Do you want to contribute to a more transparent and sustainable food sector in Europe? Do you want to start your academic career in business science?

We offer a PhD candidate position for an ambitious and high-potential scholar who seeks to understand how ecologically-resilient dynamics in the European food system can be achieved.

Business Management & Organisation (BMO) group of Wageningen University (WU) is excited to be involved in a new Horizon Europe project comprising 19 partners from various EU countries. The objective of the project is to develop a real-time surveillance system, which functions as a necessary source of information for various stakeholders, provides real-time assessments for the food system, and updates forecasts frequently and consistently. The 4-year project has a strong multidisciplinary character with a mix of universities, research institutes, consultancies, companies in the agri-food sector and NGOs.
You will carry out an important part of the BMO-work in this project. More specifically, your work includes the following tasks:

• develop conceptualizations and select research designs;
• collect empirical data using qualitative and quantitative methods and analyse the data;
• conduct an in-depth stakeholder analysis and develop strategies to engage stakeholders;
• develop a value co-creation framework for the sustainability data service network of the surveillance system;
• develop an innovative business model prototype that allows for multilevel value co-creation within the sustainability data service network of the surveillance system;

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the " Best University " in the Netherlands for the 17th consecutive time.

We are looking for a prospective researcher with the following key qualifications:

• an MSc or MA degree in agricultural or food science with specialization in economics or business; in economics; business studies; organisation studies; or innovation studies; each with specialization in agriculture and/or food;
• for this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level.
• a keen interest in stakeholder engagement, organisation, value networks, open innovation, transparency, business model innovation;
• knowledge of and experience with qualitative and quantitative research methods;
• experience and affinity with research on food sustainability research and data;
• experience with diverse and international working environments;
• being an enthusiastic and creative team player;
• experience with working in multidisciplinary projects and familiarity with engaged scholarship is a strong plus;

For this position you will be located at Wageningen, within the Business Management & Organisation Group. More information about our chair group you will find here. The BMO project team consists of Verena Otter and Jos Bijman.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• study leave and partially paid parental leave;
• 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 / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• 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 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.541,- per month rising to € 3.247,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

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.

Wageningen University & Research

The mission of Wageningen University & 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 (6,400 fte) and 13,200 students and over 150.000 participants to WUR's Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

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