PhD Position: Impact of Offshore Windfarm on Marine Foodwebs (Naturalis Biodiversity Center)

Job title

PhD Position: Impact of Offshore Windfarm on Marine Foodwebs.

Company

Naturalis Biodiversity Center.

Description of the job

Naturalis Biodiversity Center offers a PhD position within the No Regrets project, which aims to deliver science-based knowledge and tools that enable a sustainable transition to offshore energy. As a PhD candidate, you will focus on reconstructing the North Sea foodweb with an emphasis on molecular tools such as DNA metabarcoding.

Offshore wind energy is expanding rapidly in the North Sea. This expansion offers climate solutions but also results in unprecedented ecological challenges. There is a large gap in knowledge on the effects of offshore windfarms on the North Sea foodweb dynamics. Potential ecological consequences include changes in water currents which impact nutrient dynamics, turbidity, light levels, intensity and timing of primary production and larval transport, all of which will be reflected in foodweb dynamics.

Pursuing a PhD at Naturalis in Leiden means working on research with a truly global impact, contributing directly to biodiversity. With 3,200 m² of state-of-the-art lab facilities, housed in a museum with more than 40 million natural history objects, dedicated mentorship, and access to a broad international network, this position offers everything you need to thrive as a scientist. If successful, you will obtain your PhD degree from the University of Amsterdam.

You will be part of the Marine Biodiversity team, focusing on community ecology of mostly benthic marine ecosystems. Within your research group, you will work closely with Willem Renema, Elsa Girard and Jan Macher. This is a collaborative project with Reindert Nijland at the Marine Animal Ecology group at Wageningen University, where you are expected to spend some time as well. You will also be part of a PhD community of around 50 PhD candidates and postdocs.

Contract details:

• A one-year fixed-term contract, intended to be extended by three years after successful evaluation.
• Full-time position (36 hours per week).

What We Offer:

• End-of-year bonus of 3.4% of gross annual salary and 8% holiday pay.
• 27 days of leave per year with full-time employment, plus 1 extra day.
• Commuting allowance depending on means of transport.
• Pension scheme via PFZW, where Naturalis pays 60% of the premium.
• Development opportunities including unlimited access to the online training platform Goodhabitz.
• Discounts on software, hardware, collective health insurance plans, bicycle scheme, museum restaurant discounts and unlimited free access to the museum for you and your family.

Requirements

Essential Criteria:

• A completed Master's degree in a relevant field, such as marine biology.
• A strong interest in environmental impact of human activities in the marine environment.
• Experience working with molecular techniques.
• Strong proficiency in English.

Personal Competencies:

• Capable of working independently while also proactively seeking collaboration with supervisors, fellow researchers, or external partners.
• Systematic and accurate approach, driven by strong perseverance.
• Confident in asking critical questions and identifying opportunities, effectively engaging others with ideas.
• Eager to disseminate research findings through public lectures or publications, and able to translate complex topics into engaging and accessible narratives for both the scientific community and the general public.

Location

Leiden, The Netherlands.

Salary

€3,463 gross per month (full-time, 36 hours per week).

How to apply

Upload your CV and motivation letter, including the contact details of two referees, in one PDF via the application button on the Naturalis website no later than March 10th. For more information about the position, contact Willem Renema via email at willem.renema@naturalis.nl.

For information about the application procedure, contact the HR department at sollicitaties@naturalis.nl.

Deadline

10/03/2026.

Disclaimer

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