We are looking for
A young professional in horticulture, agronomy, agricultural economy and/or development studies who will contribute to horticulture sector development in low and middle income countries.

The selected candidate has affinity with the horticulture sector and horticulture value chain development, especially in low and middle income countries. You will support the management and implementation of horticulture and horticulture value chain projects. Assignments can range from project implementation and project management, to capacity strengthening (including facilitating short term professional trainings and workshops), action-oriented research, and strategic and policy advice, or a combination of the above. Examples of activities include value chain assessments of fruit and vegetable markets; strengthen producer associations, value chain actors and partners; deliver training and technical assistance in horticultural production and services; improve access to high quality inputs, technology and finance; improve post-harvest handling; and strengthen market linkages and cooperation within the sector. The activities take place in partnerships between governments, civil society, NGOs, knowledge institutes and the private sector.

You will be assigned a variety of projects and are expected to travel for short missions to the countries where we implement our horticulture projects. You will be coached to become an independent advisor in the above mentioned activities. Assignments take place in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and, to a lesser extent, Latin America.

Requirements

• MSc degree in horticulture or plant sciences and/or agricultural economics and/or development economics;
• Relevant working experience in low and middle income countries is an advantage;
• Strong interest in linking theory and practice;
• Affinity with capacity development and to facilitate the learning of others;
• Strong communication and facilitation skills with an ability to work and communicate across boundaries/cultures;
• The ability to work in partnerships between the business-, government-, civil society-, and academic worlds;
• Affinity with an entrepreneurial and dynamic working environment;
• A result oriented team player, who is client oriented and stress resistant;
• The position is Netherlands based; we expect willingness to travel extensively (short missions);
• Excellent spoken and written English is essential; fluency in other languages, in particular French or Spanish, is highly desirable.

We offer An initial one year contract of 36 hours per week with a performance based possibility for extension. Scale 10 CAO Foundation Wageningen Research: minimum salary: € 2609, maximum salary: €4253 gross per month (based on fulltime employment), depending on education and experience. In addition we offer a holiday allowance of 8% of the annual salary and an end of year benefit of 3%.

Wageningen University & Research

The organisation
Wageningen University & Research
Delivering a substantial contribution to the quality of life. That's our focus - each and every day. Within our domain, healthy food and living environment, we search for answers to issues affecting society, such as sustainable food production, climate change and alternative energy. Of course, we do not do this alone. Every day, 6,500 people work on 'the quality of life', turning ideas into reality, on a global scale.
Could you be one of these people? We give you the space you need. For further information about working at Wageningen UR, take a look at www.wageningenur.nl/en/Jobs.htm.

You will join Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation (CDI). We strengthening capacities for sustainable development in support of inclusive and sustainable food systems, through putting 'Knowledge in Action'. We do so through our unique approaches in fostering lifelong learning, guiding sector transformation, managing for impact, facilitating stakeholder collaboration and strengthening strategic leadership. A close connection between project implementation and capacity development characterises our work. In their work with clients from governments, businesses, civil society, NGOs and the academic world, our group of 50 staff connects Wageningen University & Research's knowledge and expertise with the challenges to support inclusive and sustainable food systems in low and middle income countries.