Are you an experienced professional specialised in designing and facilitating multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSP)? Are you interested in contributing to our collaborative learning processes, with Southern professionals, that seek to explore what governance practices are effective for system transformation? This position as a Senior Advisor at Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation might be something for you

We are looking for a new colleague who is focusing on transforming food- and ecosystems. At Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation (WCDI), our work portfolio contains short-term and longer-term assignments and projects, focusing on action learning for capturing good programming practice and the development of operational and policy guidelines. We work with partners in Africa, Asia and to a lesser extend Latin America to build system resilience.

In your role as Senior Advisor you will have the opportunity to get involved in projects that combine these core functions. You can be counted upon to build and guide effective and strategic partnerships between knowledge institutes, government organisations, civil society organisations, and private companies. In this way you will further develop the international profile and portfolio of work of WCDI.

You will facilitate trainings and workshops and develop training related materials, tools and methodologies, and contribute to learning agendas and knowledge management on transforming food systems. You are able to reflect on these experiences and create knowledge products that contribute to a better practical and academic understanding of multi-stakeholder partnering, in the area of necessary transitions of agriculture, food and nature. Through strategic networking and representation, and through acquisition of new activities you will contribute to further developing our international profile in the field of transforming food systems and bring a relevant professional network that enables you to do so.

The selected candidate will focus on facilitating stakeholder collaboration, which is one of our main value propositions in the WCDI strategy. WCDI specializes in designing, delivering and reviewing multi-stakeholder facilitation services; and the MSP expert will play a central role to consolidate and expand these MSP services. We are looking for a development practitioner with a specific interest in individual, organisational, and network capacity development, who has a proven in-depth understanding how to design and facilitate MSP change trajectories that involve representatives from civil society, government, private sector and other stakeholders like researchers. The MSP expert should be able to link theory and practice and facilitate multi-stakeholder learning in change processes across the various working domains of WCDI.

• A MSc or PhD degree in Social Sciences or another field of sciences relevant for food systems transformation in low and middle income countries;
• A minimum of 15 years of working experience, preferably international, in facilitation of multi-stakeholder collaboration and transition processes, preferably with a track record of publications that demonstrate this experience;
• Proven ability to implement capacity development processes and to facilitate learning and development of others;
• Proven ability to engage in policy dialogues and to provide policy advice;
• Proven experience in the design and implementation of projects in the domain of sustainable and inclusive food systems;
• A good international network and a proven ability to acquire a project portfolio;
• Affinity with an entrepreneurial and dynamic working environment;
• A result oriented team player, who is also client oriented and stress resistant;
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills with a strong ability to work and communicate across boundaries/cultures;
• Willingness to travel extensively (short missions);
• Excellent English; other language skills, preferably French (or Spanish), will be an asset.

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, up to 40 hours per week;
• 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 4%;
• 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 € 3.527,- and €6.229,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research. 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.
You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, and at an university that has been chosen by students as the "Best University" in the Netherlands for the 17th consecutive time.

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, 7.200 employees and 13.200 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.

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

Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation
At Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation (WCDI), our work portfolio contains short-term and longer-term assignments and projects, focusing on action learning for capturing good programming practice and the development of operational and policy guidelines.
WCDI seeks to bring 'Knowledge into Action'. Our 60 researchers, in close collaboration with our support staff, work with partners worldwide on inclusive, resilient and sustainable food systems transformation. We do this through knowledge co-creation, knowledge application in our projects and multi-annual programmes and through Education for Professionals.
We aim at interconnectivity of these 3 delivery areas at all levels of our organisation."

For a better understanding of our work, please visit our website or watch this video.


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