As Business Unit Manager, you are part of the management team of Wageningen Plant Research. Wageningen Plant Research (WPR) together with the Department of Plant Sciences (DPS) forms the Plant Sciences Group (PSG). PSG consists of 19 chair groups and 8 business units. DPS is, as part of Wageningen University, responsible for teaching and has a fundamental research mission. WPR is, as part of Wageningen Research, focused on strategic and applied research. With our knowledge of plant production, resilient and efficient crops and food security, we offer new perspectives for sustainable agriculture and horticulture.

You are a full member of the board and management team of Wageningen Plant Research. With them you will form a competent and driven team working in an open and collegial manner for all of WPR and sharing leadership responsibilities on behalf of the institute. In your role as Business Unit Manager Field Crops within Wageningen Plant Research, you will use your expertise to inspire people as a strategic leader. You lead various teams within the Field Crops business unit in a practice-oriented scientific research environment. In addition, you have a good feel for the developments and forces at play in agriculture and horticulture.

As Business Unit Manager you are, together with your MT of the Field Crops business unit and its employees, responsible for the substantive profiling of the business unit and for its research and business economic results. You have a unifying style of leadership and a clear vision of the field, with an eye for both current and future developments, nationally and internationally. You are able to bring focus to the choices the organization continuously has to make with regard to acquisition, research policy and (inter)national cooperation as well as in the internal operations. With your commercial insight, you are able to profile yourself as the figurehead of the BU for stakeholders and bind potential clients to you.

The working atmosphere within Wageningen University & Research is professional and collegial. The main location of the Business Unit is located in Lelystad and there are further locations in Randwijk, Marwijksoord, Nagele, Valthermond, Vredepeel and Westmaas and you are also regularly in Wageningen. The total size of the Business Unit is approximately 200 people and €28 million in turnover.

Field Crops
The Dutch agricultural sector plays a valuable role in food production and is of great importance to the Dutch economy and European food security. The sectors with field crops (arable farming, arboriculture, fruit growing and outdoor vegetables) have significant challenges and opportunities. These concern sustainable production, earning capacity, social acceptance, water quality, climate change, biodiversity, labor organization and technological developments. This is the work field of Field Crops.

The Field Crops business unit is involved in a wide range of innovations aimed at the integral sustainability of open cultivation. To this end, we have practical farms (1200 ha in total) at six different locations throughout the country and we work together with farmers, horticulturists and other stakeholders on the development and transfer of knowledge in these dynamic sectors at home and abroad. Commissioned by private parties and governments, we work on applicable innovations in which an independent position and a scientifically sound working method are paramount. In this we work with companies, governments and other groups/knowledge institutions within and outside WUR.

You have an academic working and thinking level with extensive experience in leading professionals and management in a scientific environment. You have actual experience with (practical) research, developments in the sector and the market and innovation in the field of agriculture. With this experience you are able to build bridges between policy, market (private sector) and researchers. You will ensure that the organization works "science and fact based", taking into account its independent position. At the same time you secure the relationship with governments, industry, NGOs and knowledge partners. Your focus is on the development of knowledge and cooperation and you will regularly enter into discussions with stakeholders, both inside and outside the organization, so that after careful consideration you set the course based on supported decision-making. As Business Unit Manager you will set the course, while offering space and responsibility to your Management Team and employees.

As a person, you are analytically and communicatively strong, broadly interested, flexible, committed and stress-resistant. Your leadership style is unifying and demonstrates diligence in which you can switch quickly and get people on board. You are visible and accessible to your employees and they experience you as a unifying leader with a concrete goal in mind, who motivates and stimulates them on the basis of careful employment practices with an eye for the individual. In addition, you show ambition and are able to communicate clearly with all levels of the organization. Because of the international character, you have an excellent command of Dutch and English or a strong motivation to develop skills in both languages within a reasonable timeframe.

You know and oversee the complexity of the combination of research and a research and production/practical company and are able to deploy/secure this well. You are enterprising and spot opportunities, regionally, nationally and internationally. Within the strategy of Wageningen University and Research you search, together with others, for the solutions to the major social and economic challenges.

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, 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 8,3%;
• 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 € 7.046,- and € 9.660 for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 16). You will initially receive a two-year contract, which will be extended to an open-ended contract upon in mutual enthusiasm. Of course, we are open to engage with you if there are questions about this.

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.

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

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!

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