Postdoc in natural hazards adaptation scenarios to support regional planning - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Job description

The current emphasis on building resilient landscapes to safeguard society and minimize the consequences of floods and droughts has traditionally focused on either flood or drought. However, it is crucial to evaluate co-occurring natural hazards as interconnected events, as these have the potential to escalate moderate events into catastrophic disasters. Although measures to mitigate these hazards have been mostly tested and applied at local scales, effective implementation is likely more effective when done at a larger scale, such as regional. When adapted to local conditions such as climate and land use (e.g., urban and agriculture), Nature-based Solutions (NBS) have great potential for mitigating flood and drought hazards.

The appointee will design and evaluate adaptation scenarios suited to different landscapes in collaboration with local stakeholders at multiple sites in Europe. This work will be part of a larger project involving a team of international scientists. The appointee will work with a spatial planning support tool that, alongside questionnaires and workshops with local stakeholders, will showcase the feasible adaptation scenarios that the appointee will develop tailored to each study region. These scenarios can then be used to assist in local planning aimed at mitigating flood and drought hazards.

The candidate is expected to produce high-quality scientific papers suitable for publication in high-profile journals, present their work at national and international conferences, and contribute to external funding proposals.

What we offer

• A position at a leading technical university that generates knowledge and skills for a sustainable future
• Engaged and ambitious colleagues along with a creative, international and dynamic working environment
• Work in Stockholm, in close proximity to nature
• Help to relocate and be settled in Sweden and at KTH
• Professional development through involvement in multiple ongoing research projects and future grant applications, supervising MSc and PhD students, and collaboration with an extensive network of mentors
• A safe and inclusive work environment and research group
• The possibility to pursue creative research ideas and pathways towards achieving the overall goals

Read more about what it is like to work at KTH

Qualifications

Requirements

• A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree. This eligibility requirement must be met no later than the time the employment decision is made.

The applicant is required to demonstrate:

• a strong background in computational methods, including using hydrological modeling outcomes, GIS, scenario development, and working with web-based planning support tools.
• a publication track record that shows the ability to conduct and publish relevant hydroclimatic changes and NBS research
• excellent written and verbal communication skills in English since it is essential for the daily work;
• the ability to represent the research group internally and externally for instance at national and international conferences and workshops.

Preferred qualifications

• A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree, obtained within the last three years prior to the application deadline
• Experience working with large-scale multi-factor analysis, such as interconnections between hydrology, climate change, and socio-economic factors affecting regional outcomes and the potential of measures evaluated.
• Experience working with stakeholders and modeling different NBS measures.
• Skills related to teaching and experience in education

Great emphasis will be placed on personal competency such as co-operation skills, independence and awareness of diversity and equal opportunities issues with a particular focus on gender equality.

Trade union representatives

You will find contact information to trade union representatives at KTH's webbpage.

To apply for the position

Log into KTH's recruitment system in order to apply for this position. You are the main responsible to ensure that your application is complete according to the ad.

The application must include: 

1. Cover letter (1 page max): Brief account of why you want to conduct research, your academic interests and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals.
2. CV including relevant professional experience and knowledge (4 pages max).
3. Copy of diplomas and grades from your previous university studies. Translations into English or Swedish if the original documents have not been issued in any of these languages.
4. Of the highest importance for this position is to write a research proposal (min 4 pages) describing these research questions:

How can Nature-based Solutions mitigate the impacts of natural hazards, such as floods and droughts, in different landscapes? What are effective ways to implement Nature-based Solutions at larger scales to reduce the impacts of natural hazards? How can adaptation scenarios be designed and evaluated to reduce the impacts of natural hazards and assist in regional planning?

Your complete application must be received at KTH no later than the last day of application, midnight CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

About the employment

The position offered is for, at the most, two years.

A position as a postdoctoral fellow is a time-limited qualified appointment focusing mainly on research, intended as a first career step after a dissertation.

Others

Striving towards gender equality, diversity and equal conditions is both a question of quality for KTH and a given part of our values.

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process please read here.

The position may include security-sensitive activities. To become authorized, you therefore need to pass a possible security check.

We firmly decline all contact with staffing and recruitment agencies and job ad salespersons.

Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.