Methods for handling, storing, analysing, and retrieving information from big data are becoming increasingly important for applications in natural resources such as agriculture, biodiversity and environmental monitoring, forest management, and food security. 

The activities of our department are expanding to address new opportunities in applying increasing volumes of remotely sensing imagery and ancillary GIS data layers for natural resource management at regional, continental, and global levels. We specialise in using large volumes of image data derived from remote sensing that characterise the physical properties of vegetation and the environment from individual leaves, to landscape/ecosystem, and even global levels. Exploiting and modelling these increasingly large volumes of data to inform end users fills important gaps in our understanding of vegetation condition, biodiversity and environmental monitoring, forest management and food security and contribute to new approaches for upscaling and exploiting these data. This position will complement and expand existing expertise in the NRS department.

You will develop research and teaching that focuses on handling, processing, and upscaling large volumes of spatial and temporal information at local to global levels requiring experience in the domain of natural resources. The position requires expertise in Artificial Intelligence approaches for mining and analysing as well as developing large database applications in the natural resources domain (e.g., forest and natural area ecosystem structure & ecosystem function, and deriving crop productivity parameters).

You will develop a research profile and network in this domain. You will conduct research in collaboration with staff and as a co-supervisor of PhD candidates. You will contribute to grant/project acquisition and to project deliverables related to the department’s research themes and geographic focus areas. You will contribute to ITC education programmes at MSc level including the development, coordination, teaching, and supervision of topics such as the theory and practice of big data, the theory of advanced computer processing algorithms, as well as developing applications for assessing large data for natural resource management.

You are excited to work in an international team with project activities around the world. The position will be a point of contact with ITC's Centre of Expertise in Big Geodata Science. ITC, and this position, are focused on collaboration to develop high-quality research outputs that demonstrate the societal impact of big data and open science.

You have:

• A doctoral degree related to handling and processing big data for natural resource applications.
• Recent and relevant publications in the topic areas of the job description.
• An aptitude for teaching and supervising in English at Master or Bachelor levels and supervising at PhD level.
• Excellence in working with platforms/languages (e.g., R, Python, Go, C++, Java).
• Experience and enthusiasm in supporting and undertaking international project work.
• An excellent command of English.
   

The following are an advantage but can also be developed over time.

• Experience with collaborative projects, like EU or ESA projects, and working in international environments.
• Experience in online/distance learning modes of education.
• Knowledge of and/or willingness to learn Dutch.
• A university teaching qualification.

We offer an inspiring and challenging international environment. You will be initially employed for four years. Prolongation of the contract after this period is possible.

• Gross monthly salary between € 3,746.- and € 5,127.- (depending on experience and qualifications, job profile Assistant Professor level 2).
• A holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.
• Excellent support for research and facilities for professional and personal development.
• A solid pension scheme.
• Minimum of 41 holiday days in case of fulltime employment.
• Possibilities to save up holidays for sabbatical leave.

The Department of Natural Resources aims to enable society to effectively develop and use geo-information and Earth observation knowledge and technologies for agricultural and environmental sustainability. These information sources and methods are used in novel ways to understand and characterise the processes that affect the availability, stability, quality, and sustainability of natural resources. The outputs contribute to better monitoring and managing of natural resources which in turn enables their sustainable use, development, and restoration under global change.