We are looking for a marine ecologist with a general interest in biodiversity, ecosystems and how they are affected by human activities in the context of a social-ecological system. You are driven by curiosity about the interactions that take place in marine ecosystems and intend to contribute to the protection and sustainable use of the sea and marine wildlife. Supported by your ability to look at the bigger picture you will be operating on the science-policy interface. In this role you will connect different sources of information to get meaningful answers. You also naturally connect with others and you recognise the contribution of each team member to the project result.

Your duties and responsibilities as a marine ecologist include:

• working on projects with cumulative effects on marine ecosystems. In the future this could be expanded to other projects as well;
• contribution to a wide variety of data analyses and model-based research projects;
• reporting and presenting research results to clients, attending conferences, and publishing scientific literature.

Team
Within Wageningen Marine Research (WMR) you will become part of a small team surrounded by motivated and driven colleagues with which you will collaborate regularly. Part of your job will be to ensure projects are effectively conducted from start to finish.You will work in a challenging and varied environment with the opportunity to contribute to essential research regarding preservation, protection and sustainability of our seas and marine wildlife. The culture within WMR is professional and engaging with many opportunities for personal development.

Wageningen Marine Research
WMR is a leading, independent research institute with locations in IJmuiden, Den
Helder and Yerseke that focuses on strategic and applied marine ecological research.
Products and services are executed on a project basis (more than 400 research projects annually) and vary from field research to experiments on a realistic scale, exploratory studies on lab scale, data management and modelling. The institute has modern research facilities and is ISO 9001 certified. Wageningen Marine Research is an organisational part of Wageningen University and Research.

The research in our institute focuses on understanding spatiotemporal dynamics of individuals, populations ecosystems and socio-ecological systems. This includes incorporating changing environmental conditions, climate and human activities in marine and freshwater systems. We work on a variety of species ranging from corals, to fish, marine mammals and birds in both benthic and pelagic areas. We also explore human behaviour, i.e. fishers. For this we use (experimental) field and lab data, mathematical models and computer simulations.

You are results-oriented, constructively critical yet realistic and able to deliver results under time pressure. In addition, you are a team player and have good communication skills, enabling you to achieve the right cooperation with colleagues and stakeholders. We are also open to talented candidates that can develop into the role of experienced researcher.

You also possess:

• a completed education at least at university level in a field relevant to this position and preferably a PhD in a relevant field;
• at least 2 years and ideally 5 to 10 years of work experience as an ecologist, including previous experience and expertise in ecological assessments, for instance Environmental Impact Assessments, Passende Beoordelingen or related scientific research;
• affinity with and preferably expertise in biodiversity policy and laws, such as Natura 2000, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and Water Strategy Framework;
• experience or education in quantitative spatial analysis (R, GIS). You do not need to be an expert yourself, but you need to be able to understand how these analysis work so you can interact with experts in our team.
• open to travel for meetings and appointments in the Netherlands and abroad and the ability to begin in September 2024.

In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about language level C1. If you do not yet have this level, we will of course help you and you can go to our language center Wageningen in'to Language

You can see that there are plenty of challenges ahead of you. These challenges can also be seen as development opportunities. So if you do not yet have the track-record required in the vacancy, but do have solid work experience, we would also like to invite you to apply.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional compensation hours by working more;
• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8,3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. We offer a selected candidate that is able and willing to take all responsibilities associated with this position as experienced researcher (Hay profile WR researcher 3), a gross salary of between € 3.693,- and € 5.737,- (scale 11), depending on your experience, for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research. A selected talented candidate that does not yet have the ability to handle all of these responsibilities will be offered a position as researcher (Hay profile WR researcher 4, scale 10), with an salary between € 2.932,- and € 5.035,- based on a full-time 36-hour workweek scale 10).
You will initially receive a one-year contract, which can be extended if there is mutual enthusiasm.

Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a multi-faceted position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family. Therefore, we expect that when you join WUR from abroad, you will actually live in the Netherlands.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

Wageningen University & Research

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.