Job description
FLEX (FLuorescence EXplorer) is a satellite mission of the European Space Agency, scheduled for launch in September 2026. It will provide global maps of vegetation fluorescence that reveal photosynthetic activity, plant health and stress. It is a scientific satellite mission aiming to improve the understanding of the global carbon cycle and eventually improve the efficiency of agriculture.
We are looking for a researcher who wants to work on the incoming mission data before and shortly after they become publicly available. You will focus on the data products for vegetation structure and photosynthesis. Your main task is to monitor automated quality control of the data products and perform additional tests in the days after the measurement. You report on quality issues and make suggestions for improvement. With a team at the University of Twente, you adapt existing quality control algorithms and develop additional validation methods. You participate in recurring online meetings with scientists and technicians at universities and companies involved in the mission. You also support teams who collect field data for validation by providing support in using algorithms and Jupyter notebooks. You contribute to joint publications in scientific literature.
Your profile
- A PhD in physics, environmental science or remote sensing, or a related field.
- Good programming skills (e.g., Python).
- Familiarity with satellite data or other large numeric data files.
- Knowledge of physics or biophysics.
- Knowledge of statistics.
- Excellent communication and writing skills in English.
Our offer
- An inspiring multidisciplinary, international and academic environment. The university offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues, where internationalisation is an important part of the strategic agenda.
- Full-time position for one year.
- Gross monthly salary between € 4,075.00 and € 5,538.00 per month, depending on experience and qualifications (UFO profile Researcher 4).
- A holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary and a year-end bonus of 8.3%
- Assistance in applying for the 30% ruling (a possible tax deduction for foreigners).
- Excellent support for research and facilities for professional and personal development.
- A solid pension scheme.
- A total of 41 holiday days per year in the case of full-time employment.
- Excellent working conditions, an exciting scientific environment, and a lively green campus.
- Free access to sports facilities on campus.
Information and application
For more information, you may contact Christiaan van der Tol (email: [email protected]). You are also invited to visit our homepage.
For questions about working and living in the Netherlands, please consult the official website of the Netherlands Government or the website of the Expat Centre East Netherlands.
Please submit your application before 10 August 2026, including:
- A motivation letter (maximum 2 pages of A4), emphasising your specific interest, qualifications and motivation to apply, including a short description of your PhD thesis (max 250 words)
- A Curriculum Vitae (including a list of all courses attended and grades obtained, and the names and contact information of at least two references (including your PhD supervisor)
- A copy of your MSc and PhD diplomas and transcripts. If you are in the final stage, a letter from your PhD supervisor stating that the PhD is near completion is also sufficient.
Screening is part of the selection process.
Interviews will be held between 24 and 28 August 2026.
About the department
Natural resources (LIFE) are crucial to maintaining the well-being of societies. Sustainable management of these natural resources balances the needs of people and the environment. It avoids the depletion, degradation, and destruction of ecosystems, prevents biodiversity loss and soil erosion, and mitigates the impacts of climate change.
Our research, education, and partnerships empower society to effectively use insights from geo-information and Earth observation technologies for sustainable management of the environment. The outcome is an increased understanding of the processes that affect the availability, stability, quality, and sustainability of natural resources, enabling their preservation, sustainable use, development, or restoration.
Our academic staff, PhD candidates, and MSc students focus on developing both the means and the metrics essential to monitoring trends, tracking changes, and enabling action to sustain biologically diverse environments and productive agricultural systems.
About the organisation
The Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) provides international postgraduate education, research and project services in the field of geo-information science and earth observation. Our mission is capacity development, where we apply, share and facilitate the effective use of geo-information and earth observation knowledge and tools for tackling global wicked problems. Our purpose is to enable our many partners around the world to track and trace the impact – and the shifting causes and frontiers – of today’s global challenges. Our vision is of a world in which researchers, educators, and students collaborate across disciplinary and geographic divides with governmental and non-governmental organisations, institutes, businesses, and local populations to surmount today’s complex global challenges and to contribute to sustainable, fair, and digital societies.
