Scientific collaborator (SW1, fixed-term, 100%, m/f/x)
| Activity group | Recruitement categories |
Applications open until |
| I. Scientific research and experimental development |
SW1 | 27/05/2026 |
Job description
Purpose of the position
The Institute of Natural Sciences is recruiting a scientific collaborator (F/M/X) in the context of marine conservation and marine protected areas management. The new collaborator will be engaged in the ongoing Blue4All project (https://www.blue4all.eu/), BLUECONNECT project (https://blueconnect-project.eu/) and PHAROS project(https://pharosproject.eu/). All projects are funded through the European Union’s Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters.
Through the realization of the projects’ tasks, the researcher will develop their expertise in the domain or marine protected areas, marine conservation and restoration.
Outcome areas
The job is a desk-based position in RBINS’s offices in Brussels. On a daily basis, collaboration with colleagues and international partners of the different consortia is expected on tasks such as conceptualization of new approaches and methods to improve marine conservation and restoration, compiling scientific knowledge on various topics related to marine conservation, designing, leading and participating in workshops and working groups with researchers and MPA managers, testing social and ecological tools that may support marine conservation and restoration, and writing scientific reports and papers.
The focus of the new collaborator will be on
- The socio-ecological dimensions of marine protected areas (all projects),
- The definition of measures to achieve effective conservation and restoration of the marine environment (BLUECONNECT),
- Engagement with MPA practitioners across the Atlantic-Arctic regions (PHAROS),
- The review and testing of tools and methods to improve management and connectivity of marine protected areas (PHAROS),
- Supporting the development of the Blue4All MPA Solutions Hub to facilitate effective management of marine protected areas (Blue4All),
- The extension of the MPA Solutions Hub to large areas of the Atlantic, European Atlantic outermost islands and Arctic (PHAROS).
Employer
There is 1 position open in the
The activity group for the position is:
Department / Unit / Team: Operational Directorate Natural Environment (OD Nature), Marine Ecology and Management, https://mareco-odnature.naturalsciences.be/
Federal scientific institution recruiter: Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, https://www.naturalsciences.be/
Skills
Behavioural skills
- Excellent organizational skills for successful and timely execution of widely ranging tasks and deadlines.
- Creative and flexible mindset, able to adapt to new topics and tasks even if outside of their original area(s) of expertise.
- Very good communicator, both orally and in writing.
- Open, collaborative and inclusive attitude.
- Prepared to take initiative and work independently, but also to work in close collaboration with other consortia team members within and beyond RBINS.
Technical skills
- Good command of marine sciences, as well as knowledge of the condition of European seas in terms of their environmental and socio-economic status and value.
- Good command of multidisciplinary research related to all aspects of marine management (e.g. social, environmental, economic, regulatory, and technical)
- Knowledge of the structure of research and innovation projects funded by Horizon Europe
Assets
- Fluent in English (speaking and writing), as well as proficiency in other European languages.
Conditions for consideration
Degree must have been conferred by the closing date for applications
-
Master's in marine-related Sciences.
/!\ Applicants who have a degree or certificate from a foreign institution who apply for a scientific position for which the tasks are not related to the permanent missions of the institution are exempt from the need for an academic equivalence evaluation.
Do you wish to apply but your diploma is not written in French or Dutch?
We invite you to contact the person listed in the 'Contacts' section (selection procedure) to find out if you need to take a language test: Article 7 - Level 1/A.
If necessary, you can register by clicking on the link: www.travaillerpour.be/fr/tests-et-certificats/linguistique/inscription.
In this case, obtaining the language certificate is a prerequisite for selection. For this purpose, the selection committee is responsible for verifying the diploma. Therefore, please register for the language test as soon as possible.
Experience required
1–2 years of experience in multidisciplinary research in the field of marine environmental management.
Job offer
Contract and category
You will be hired under a
Minimum pay:
Benefits
We offer you an interesting job with a social impact, which comes with a number of benefits:
- A good work-life balance
o (if applicable) flexible working hours of 38 or 40 hours (with compensatory adjustment) per week
o (if applicable) option of taking compensatory leave for overtime worked
o (if applicable) offices closed between Christmas and New Year's Day
o (if applicable) possibility of working from home
o 26 days of paid leave (for a year of full time employment)
o easy commuting using public transport
- Numerous opportunities for self-growth
o numerous opportunities for training and apprenticeship (during working hours)
- Financial benefits
o possibility of receiving a bilingualism bonus
o hospitalisation insurance provided
o supplementary pension (occupational pension)
o free use of public transport for commuting between your home and the place of work
o meal vouchers
o (if applicable) work from home/office allowance
o possibility of receiving a bicycle allowance for travel via bicycle
o Benefits and offers via the Benefits@Work card
o a range of fringe benefits (subject to conditions)
Conditions for employment
If you are selected through this procedure, you must – in order to be hired – fulfil the following requirements on the date of selection:
- Enjoy full civil and political rights
- Have fulfilled military service requirements
- Behave in a manner fitting of the requirements of the position
- Hold the necessary degree(s)
- Have the necessary skills and fulfil the requirements listed in the job profile
Procedure
Step 1 – Verification of the participation conditions
You will be considered in the selection procedure if you fulfil all of the required conditions. Verification will be carried out by the selection board on the basis of the application documents you have submitted. The board will decide whether the qualifications, awards and experiences you have submitted meet the requirements of the position. If they do, you will be invited to continue to the next step of the procedure.
Depending on the number of applications received, the selection board reserves the right to limit the number of applicants eligible for the next step by selecting those applicants it deems most suitable for the position.
Step 2 – Interview
The interview will take place at
The selection board assesses whether the qualifications, awards and experience you included in your application documents meet the requirements for the position.
If you fail to attend
If you fail to attend the additional evaluation and/or interview, you will be automatically excluded from the remainder of the selection procedure unless you provide evidence, within three days, that your absence was justified for one of the following reasons:
· illness
· emergency relating to a member of your household (= anyone who lives with the applicant) or family (= spouse or legal cohabitant of the applicant, parents or grandparents of the applicant)
· mandatory presence at your workplace
· disruption or delay to public transport of at least 30 minutes
· force majeure
If applicable, you may request, within 10 days of the interview date, to be interviewed by the board. A new date will then be offered to you.
Notification
If you are not selected in a step, the procedure will end and you will not be invited to any subsequent evaluations in the same selection procedure.
For each step, you will receive a notification of the result.
Equal opportunities and reasonable accommodations
The Federal Administration has an active diversity policy.
Do you live with a disability, with learning difficulties or an illness? If so, you can request accommodations for the selection procedure. Please contact the individual listed under the “Contact persons” section.
Facilities provided for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding
Are you pregnant or breastfeeding your child? If so, you can request access to the relevant facilities. Please contact the individual listed under the “Contact persons” section.
Final result
What happens if you are selected?
Following the selection procedure, an unranked group of applicants will be placed on a short-list. These applicants will be those deemed most suitable to fill the open position in accordance with the conditions for consideration.
How long will this list remain valid?
The short-list of selected applicants will be valid for
Apply
Do you want to apply?
Send your application documents by email to
Your application documents must include:
· an updated CV
· a cover letter
· a copy (or copies) of the degree certificates with all associated annexes if any of these documents are not written in French, Dutch, German or English, a translation must also be provided
· any other document proving relevant experience, such as:
o academic activities carried out with attestations as supporting documents (attestations issued by employers, authorities that provided grants, etc.)
o a list of any scientific papers published
The closing date for sending your application is
Applications that do not follow the indicated procedure will not be considered.
Contact persons
Concerning the position:
For more information about the position, please contact:
VAN GERVEN, Annaïk (she/her) – Scientific collaborator – avangerven@naturalsciences.be
Concerning the selection procedure:
For more information about the selection procedure, please contact:
If you want to request a reasonable accommodation for the selection procedure or access to facilities for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, please also contact this person.