About this job

SRON’s mission is to bring about breakthroughs in international space research. Therefore, the institute develops pioneering technology and advanced space instruments, and uses them to pursue fundamental astrophysical, Earth science, and exoplanetary research. As national expertise institute SRON gives counsel to the Dutch government and coordinates national contributions to international space missions. SRON stimulates the implementation of space science in our society.

In October 2017 ESA’s Sentinel-5 Precursor mission was launched with the TROPOMI instrument as its single payload. TROPOMI is a collaboration between the Netherlands and ESA. SRON is the coPrincipal Investigator Institute and its responsibilities include the operational algorithms for methane. One of our new projects using the TROPOMI methane data exists in the framework of the Methane Science Studies of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Oil and Gas Initiative. These studies support the aim of the CCAC to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector worldwide in close cooperation with UNEP, and with industry participating in the coalition. The TROPOMI methane measurements provide unprecedented new methane data to detect and quantify emissions from the oil and gas sector worldwide as is already shown with a number of high profile scientific papers. This project will further expand on that work. The project will be executed in close collaboration with the TROPOMI methane team at SRON, and with scientists from the Environmental Defense Fund and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Employment of this full-time position as a Scientist C at SRON-Utrecht is by NWO-I (The Netherlands Foundation of Scientific Research Institutes) and will be for a period of 2 years with the possibility of an extension. The salary will be in accordance with the salary scales of NWO-I with a maximum of €4.452,- gross per month on a full-time basis (highly depending on education and relevant experience).

Responsibilities

The main task of the postdocs is to analyze local and regional methane enhancements in the TROPOMI data, as well as the further quantification and interpretation of the corresponding emissions. The focus will be on methane emissions from the oil & gas sector. The results will be published in scientific peer reviewed journals.

Profile

For this exciting project we are looking for ambitious, highly motivated and result driven scientists with a PhD degree in atmospheric sciences/(astro)physics or a similar degree, with experience in the interpretation of atmospheric (e.g. satellite, aircraft, …) data using transport models. Good computer programming skills are also expected. Experience with flux inversions is considered an asset. Good knowledge of the English language is essential and the candidate should be capable to work both independently and in a team.