Are you an expert on soil fertility and do you have experience with projects in Africa? Do you like to travel, are you fluent in French and English and do you have a proven track record as researcher? Then this could be the ideal new challenge for you!

We are hiring expert/researcher on Integrated Soil Fertility Management and sustainable land use, especially of tropical soils. Due to growing demand for (tropical) soil expertise in our projects in the South (especially in sub-Sahara Africa) we need a colleague who is flexibly employable to the various (mainly applied research) projects. We also expect that you step-in and acquire new projects and develop/deepen your own research themes to strengthen knowledge and expertise on tropical soils and land use.

• A PhD degree in environmental sciences, soil science, and/or land management, with clear focus on management of tropical soils.
• Ample knowledge and experience in soil chemical/physical aspects, soil-plant interactions and soil biology aspects, with relevant publications in peer-reviewed journals.
• Experience in using people-centred development approaches (e.g. participatory technology development), as well as farming systems analysis, particularly in tropical environments.
• A systems and scale thinker: from plot to farm to landscapes, and from one season to larger time horizons, being able to analyse relations both spatially and in time.
• Experience in writing projects proposals, conducting research, and good writing skills (with publications) in the field of soil fertility management and sustainable land use.
• Willingness to travel abroad (mainly Africa) quite frequently (3 times per year for about 3 weeks total).
• Experience in project management, especially in sub-Sahara Africa (research or development projects).
• An international academic network, fluent in English and French.

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 €3.336,- and €5.892,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 11-12). Additionally, a contract for 0,8 FTE is also possible.

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.
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 unique 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, 6.800 employees and 12.900 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

The Water and Food team delivers innovative solutions to sustainably increase the value of land and water resources for food production, the quality of fresh water ecosystems and the resilience of deltas.

The Water and Food team develops innovations and strategies to face challenges of water and food security and climate change. We offer core expertise to assist governments and agencies in offering solutions related to smart water management, freshwater ecology, water and nutrient resource-efficient food production systems, optimizing water resources, water-saving practices, and in assessment of water-food security risks to contribute to political stability in regions.

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