Are you a Behavioural Economist with a clear vision and up-to-date knowledge of the climate and/or nitrogen file? Do you want to contribute to an economically and socially future-proof climate and nitrogen policy relevant to the Netherlands and abroad? If so, we have several interesting positions for you at Wageningen Economic Research.

We are facing many challenges: climate change, depletion of natural resources, pollution of our living environment and declining biodiversity. At the same time, we see trends such as urbanisation, an increasingly critical attitude towards the way in which we produce our food and an increasing demand for protein-rich food due to growing prosperity and a global population. This raises the question of how we can produce enough healthy and safe food in a sustainable and fair way. We are constantly working on answering such questions.

Wageningen Economic Research focuses on a national and international market of governments, NGOs and businesses with research results and advice, paying attention to the 3P's of sustainable development (People, Planet and Profit). The value of our work is that the impact is directly visible in, for example, government policy and management decisions.
We find the dissemination of our research results very important, for example through client presentations, workshops, (interactive) reports and scientific publications. In addition, we communicate actively about our research and participate in the social debate.

This vacancy concerns the Innovation, Risk and Information management expertise group, one of the seven Expertise Groups within Wageningen Economic Research. The expertise group focuses on incentives for behavior change and innovation adoption, responsible research and innovation, risk management and information governance.

As a researcher, you will work in alternating interdisciplinary project teams on research projects in the field of climate and nitrogen issues. You will conduct economic studies (monitoring projects, scenario studies, ex-ante evaluations) and policy research (policy analyses, evaluations, foresights). You will work on research projects that cross sector boundaries, where the interaction between different sectors and stakeholders is key. You will present the research results in a clear manner and, based on that, provide independent advice to our clients.
Depending on your experience, you acquire and lead projects and actively maintain your network in the climate and/or nitrogen dossier. You are a sparring partner for our clients and able to translate their knowledge questions into clear socio-economic research and project proposals.

There are currently several vacancies in the field of climate and nitrogen policy; within Wageningen Economic Research we have, in addition to this position, the following vacancies:

• Business economist
• Agricultural economist
• Environmental economist with climate expertise
• Environmental economist

You will find an overview of (among others) these vacancies at Wageningen Economic Research.

• MSc in economics with a solid knowledge of behavioural change;
• affinity with nitrogen and climate issues;
• experience with policy making and knowledge of the legal and financial aspects of policy instruments;
• knowledge of incentives for behavioural change and the effectiveness of policy instruments;
• experience with qualitative and quantitative (behavioural) research methods is a must;
• sharp developed analytical skills;
• experience with project-based work in an applied research environment is a plus;
• a committed personality who enjoys working in a team, has a customer and result-oriented attitude, has good presentation skills and the ability to perform under pressure;
• excellent communication skills in Dutch and English, both oral and written.

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 holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• sabbatical leave, study leave, and 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 3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. We offer, depending on your experience, a competitive gross salary of between €2.790,- and €5.183,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 10-11). Additionally, a contract for 0.8 FTE can be discussed.

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. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief, known as the 30% ruling. Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
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 helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling, and other issues.

Wageningen University & Research

Wageningen University & Research
The mission of Wageningen University and 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, 6.500 employees and 12.500 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen's unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.

These are the points our employees list as good reasons to come work at WUR: read the 5 reasons to come work at WUR

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