Assistant or Associate professor Crop Ecology (Tenure Track)

Within the chair group Crop & Weed Ecology (CWE), Wageningen University we offer an assistant professor position in weed ecology. Globally, weeds are the most important biotic yield-reducing factor. Current weed management relies heavily on the use of herbicides, which is no longer sustainable given the environmental and health effects and the increasing herbicide resistance in weeds. There is thus an urgent need for more ecology-based weed management. Yet, the fundamental understanding of the ecology and evolution of weeds is still limited, hampering the development of successful ecology-based weed management strategies.

The successful candidate will build a research line and develop teaching that aims to bridge this knowledge gap. Questions that can be addressed may include but are not limited to: ecological drivers of weed population dynamics, mechanisms determining crop-weed interactions, determinants of the geographic distribution and invasiveness of weeds, weed diversity and possible ecosystem function, and evolution of weed populations under climate change and anthropogenic management. Teaching will likely include a wider crop scientific, ecological or agronomical scope.

As this position is the only such position on weed science in the Netherlands, the candidate will have the opportunity but should also have the ambition to develop a successful, externally funded and very visible research and teaching portfolio on this subject.

In this challenging career trajectory:

• you will be part of the transition towards more sustainable, climate resilient biodiversity-friendly agriculture;
• you acquire, lead and implement innovative and creative (inter-)national research projects in Crop & Weed Ecology;
• you collaborate with colleagues and supervise PhD students, BSc and MSc theses and you develop and teach courses.

Tenure Track is a career path for scientists who pursue to excel in education and research. We seek to attract scientific talent and to stimulate and support their development.

You are:

• a highly-motivated plant or crop ecologist with an interest in understanding the ecology of weeds to support ecology-based weed management;

You have:

• a successful track record in weed ecological research, ideally, in the underlying ecological research domain such as: agro-ecology, plant-plant interactions, evolutionary ecology and/or plant population biology;
• experience with designing and conducting field experiments and preferably experience with quantitative modelling (e.g. population, genetic, eco/evolutionary and/or crop simulation models);
• a keen interest in communicating and working with a wide variety of partners including scientists from other fields as well as stakeholders such as farmers;
• a PhD degree and proven publication record in high-impact journals in the field of plant ecology, crop ecology or alike;
• proven affinity with and experience in teaching at the BSc and MSc level;
• well-developed field research skills;
• a clear affinity with crop systems;
• good communication skills and fluency in English.

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C2 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognized Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

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

• sabbatical leave, 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 be offered a fixed-term 7 year contract which, upon positive evaluation based on criteria elaborated in the University's Tenure Track policy, can lead to a permanent employment contract as professor. Depending on your experience or on your current position in a Tenure Track, we offer a competitive gross salary of between € 4.332 ,- and € 8.025 - for a full-time working week of 38 hours in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 11-14). Part-time employment is negotiable, with a minimum of 30.4 (0.8 fte) hours per week.

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.

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 18th 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.
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. For instance under the "30% rule", certain categories of international staff can receive tax exemption on approximately 30% of their gross salary.

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, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 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!

You will work here
The research is embedded within the chair Crop & Weed Ecology, which is led by Prof. Niels P.R. Anten and is part of the Centre for Crop Systems Analysis

CWE conducts research and teaching on the ecology and management of crops, diseases, pest and weeds. CWE has a special interest in understanding the role of natural and crop biodiversity in determining performance and stress resilience of crop systems. We study plant form and adaptation, and ecological processes from plant to landscape scale. We thus contribute to the development of sustainable agricultural systems that provide high yields with a minimal ecological footprint and that maximally contribute to natural biodiversity and its associated ecosystem functions.

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