Do you have a passion for research and do you want to work with enthusiastic colleagues? And do you, as a mathematical modeller, want to contribute to our research? Then we would like to talk to you! Read on and respond quickly!

We are looking for a mathematical modeller of infectious disease dynamics within the Epidemiology & Risk assessment expertise team, Department of Epidemiology, Bioinformatics and Animal studies at Wageningen Bioveterinary Research. Amongst the core activities of this department are quantitative epidemiology and risk analysis of contagious diseases in animals, zoonoses and antibiotic resistance.

The research of the Epidemiology & Risk assessment team is focussing on the following topics: Epidemic preparedness; risk assessment and risk prediction; OneHealth; design of surveillance systems; assessment of effectiveness of vaccines and vaccination control strategies for combating animal diseases; design and analysis of infection experiments and transmission experiments; and epidemiological consultancy. A wide variety of disciplines, including population biology, epidemiology, veterinary medicine, and mathematics, all available in the team, are used to carry out both specialised and multidisciplinary projects. In co-operation with other scientific disciplines within and outside Wageningen UR an integrated analysis can be realized in which also social acceptability; animal welfare and economic aspects of animal disease control are taken into account.

The modeller will use his/her applied-mathematical expertise to participate in (inter)national multidisciplinary research projects. Many of these projects are commissioned by Dutch or European authorities and provide a scientific basis for policy development concerning mitigation and control of zoonotic and infectious diseases in livestock. In collaboration with the other members of a multi-disciplinary project team, the modeller will analyse complex research questions using mathematical modelling. Important in these analyses are the use of relevant quantitative data for parameter estimation, the execution of analytical and numerical model calculations, and the interpretation of the mathematical results in terms of the epidemiological and/or practical problem of interest. Research findings are communicated through peer-reviewed publications and lectures. The researcher will contribute to maintaining and extending our national and international network of clients and scientists. Based on mathematical-epidemiological expertise the researcher is actively involved in and/or manages national and/or international multidisciplinary projects and plays a pro-active role in initiating new research projects.

Academic training in a quantitative field, such as theoretical biology, ecology, applied mathematics, bio-informatics, physics or chemistry, completed with a PhD degree. Required are a proven interest in infectious disease-epidemiological research, a research background showing scientific creativity and the ability of developing and applying mathematical models. Experience in mathematical modelling in the context of population biology or infectious-disease epidemiology is strongly desired but not essential to be considered for this position. Experience with the analysis of molecular biological data is considered a plus. The candidate has good communication skills and speaks and writes English at a good level.

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;
• 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 € 3527,- and € 5479,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 11).
In first instance, it concerns a fixed-term employment of 1 year, with the possibility of extension and the option of permanent employment. The location is Lelystad.

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

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!

Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR)
Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR) in Lelystad, part of Wageningen University & Research (WUR), combines fundamental and applied research within the field of life sciences and infectious diseases. WBVR employs approximately 250 people and performs innovative research for public and private partners in the field of animal and public health, such as vaccine development and diagnostic tests.

Click here for more information about working at Wageningen Bioveterinary Research.

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