We are looking for an emerging scholar in the field of coastal resource governance with demonstrated field experience in coastal communities and their marine environment. Your research will contribute to social scientific debates around policy and management of coastal environments and how they contribute to resilient coastal communities and industries under conditions of environmental globalisation. You will be given support to develop theoretically informed and policy relevant research on the governance of coastal and marine environments. Thematically your research addresses environmental concerns related to the effects of globally embedded economic activities - e.g. tourism, energy production, food production, coastal infrastructure or urban development - on the vulnerability and adaptation of coastal regions.

You will develop, supervise, and carry out high-quality research in collaboration with your own international network, as well as with colleagues at the Environmental Policy Group and Wageningen University. You will also be pro-active in acquiring funding from a mix of government, EU and private sources and publish regularly in leading international academic journals. Over the medium term, you will be supported to develop an individual research grant application to either the Dutch Innovational Research Incentives Scheme or the European Research Council.

You will contribute to an exciting and strongly international and interdisciplinary teaching programme at Wageningen University. In the short term, you will be expected to adapt existing courses taught by the Environmental Policy Group in the Masters of Aquaculture and Marine Resources Management, Environmental Sciences, and Tourism, Society & Environment. Over the long term, opportunities will emerge to develop your own courses and contribute to the design and policy of MSc and BSc programmes at the University.

The successful candidate will proceed through the tenure track system at Wageningen University. You will therefore establish an internationally visible independent research line and identify where your research makes a societal impact. You will also motivate team members as a group leader and professor in your specific field.

You are also a strong team player. The Environmental Policy Group is divided into five thematic research areas. You will contribute primarily to the marine theme, but will also be expected to collaborate with colleagues and students in the other four themes focusing on food governance, urban transformations, climate futures and environmental mobilities. Above all, you are a personable, social colleague willing to balance your personal interests with those of the group.

We ask

• A PhD degree in sociology, human geography, political sciences or other social science disciplines with a demonstrated focus on the environment.
• An interest in innovating theory for making sense of governance arrangements linked to the resilience of coastal environments and resources.
• Experience with innovative qualitative or mixed research design and methodologies.
• A clear vision for future research challenges related to the sustainable exploitation of coastal environments and resources, and their embeddedness in globalisation processes, including but not limited to tourism, energy production, food production, coastal infrastructure or urban development.
• Excellent communication and social skills, a coaching leadership style and experience in acquiring and leading internationally oriented research projects.
• Passion for education and supervision of BSc to PhD level students.
• A strong interest in delivering high quality education at both BSc and MSc levels; Ability will be favourably considered. Support to achieve the university teaching qualification (UTQ or equivalent) will be provided.
• An emerging publishing record in peer reviewed international academic literature.
• Demonstrated interest or ability to work in an interdisciplinary research environment.
• Proven capacity to develop an international network in your specific field.
• A strong team player willing to contribute to the wider interests of the group.

This position requires an excellent English language proficiency (a mininum of CEFR C2 level). For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our special language page

We offer a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level for 38 hours per week, which leads to a permanent employment contract after a positive assessment by the tenure track committee. Training and coaching during the Tenure Track is aimed to ultimately lead to the position of Professor of Coastal Resource Governance. Career steps follow an assessment of performance at predefined times by a tenure track committee. See here more information on the Wageningen Tenure Track system.

A challenging position with, depending on your experience, a competitive salary from a minimum of € 3.637 to a maximum of € 4.978 for a full working week of 38 hours in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement Dutch Universities (scale 11).

In addition, we offer:

• 8% holiday allowance;
• a structural year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent training opportunities and secondary employment conditions;
• flexible working hours and holidays can possibly be determined in consultation so that an optimal balance between work and private life is possible;
• excellent pension plan through ABP;
• 232 vacation hours, the option to purchase extra and good supplementary leave schemes;
• a flexible working time: the possibility to work a maximum of 2 hours per week extra and thereby to build up extra leave;
• a choice model to put together part of your employment conditions yourself, such as a bicycle plan;
• a lively workplace where you can easily make contacts and where many activities take place on the Wageningen Campus. A place where education, research and business are represented;
• use the sports facilities on campus.

Wageningen University & Research stimulates internal career opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are ample opportunities for own initiative in a learning environment.
We offer a versatile job in an international environment with varied activities in a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

Wageningen University & Research

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is "To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life". Within Wageningen University & Research, nine specialised research institutes from the Wageningen Research Foundation and Wageningen University have joined forces to help answer the most important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With approximately 30 locations, 5,000 employees, and 10,000 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain worldwide. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of the unique approach of Wageningen.

For further information about working at Wageningen University & Research, take a look at thespecial career site.

The Environmental Policy Group in Department of Social Sciences at Wageningen University has an internationally recognised reputation in the area of environmental social science and policy research and education. Our 14 tenured and educational staff, 6 Postdocs and over 45 PhD students focus on the social and political science of environmental transformations. Our research is divided into five research innovation platforms: marine governance, sustainable food transformations, governing climate futures, sustainable urban infrastructures and governing environmental mobilities. Research of the group has a strong international orientation, being conducted at both the global level as well as in number of countries across Europe, Africa and Asia. The staff profile of the group is also international, with more than 12 nationalities employed. For further details see www.wageningenur.nl/enp

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.