Researcher Operational Wildfire Management

The Centre for Civic Safety and Resilience (CCSR) at PXL University of Applied Sciences and Arts is a multidisciplinary research and innovation centre dedicated to strengthening the resilience of people, communities, and organisations in an increasingly complex and uncertain world.

Our work focuses on understanding how citizens, volunteers, emergency services, public authorities, and societal organisations can better prepare for, respond to, and recover from crises and disruptive events. We conduct applied research and develop innovative solutions in areas such as community resilience, crisis management, risk communication, citizen engagement, volunteerism, emergency preparedness, wildfire resilience, critical infrastructure protection, and societal security.
Working closely with local, regional, national, and European partners, the Centre translates scientific knowledge into practical tools, training programmes, policy recommendations, and technological innovations that create real-world impact. Through participation in European research and innovation projects, we contribute to building safer, more resilient, and better-prepared communities across Europe.
At CCSR, we believe that resilience starts with people. By combining research, education, and stakeholder engagement, we help empower individuals and communities to anticipate, adapt to, and thrive in the face of future challenges.

About Chair of crisis Governance (UA)

The mission of the Chair is to establish itself as a leading  center of expertise in crisis governance. By fostering  collaboration between theory and practice , we aim to create an inclusive community that comprises private and public practitioners alongside academic partners. By integrating practical expertise with the insights of our fellow scientists, we aspire to  pave the way for future research on crisis governance . Our commitment extends beyond research to encompass education and service provision, all driven by our overarching goal of enhancing societal resilience and safety. 
Job description PhD position in Operational decision-making during wildfire events

Wildfires have significant socio-economic and ecological impacts, posing risks to human lives, buildings, ecosystem services and biodiversity values. In Europe, areas with increased danger are being pushed north by climate change. Even though many industrialized countries have implemented fire management strategies, formal risk assessment systems are lacking in many regions, including Flanders. Pan-European initiatives are hampered by coarse spatial resolution, often underestimating local fire dynamics and overlooking the need for region-specific assessments. Without this locally contextualised accuracy, the reliable prediction of fire propagation and optimization of resource deployment remains severely constrained.

We will recruit six PhD students to meet FireRisk’s core objectives:

• the development of a locally calibrated fire spread model that accounts for land management and design scenarios ( PhD 1)
• the generation of near-real-time, high-resolution maps of fuel loads, fuel moisture, microclimate conditions, and fire weather indices for improved wildfire risk assessment and management ( PhD 2)
• understanding how land management and landscape design influence wildfire risk and post-fire ecosystem resilience ( PhD 3)
• the translation of scientific outputs into actionable frameworks for both operational decision-making (PhD 4) and long-term governance ( PhD 5)
• the enhancement of first responder training through high-fidelity 3D visualization ( PhD 6)

This position corresponds to the abovementioned ‘PhD 4’ and bridges the gap between academic research and emergency response by optimizing operational decision-making during active wildfire incidents in Flanders. Working central within WP5, you will step away from the traditional desk job to collaborate directly with fire zones, emergency planners, and crisis coordinators, analyzing existing workflows to translate frontline needs into practical digital tools. Your core responsibilities involve designing and validating data-driven models for real-time resource allocation and tactical risk assessment, which you will stress-test through interactive workshops, post-incident analyses, and scenario-based field simulations. Ultimately, you will develop user-friendly decision-support prototypes that integrate seamlessly into existing crisis management processes, turning complex data into actionable, life-saving tools for regional emergency services.

The position requires experience and/or feeling with the fields of emergency response, safety or crisis management. The PhD researcher will collaborate with the FireRisk-consortium (including the other PhD researchers) and international partners.
Profile What are additional assets?

• Experience with the fields of emergency response, public safety or crisis management is a plus.
• The same holds for familiarity with the operational workflows of fire districts, emergency planning, civil protection, police, defence, medical emergency services, or safety agencies, including an understanding of how operational decisions are made under pressure during incidents.
• You feel comfortable conducting research in multidisciplinary teams.

What are your strenghts?

• You are deeply motivated to conduct practice-oriented research with a direct, real-world societal impact, and you are fully committed to pursuing a doctoral degree.
• You are a pragmatic, solution-oriented thinker who can bridge the gap between academic researchers and frontline operational professionals. You are highly analytical and like to work with data but never lose sight of the practical context.
• In this context, experience with the fields of emergency response, public safety or crisis management is a plus. The same holds for familiarity with the operational workflows of fire districts, emergency planning, civil protection, police, defence, medical emergency services, or safety agencies, including an understanding of how operational decisions are made under pressure during incidents.
• You are independent, proactive, and curious, with an eager interest in deploying research to solve concrete, on-the-ground problems.
• You possess strong communication skills and can confidently engage with both academic audiences and emergency services personnel.

If so, you possess the “X-factor” and we would be delighted to invite you to apply.

What do we expect from you?

• You hold a master’s degree by the start of the position in a relevant field, such as Management Sciences, Safety Sciences, Criminology, Organizational Sciences, Military Sciences, Engineering or a related discipline.
• Preferably, you have gained initial experience collaborating with a variety of stakeholders in a professional environment.
• You have experience with (geo)data and decision-support systems.
• You meet the language requirements: you can report fluently in Englisch and have a C1 level of proficiency in Dutch.

Offer Where will you be based?
The successful candidate will be based at the Center for Civic Safety and Resilience (Hasselt) and the Chair of Crisis Governance (UAntwerp)

Appointment

The fixed-term contractual appointment will start on 1 October 2026 (depending on your availability) and will initially be for one year. Renewal is possible depending on the progress of the project. After the second full year, you may be appointed as a doctoral scholarship holder at the University of Antwerp.

Salarisschaal
The position is remunerated at master’s degree level (salary scale A21, equivalent 587).
For more information, please consult: Salarisschalen administratief en technisch personeel hogescholen (vlaanderen.be). he indexed gross monthly salary can be found in the “monthly salary” column. A gross-to-net salary calculation can be made via the provided link.

In addition to seniority acquired in the public sector, relevant professional experience in the private sector or as a self-employed professional may also be recognized, in accordance with the Flemish Higher Education Code. A maximum of 10 years of relevant professional seniority can be recognized for this position. If the automatically recognized professional experience exceeds this limit, the excess cannot be valorized. Relevant professional experience may be recognized subject to the submission of the required supporting documents and a full review of the candidate's dossier.

Additional Benefits

• An engaging and challenging position in an innovative and multidisciplinary environment, offering opportunities to take on responsibilities and further develop your talents.
• Extensive training and professional development opportunities, including through PXL-NeXT.
• Opportunities to gain international experience.
• Various networking opportunities with professionals from the field.
• 100% reimbursement of commuting expenses by public transport and a bicycle allowance.
• Access to digital tools and resources that facilitate your work and enhance productivity.
• Monthly connectivity allowance.
• Access to Cambio shared cars for business travel.
• Attractive conditions at our Gault&Millau-awarded catering facilities.
• Generous annual leave scheme.
• Hospitalization insurance at a favourable rate.
• Numerous additional employee benefits through Voir email sur tnl2.jometer.com.