Careers
Whenever there are any new positions available at the ICOS or related communities we will announce it on this page.
If you have information about related open vacancies, please email ICOS Communications at icos-comms (at) icos-ri.eu
Open positions in the ICOS field
PhD thesis position, Understanding the relation between photosynthesis and sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) of forests, French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE), Nancy, France (deadline 31st May 2026)
Photosynthesis is unfortunately not measurable directly on scales greater than a single plant. The lack of predictability of future photosynthesis is thus one of the largest uncertainties in climate projections (IPCC, 2021).
Chlorophyll fluorescence is an afterglow of photosynthesis and hence tightly linked to Gross Primary Productivity (GPP). Sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) has become the quasi-reference in studies of the carbon cycle and the response of GPP to environmental cues, on the simple basis that remotely-sensed SIF from satellites correlates well with GPP estimated on eddy covariance flux towers on a weekly to monthly scale. Several satellite missions that target SIF are to be launched in the near future such as ESA’s FLEX mission scheduled for 2026. Large-scale GPP can otherwise not be measured directly and not be determined from satellite observations. However, the correlation between GPP and SIF breaks down completely for daily and diurnal observations and the simplified concepts to describe SIF from forest canopies are not valid anymore on such short timescales.
Objective: The PhD project will use model-data fusion to understand mechanistically the observed signal of SIF above forest canopies and its link with GPP of the ecosystem. It will measure for the first time active and passive SIF within a forest canopy, making it possible to describe mechanistically other loss processes in the photosynthesis apparatus. The PhD will model photosynthesis and SIF mechanistically and with a radiative transfer within the canopy with different optical properties for photosynthetically active radiation and for SIF. By teaming up with the research project FLORES, which will codevelop the first drone-based SIF instrument for proximal remote sensing, the project will be able to upscale local above-canopy SIF observations to the whole ecosystem and link it with ecosystem GPP. This will make the fast variations of SIF available to study ecosystem photosynthesis and its responses to fast environmental changes such as heat waves.
Profile: We are seeking a motivated candidate that likes to combine biology with physics, i.e. combining biochemical modelling at the leaf level with physical modelling at the canopy scale. They should have strong computer skills, an aptitude for physics, and are keen to actively participate in measurement campaigns. There should be an interest in research related to climate change and an affinity to work with international partners.
Time and Place: The thesis will take place for three years at the UMR Silva on the campus of INRAE near Nancy (54280 Champenoux) from autumn 2026 onwards.
More detailed information on the PhD topic can be found here.
Deadline for applications is 31st May 2026.
Postdoc in Field Validation of Methane Mitigation Technologies, University of Copenhagen, Denmark (deadline 1st May 2026)
The postdoctoral researcher will play a central role in the quantitative validation of a full-scale methane mitigation system operating in a commercial dairy barn environment. The successful candidate will be responsible for designing and executing a comprehensive field measurement and analysis program to document system performance under real-world conditions.
Key responsibilities include:
- Field measurements and instrumentation
- Deployment, calibration, and operation of sensors for methane (CH₄), ammonia (NH₃), and related gases
- Integration of measurement systems with ventilation and process data streams
- Ensuring data quality (QA/QC) in long-term monitoring campaigns
- Performance evaluation
- Quantification of methane removal efficiency under varying environmental and operational conditions
- Analysis of system energy consumption and overall efficiency
- Statistical analysis of seasonal and operational variability
- Data analysis and modelling
- Processing large, time-resolved datasets from field campaigns
- Linking measured performance to system design and operating conditions
- Supporting validation of models developed in other work packages
- Sustainability and impact assessment
- Contribution to life cycle assessment (LCA) of the system
- Quantification of climate and environmental benefits
- Scientific dissemination
Lead authorship of peer-reviewed publications on:
- Methane removal performance
- System energy use and environmental impact
- Contribution to reports and stakeholder communication
The position involves close collaboration with engineers, modelers, and industry partners, and requires regular presence at the field site.
We are looking for a candidate with:
- PhD in atmospheric chemistry, environmental engineering, or related field
- Strong experience with field measurements and environmental monitoring
- Demonstrated ability to work with large, real-world datasets
- Experience with gas-phase measurements (e.g., CH₄, NH₃, VOCs) is highly desirable
- Competence in data analysis tools (e.g., Python, MATLAB, R)
- Experience with uncertainty analysis and validation of environmental data
- Track record of scientific publishing
Deadline for applications is 1st May 2026.
Team & Project Manager Data Engineering, VLIZ Marine Data Centre (VMDC), Ostend, Belgium (deadline 21st May 2026)
Where software engineering meets the deep blue. Become our new colleague and steer our Data Engineering team into the future of open science.
The VLIZ Marine Data Centre (VMDC) is an international hub for marine and coastal data, connecting scientists, policymakers, and innovators worldwide. It manages vast collections of high-quality datasets, tools, and services that support cutting-edge ocean research and sustainable marine management. By working at VMDC, you contribute to advancing open science and support tackling global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and ocean health. The VMDC is built on collaboration, innovation, and a passion for the sea, offering a stimulating environment for professionals who want to make an impact. Joining VMDC means becoming part of a dynamic, international team dedicated to unlocking knowledge for a sustainable future of our oceans.
We are currently looking for a Team Lead/Project Manager to head our Data Engineering (DE) team. This team drives innovation in marine data by building model data systems, formalizing and organizing data elements and relationships between the, and implementing these systems by creating software to work with data following defined models. Their expertise spans the application of software engineering best practices to data systems, develop tools to work with these systems, automate and optimize data management processes, and support data managers. The team is involved in several EU and global data efforts, networks and projects (e.g. E=MCM, George, ICOS, Tricuso).
Within these projects we design, prototype and demonstrate a single scalable system of systems coordinating unmanned autonomous toolboxes through intelligent platforms and decision-support. With this, we support both the planning and operations of our missions that deploy these "robotics" platforms. Additionally our expertise is employed in the development of digital support systems in the challenging domains like the capturing of human activity data from AIS and the processing of underwater acoustics.
OUR OFFER
- We offer you a challenging job in the dynamic environment of the InnovOcean Campus in Ostend.
- An open-ended position and a competitive remuneration package based on the candidate's qualifications and experience according to the salary scales set forth by the Flemish Government on 01-01-2009.
- Additional benefits: holiday allowance, end of year allowance, meal vouchers (€8 per day worked), bicycle allowance, free public transport between home and work, hospitalization insurance and the possibility of bike lease.
- A good work-life balance through a generous leave package and flexible working hours within a 38-hour working week.
- The possibility to work partly from home after an induction period.
- Opportunities for personal development (training).
YOUR TASKS
- You lead and support a team of 3-5 employees.
- You take the lead on the design and implementation of maintainable solutions to support the data management activities of VMDC and its projects.
- You collaborate with the other teams within VMDC, as well as the other departments in VLIZ, to define and prioritize data engineering needs.
- You lead the documentation of new and existing components within data flows.
- You troubleshoot and resolve issues with the operational systems of VMDC and VLIZ, using the resources within your team.
- You continuously aim to improve the efficiency and scalability of the data infrastructure at VLIZ.
- You collaborate with IT on the transitioning of systems from development to deployment and support.
- You manage the scope, planning, execution, and budget of several projects.
- You are involved in the writing process of project applications.
- You participate in (inter)national project meetings with external partners.
- You take responsibility for the expansion of data systems and VMDC in general.
- You take on the role of ambassador to the outside world through networking and promote the reputation of VLIZ as an (inter)national contact point for marine scientific data engineering.
- You study specific subject areas, follow up on trends and use that knowledge to develop new methods/products/projects, to ensure up-to-date information at VLIZ.
- You integrate in (international) networks and scout for new project opportunities.
Deadline for applications is 21st May 2026.
Data Manager in Data Engineering, VLIZ Marine Data Centre (VMDC), Ostend, Belgium (deadline 21st May 2026)
Become our new Data Manager and help the world decode the oceans for a sustainable future at the VLIZ Marine Data Centre.
The VLIZ Marine Data Centre (VMDC) is an international hub for marine and coastal data, connecting scientists, policymakers, and innovators worldwide. It manages vast collections of high-quality datasets, tools, and services that support cutting-edge ocean research and sustainable marine management. By working at VMDC, you contribute to advancing open science and support tackling global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and ocean health. The VMDC is built on collaboration, innovation, and a passion for the sea, offering a stimulating environment for professionals who want to make an impact. Joining VMDC means becoming part of a dynamic, international team dedicated to unlocking knowledge for a sustainable future of our oceans.
We are currently looking for a Data Manager to join our Data Engineering (DE) team. This team drives innovation in marine data by building model data systems, formalizing and organizing data elements and relationships between them, and implementing these systems by creating software to work with data following defined models. Their expertise spans the application of software engineering best practices to data systems, develop tools to work with these systems, automate and optimize data management processes, and support data managers. The team is involved in several EU and global data networks and projects (e.g. E=MCM, George, ICOS, Tricuso).
Within these projects we design, prototype and demonstrate a single scalable system of systems coordinating unmanned autonomous toolboxes through intelligent platforms and decision-support. With this, we support both the planning and operations of our missions that deploy these "robotics" platforms. Additionally our expertise is employed in the development of digital support systems in the challenging domains like the capturing of human activity data from AIS and the processing of underwater acoustics.
OUR OFFER
- We offer you a challenging job in the dynamic environment of the InnovOcean Campus in Ostend.
- A contract for 2 years, with the possibility of extension, and a competitive remuneration package based on the candidate's qualifications and experience according to the salary scales set forth by the Flemish Government on 01-01-2009.
- Additional benefits: holiday allowance, end of year allowance, meal vouchers (€8 per day worked), bicycle allowance, free public transport between home and work.
- A good work-life balance through a generous leave package and flexible working hours within a 38-hour working week.
- The possibility to work partly from home after an induction period.
- Opportunities for personal development (training).
YOUR TASKS
- Co-managing and co-creating data management workflows within the context of our projects, connecting new data to existing data systems.
- You will work on data coordination, quality control, and data submission mechanisms.
- You will work closely with those producing the data (scientists) and those developing data systems (developers).
- You take the lead on the design and implementation of maintainable solutions to support the data management activities of VMDC and its projects.
- You will be communicating with and supporting data providers (external and internal, including our robotics division), and partners in our projects.
- You will work on metadata harmonization, FAIR principles, and interactions with other international data services (e.g. EMODnet, (Eur)OBIS, GBIF, ODIS, SeaDataNet).
Deadline for applications is 21st May 2026.
Postdoctoral researcher for DIV4DROUGHT - Tree diversity effects on forest resilience to drought, French Centre for the Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity (CESAB), Montpellier, France (deadline 17th May 2026)
Widespread global reports of drought and heat-induced tree mortality have raised questions about the long-term persistence of forests and associated ecosystem services. Therefore, developing management strategies to safeguard forest functioning in a changing world is crucial. One such strategy involves increasing the biological diversity of forests (i.e., species richness, functional diversity, phylogenetic diversity or tree structural diversity) (Messier et al., 2022). Yet, the effect of tree species diversity on a forest’s ability to cope with drought remains elusive, with previous studies reporting positive, neutral, and negative effects (Decarsin et al., 2024; Grossiord, 2019; Pardos et al., 2021; Serrano‐León et al., 2025). A better understanding of the ecological and biological mechanisms at play is necessary to reconcile these divergent observations.
As part of the DIV4DROUGHT project, you will conduct a meta-analysis of existing evidence for tree diversity effects on forest drought resilience and its components, resistance, and recovery. To this aim, you will carry out a data synthesis, based on combined primary datasets from different international research networks, complemented with a systematic literature review. Beyond characterizing how tree physiological responses are influenced by tree diversity, the analyses will aim to elucidate the underlying mechanisms driving these responses, with the goal of identifying general patterns. You will explore these aspects by leveraging functional trait databases compiled by the consortium and working closely with process-based forest modelers.
This postdoctoral position will benefit from the exceptional context of the DIV4DROUGHT project, which brings together an international team of recognized experts in tree ecophysiology, forest community ecology, and climate–biosphere interactions, with strong expertise in field measurements, statistical analysis, and process-based modelling. The Div4drought consortium already gathered major primary datasets from international networks (TreeDivNet, FunDivEUROPE, GMAP, REFORM, among others) that have never been jointly analysed.
The postdoctoral researcher will interact closely with the DIV4DROUGHT consortium and actively participate in four in-person workshops held in Montpellier throughout the project.
You will be responsible for:
- Conducting a systematic, quantitative literature review
- Analysing the primary datasets collected by the Div4Drought consortium
- Engaging with the DIV4DROUGHT consortium and other collaborators to strengthen your mechanistic understanding of tree diversity effects on drought responses
- Leading the writing of scientific manuscripts
Deadline for applications is 17th May 2026.