Wageningen University & Research (WUR) is seeking a full professor (0.8 - 1.0 fte) to lead the Chair Group Plant Breeding of Wageningen University. This chair group, with approximately 65 FTE personnel, is fully integrated with the Business Unit Plant Breeding of Wageningen Research, which also counts around 65 FTE. Together these groups form WUR Plant Breeding, an integrative team studying various aspects of plant breeding both at the fundamental and the applied level. Teaching is well integrated across both groups, with 50 to 80 MSc students and some 70 PhD candidates every year actively involved in Plant Breeding. It is an international group with up to 50 different nationalities.

We seek a new professor and chair group leader who can bring an inspiring vision for the future of plant breeding research and education within the domains of Wageningen University and Research. We are particularly interested in candidates with a strong background in modern breeding methods, including statistical genetics and in linking quantitative genetics to the molecular basis of relevant traits.

About WUR Plant Breeding
The mission of WUR Plant Breeding is to contribute to the development of high-quality crops with stable and sustainable yields under varying conditions. The group focuses on five major themes:

• Biodiversity, genetic variation, domestication and re-domestication;
• Breeding for combined resistance and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses;
• Breeding for growth, development, biobased and (postharvest) quality;
• Quantitative genetics and genomics;
• Breeding for alternative agricultural systems.

The group is internationally recognised for its work in polyploid genetics, disease and pest resistance breeding, and collaboration with industry (Dutch, European and international breeding companies) and spin out activities. The group works with diverse crop species, in particular Solanaceae (potato, tomato, pepper, eggplant), vegetable (e.g. onion, leek, Brassicas) and ornamental crops (e.g. chrysanthemum, rose, tulip), fruit crops (apple, strawberry) and various small and/or biobased crops.

Our teaching portfolio covers the breadth of our research, from the molecular to the ecological level. It includes basic principles and their applications in society, with around 20 online and on-campus BSc and MSc courses, an online MSc programme in Plant Breeding, and tailor-made courses delivered in the Global South, covering a wide range of plant breeding activities.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• Develop an internationally competitive research program in the area of plant breeding in collaboration with colleagues;
• Coordinate and teach in courses at the BSc and MSc level in the field of plant breeding;
• Coordinate the integrated research, teaching and outreach agenda of the joint WUR Plant Breeding group in close collaboration with the manager of the Business Unit Plant Breeding of Wageningen Research;
• Lead the chair group as part of the management team for the integrated group and take responsibility for defined financial, scientific and social performance indicators;
• Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at conferences;
• Secure external funding through grants and fellowships;
• Supervise BSc and MSc students, PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers;
• Participate in departmental and university meetings and committees, providing broader leadership across the organisation.

As a candidate for professor and chair group leader, you should have a clear vision on future trends and developments in plant breeding, including your own research area. You should have ideas on how these developments could translate into concrete plans for development of the chair group. You should also be an experienced and enthusiastic teacher and supervisor of students at different academic levels (i.e., BSc, MSc, PhD candidates) with a strong commitment to training the next generation of scientists in plant breeding.

You should also have:

• Experience in leading professionals in an academic environment with a supportive and inclusive leadership style that stimulates personal development, collaboration, and team effort;
• A strong academic track record of scientific publications of recognized international quality;
• Ample experience and success in attracting funding and competitive research grants and in developing partnerships with industry;
• Concrete ideas how to contribute to and support the continuing ambitions of the chair group to achieve positive societal impact.

The position of Chairholder of the Chair Group Plant Breeding provides the opportunity to further develop your research track and leadership profile with a diverse team of talented researchers, lectures, and support staff. You will be working for an inspiring international organization actively engaged in a large number of interdisciplinary projects all over the world. The scientific quality of Wageningen University & Research is affirmed by the prominent position we occupy in international rankings and citation indices.

We offer you a position as Full Professor and Chair of the Plant Breeding Group. Besides a competitive salary (maximum gross salary for starting chair holders is € 9,680 per month), we offer a number of additional benefits, such as an end-of-year extra month’s salary, a holiday allowance and a pension plan with the Dutch pension fund for government and education. International candidates moving to the Netherlands may benefit from a special tax relief, by which a part of their salary is exempt from tax for several years.

Working hours can be discussed to optimize the work-life balance (32-38 hours per week).

More information about our research projects, education and publications can be found at the WUR Plant Breeding website. A virtual tour on WUR’s green and sustainable campus can be taken here.

Coming from abroad
We are a globally leading university in the 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.

The university’s highly qualified team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family. Furthermore, WUR offers a dual career programme for groups of partners and a specialised organization will further assist your partner in finding a job or starting a business in the Netherlands. Furthermore, we assist you in finding schools for your children and advise you on finding housing in the region or elsewhere in the Netherlands. The Wageningen University & Research (WUR) International Community page contains practical information about what we do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen.

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 Lifelong 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!

Plant Breeding is embedded in the Plant Sciences Group, one of five science groups at Wageningen University & Research, which has state-of-the-art instruments and facilities. The Plant Sciences Group comprises 20 chair groups and 8 applied research units. The Chair Group Plant Breeding is affiliated with the graduate schools Experimental Plant Sciences (EPS) and Production Ecology and Resource Conservation (PE&RC). Reporting to the Managing Director of the Plant Sciences Group, the new chair group leader will contribute constructively to the development and leadership of the science group and the wider collaborative research and impact environment at WUR.

You will be working for a diverse internationally-oriented organization with research collaborations all over the world. We offer a position as full professor and chair of the Plant Breeding group. In addition to a competitive salary, we offer several additional benefits, such as an end-of- year- extra month’s salary, a holiday allowance, and a pension plan with the Dutch pension fund for government and education. International candidates moving to the Netherlands may benefit from a special tax relief, by which 30% of their salary is exempt from tax. For further details see: https://www.wur.nl/en/Jobs/Moving-to-the-Netherlands.htm.

Further information about the position can be acquired from Prof. Dr. Christa Testerink, Chair of the Appointment Advisory Committee, by email: christa.testerink@wur.nl.

More detailed information on the profile and WUR Plant Breeding is available upon request via the executive secretary of the Committee, Annemarie Baaijens, by email: annemarie.baaijens@wur.nl.

Application
You are encouraged to upload your complete application via the respond button on top of this page. Please include in separate documents, in Pdf format, (1) an application letter, (2) a curriculum vitae, (3) a list of publications and (4) a statement of research and education interests and intended direction of at most 1,000 words.

Applications can be sent until and including 24 October 2024. We intend to use this recruitment to find a candidate who will diversify the current Chair Group Plant Sciences. We therefore especially encourage female candidates, and candidates from abroad, to apply for this position.

The committee will inform you about the status of your application after 15 November 2024. Selected candidates will be interviewed for this position on Monday 9 December 2024. The committee will thereafter invite short-listed candidates for a second interview and a public lecture on Monday 27 January 2025.

Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment.