What are you going to do? 

As our Aviation Climate Effects Researcher, you will play a crucial role in enhancing and growing our capabilities on using and developing climate models for analyses of aviation climate effects. Your primary responsibility will be to apply and develop climate models for computation of non-CO2 effects. This includes the analysis of uncertainty and sensitivity, and the development of climate change functions that allow climate effects to be taken into account in aviation emission scenarios and trajectory optimisation. Another task is to analyse the sensitivity of climate effects to alternative fuels and new propulsion technologies. Your work contributes to the development of mitigation strategies for climate impact reduction which includes proposing changes to current regulations and policies.

The team is currently working in multiple non-CO2 related European projects such as CICONIA, COMPANION and CLAIM. We would like you to contribute to future European research projects, including writing proposal for new opportunities. You will work closely with internal NLR teams, other research institutes, universities, governments and industry stakeholders ( airlines, airports, manufacturers) to combine NLR’s expertise and the input of different stakeholders, bringing your work closer to implementation. You are encouraged to share your own experience so we can learn from you.

Summary of your responsibilities:

Improve and enhance the capability of our in-house and open source climate models ( EMAC, CoDEC[1]) for analyses of aviation-induced climate effects (, contrails, NOX-induced ozone formation, water vapour, etc.);

Analyse uncertainty and sensitivity of aviation induced climate effects;

Derive from climate models cost functions for computational-efficient quantification of aviation’s climate effects;

Provide climate impact estimates for different national, European and global aviation scenarios;

Analyse the influence of new propulsion technologies, alternative fuels, mitigation strategies and regulations and policies on the climate impact of aviation.
 

What do you bring?

A PhD in Atmospheric Science, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Applied Physics, or another relevant subject. Alternatively, you have an MSc-degree in a relevant field and at least three years of relevant research experience in academia or at a research institute.

Proven experience in climate modelling development based on earth-system-models.

Proficiency in initiating and conducting interdisciplinary research projects.

Strong analytical skills with the ability to collect, interpret, and analyse complex data sets.

You have strong communication skills in English. And as you'll be working with Dutch-speaking partners too, you also speak Dutch, or are willing to learn the language.
 

What do we offer?

Working at NLR means being part of a national and international high-tech environment. Collaboration and engagement are highly valued here. By giving you freedom and responsibility, you are best equipped to achieve groundbreaking innovations. Additionally, we offer you plenty of opportunities to grow both professionally and personally, and you may even have the chance to be promoted. As a learning organization, we invest in your growth with an education budget, a mentor, internal coaches, and strong connections to vocational schools, universities, and colleges.

In addition, we offer you:

A generous 45 days of paid leave (with a full-time contract) so you can fully enjoy your leisure time

A fixed year-end bonus of 8%

A contribution towards your healthcare expenses

Extra paid parental leave

Depending on your role, flexible working hours and the option to work from home

The opportunity to challenge your colleagues to a game of table football, table tennis, pool, or air hockey in our living lab space
 

The Sustainability and Evironment Department:

Our department focuses on independent technical research and advice in the areas of noise, emissions, and sustainability of air traffic. Among other things, we develop methods and systems to reduce the environmental and climate impact of aviation. The knowledge acquired in international collaboration is directly applied to the daily operations of (inter)national airports and in policy matters for (inter)national governments.
 

The Sustainability team: 

The sustainability team is part of the Sustainability and Environment Department. Our team consists of 14 professionals of various ages and levels of seniority. Our work atmosphere is professional but informal. We are motivated by our research topics, we take initiative and always help each other when in need. Together we are dedicated to reducing the aviation’s environmental footprint and mitigating the environmental impacts associated with aviation operations. While CO2's climate impact is well understood, non-CO2 climate effects are highly uncertain which poses challenges to mitigate aviation's total climate impact effectively. To expand the capabilities of our team, we are seeking a talented and motivated Aviation Climate Effects Researcher to join us!
 

Working at NRL:

Royal NLR has been a knowledge organization for over 100 years, driven by the desire and ambition to innovate. From this drive, we make the aerospace world safer, more sustainable, efficient, and effective, and we stand for groundbreaking innovations. We have over 700[SEvd1] dedicated professionals at NLR, ranging from aeronautical engineers to psychologists and from mathematicians to application experts. NLR embraces inclusivity and diversity, ensuring that everyone feels welcome, safe, valued, and respected.

Want to know more? 

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