Senior Soil Scientist at ISRIC - World Soil Information

Are you an enthusiastic researcher with a deep knowledge of soils, soil management and soil fertility? Are you passionate about applying your knowledge to developing soil information products that support decision-making in environmental modelling and sustainable soil management? Would you like to work in a stimulating, international environment? Then this position as Senior Soil Scientist at ISRIC-World Soil Information may well be the job for you.

With your thorough understanding of the soil, you will actively contribute to the further development of ISRIC’s flagship soil information product, the ‘WOSIS’ soil profile database and its links with ‘SoilGrids’, together with a team of technical specialists. You will also apply your expertise to the development of other products, tools and services that support decision-making in sustainable land management in various projects. Your affinity for working with (geospatial) soil data and knowledge about FAIR data principles and data standards will help ensure that products are of high quality and are widely used. Your effective interpersonal skills will be beneficial within the international environment and interdisciplinary nature of our projects. With your background you can also contribute to the training and education we provide in our World Soil Museum and engage with our international ‘Community of Practice of Soil Information Providers’. ISRIC is accredited as the ‘World Data Centre for Soils’ under the ISC World Data System, and you might very well be our next representative.

Do you want your work to have impact? This job offers possibilities to apply scientific knowledge in development-oriented projects together with an international team of colleagues.

The most important tasks in this role are to:

• lead the content and strategic development of WOSIS;
• coordinate the strategy for collection and standardization of soil data in different projects;
• actively contribute soil expertise to the development of soil data applications and support tools in international projects;
• contribute to ISRIC’s Community of Practice of Soil Information Providers;
• contribute to the acquisition of new projects.
• lead or contribute to the writing of publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals

You are an enthusiastic soil scientist and a team player. You have a good track-record in (applied) research projects and a background in working with soil data. You work conscientious and have an eye for detail.

You have:

• an academic degree (MSc or PhD) in soil science or environmental science with a strong focus on soil science;
• substantial prior working experience in soil science of at least 5 and preferably 10 years; experience with leading research projects is a plus
• a solid background in pedology with experience in soil description and classification and extensive knowledge about the role of soil in societal issues related to climate change, carbon cycle, soil fertility, soil health and sustainable land management.
• affinity with working with soil data, soil databases and data standards and experience with data standardisation;
• excellent command of English
• excellent English writing skills and the ability and interest to publish high-quality scientific papers;
• good communication and inter-personal skills and ability to work in an international team.

This position is at ISRIC – World Soil Information, an independent foundation. ISRIC has cooperation agreement with Wageningen University that stipulates that ISRIC staff are employed by Wageningen University. That is why the excellent employment conditions of Wageningen University apply. With us you will get a versatile job in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance, including working 1 or 2 days a week remotely;
• 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 December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between €4,537,- and €7,056,-,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 11-12). Additionally, a contract for 0.8 FTE can be discussed.
As for your contract, we initially offer a two-year contract that can be extended - if possible within (company) organizational circumstances - on good performance. Of course, we are happy to discuss this with you if you have any questions about this.

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. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing or schooling. In addition, for candidates coming with partners, we have a dual career program organized by our Welcome Center. 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.

ISRIC – World Soil Information is an independent science-based foundation (www.isric.org) with the mission to serve the international community with information about the world’s soil resources to help addressing major global issues. We are the International Council for Science (ICSU) accredited World Data Centre for Soils (WDC-Soils) since 1989 and maintains the World Soil Museum. In partnership, we operate in four priority areas: (i) standard setting for soil information; (ii) production and serving of spatial soil information products; (iii) education and capacity building; and (iv) development of derived products for specific user groups. ISRIC is an independent foundation located at the Wageningen Campus and has a strategic cooperation agreement with Wageningen University and Research (WUR).

Wageningen University & Research
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.

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves and do not appreciate unasked for services from recruitment agencies. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.

For more information about this position, please contact Bas Kempen, Manager Operations at ISRIC, email: bas.kempen@isric.org

For more information about the procedure, please contact Edgar Tijhuis, corporate recruiter, email: edgar.tijhuis@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.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including 5 May 2025.

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.