ livelihood.
Your duties and responsibilities in this role will include:
- Conducting research and analysis within the framework of the project
- Improving climate information services, DROP app, by incorporating hybrid forecast and agricultural advice based on seasonal forecast
- Contributing to designing adaptation strategies including Nature-Based Solutions to cope with climate change-induced salinity issues at the delta regions
- Publishing research results in peer-reviewed journals
- Contribute to teaching activities (total teaching activities, incl. student supervision represent up to 10% of total working time)
Your qualities
The candidate must have the following qualities:
- Excellent team-working, communication skills, writing skills, and the ability to work in a multicultural and international environment
- Strong analytical socio-technical skills, including statistical analyses
- Proven programming experience using Python, R, or others (We will not consider applications that do not showcase that)
- Having experience or showing willingness to learn machine learning models
- Having interest in stakeholder engagement
- Desired knowledge of Nature-based Solutions, especially in agriculture and developing country contexts
- Excellent scientific writing skills in English
- Experience with publishing a peer-reviewed academic journal is highly desired
- Good intercultural communication skills
- Willingness to travel to Bangladesh and collaborate with local stakeholders.
You must also possess:
- A relevant MSc degree in environmental sciences, physical geography, earth system science, climate studies, agricultural studies, or similar with a strong quantitative background
- The ability to work independently and as part of a team in a multidisciplinary research environment
For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognized Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.
You will work here
This research position is embedded within the Earth Systems and Global Change Group, led by Prof. dr. Nynke Hofstra. You will be co-supervised by dr. Samuel Sutanto, dr. Spyros Paparrizos, and dr. Loc Ho Huu who will provide guidance and support throughout the project.
In this project, you will collaborate with two local PhDs from Patuakhali Science and Technology University and Khulna University, Bangladesh, and ir. Catharien Terwisscha van Scheltinga and dr. Feroz Islam from Wageningen Environmental Research.
We offer you
Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:
- 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 receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.
The gross salary for the first year is € 2.901,- per month rising to € 3.707,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.
Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.
You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the “best university” in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.
Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.
Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.
Do you want more information?
For more information about this position, please contact Samuel Sutanto, by email: samuel.sutanto@wur.nl.
For more information about the procedure, please contact Jessa Rozema, corporate recruiter, by email: jessa.rozema-stol@wur.nl
Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval. Please do not send formal applications via email.
To apply, please send the following documents (max. 3 pages in total for both documents):
- A complete and up-to-date curriculum vitae
- A motivation letter.
The maximum length of the documents must not exceed 3 pages. If it exceeds, applications will not be considered. Additional files such as grades and transcripts are not required during this stage and will not be considered.
This vacancy will be listed up to and including 11 August 2025. The first job interviews are scheduled 1-2 weeks after the closing date.
Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using the link below:
Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.
Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone’s unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.
We are
The mission of Wageningen University & Research is ‘To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’.
We pursue this mission through a synergistic approach between Wageningen University and Wageningen Research Foundation (applied research). Our research focuses on questions within the domains of food, living environment, and society. With approximately 30 locations, 7,700 staff members, 2,500 PhD candidates, and over 13,000 students, Wageningen University & Research is among the world’s leading knowledge institutions in its domain. The integral approach to challenges and the collaboration across various disciplines form the core of the unique Wageningen approach.
