Postdoc in Societal Implications of Compound Weather Events

Do you want to bridge science and society to address the growing challenges of climate change? Do you thrive in an interdisciplinary team and enjoy co-creating solutions with stakeholders? Join us in the WELCOME project to investigate the societal impacts of compound weather events and design interactive tools to enhance public and decision-makers’ preparedness!

Your job
Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of compound weather events, where multiple extremes (e.g., droughts, floods, heatwaves) occur simultaneously or in succession, leading to cascading impacts across sectors like water, energy, and land systems. The WELCOME (Water-Energy-Land impacts of COMpound weather Events) project integrates insights and approaches from multiple disciplines to identify compound weather events, assess their impacts and explore actionable adaptation strategies and preparedness measures, using The Netherlands as a case study.

Working closely with a postdoc in climate risk assessment, your role in the project is to translate knowledge on compound weather events into actionable insights for society. To do this, you focus on stakeholder engagement, communication, and adaptation strategies. Using insights from key stakeholders, a serious game will be developed and applied to assess public and decision-makers’ preparedness for compound weather events.

As a postdoctoral researcher, you will:

1. identify key stakeholders and conduct interviews and participatory workshops with policymakers, businesses (e.g., energy operators, agencies, government), and communities to understand perceptions of compound events and adaptation needs;
2. collaborate with a team of game design experts and educators to create an interactive analog game that simulates decision-making under compound-event scenarios. The game can be used in stakeholder workshops, MSc courses (e.g., Water Science and Management), and public exhibitions;
3. use mixed-method approaches (e.g., surveys, gameplay data) to evaluate how stakeholders understand and respond to compound-event risks, informing policy and communication strategies.

Your work will directly contribute to the project’s Theory of Change by enhancing societal resilience through co-created knowledge and innovative outreach.

• A postdoc position for one year;
• a working week of 32-40 hours and a gross monthly salary between €3,378 and €5,331 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale 10 under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University has a number of schemes and facilities of its own for employees. This includes schemes facilitating professional development, leave schemes and schemes for sports and cultural activities, as well as discounts on software and other IT products. We also offer access to additional employee benefits through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage our employees to continue to invest in their growth. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.

The WELCOME project is part of Utrecht University’s strategic theme Pathways to Sustainability, fostering interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary solutions to global challenges. You will join a diverse consortium of natural and social scientists, educators, and stakeholders committed to equitable climate adaptation. The WELCOME team is supported by a large and active network of experts in, amongst other things, drought, serious gaming, sea level rise, land use and biodiversity, climate change adaptation, and migration.

For more information, please contact Dr Anna Duden at a.s.duden@uu.nl, Dr Despoina Georgiou at d.georgiou@uu.nl, or Dr Gerbrand Koren at g.b.koren@uu.nl.

Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.

As Utrecht University, we want to be a home for everyone. We value staff with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and identities, including cultural, religious or ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. We strive to create a safe and inclusive environment in which everyone can flourish and contribute.

To apply, please send your curriculum vitae, including a letter of motivation, via the ‘apply now’ button.