• For the Dutch Public Private Partnership project 'CARVE' (Across supply Chain Action programme Reduction of food waste, improved Valorisation & resource Efficiency), a toolbox is being developed that integrates prevention and reduction of food waste into business models. How can stock management for retail be connected with shelf life (extension) and turnover rate? How does packaging influence the buying and storage behaviour of consumers? How can surplus returned bread be used as food ingredient? How can innovative solutions be implemented in business practice?
• How can food waste/post-harvest food loss be reduced in the potato chain in Kenia, such that the customer has less food waste and more profit with the same operational costs?

These are just two examples of projects that we work on for our customers. Can you see a role for innovative supply chain development assignments for a healthy and sustainable society? Then, we are looking for you!

We are looking for:
A passionate project leader who understands the needs of the customer, who helps to formulate the project plan and who leads the projects within the Supply Chain Development (SCD) team.

As a project leader you find a good balance between the creativity of innovative SCD research and the translation to practical solutions. You work with a multidisciplinary team of highly educated professionals and take part in that team as SCD expert. As project leader you are the contact person for the external client, you make sure that commitments are met, and you are responsible for the planning and budget of the project.

We ask of you that you are not just a superb project leader, but also that you have excellent advisory skills in the field of agro-logistics and food supply chains. Besides that, you have experience in network building. You can operate on a conceptual level, you can manage a research project team and you have a practical view of the world that enables you to realise solutions with real customer value.

You have the critical and creative attitude of an independent advisor and will always look at what a solution means for the customer, what impact can be created. That means that communicating and listening are important character traits. Moreover, you are capable for expressing yourself in oral and written communications.

You will be involved in the whole duration of the project, from the first contact with the customer to the delivery of the end result. You will get the opportunity to learn many new things and to give a personal contribution to innovative projects. We expect you to be both independent and a team player in multiple projects at the same time. As a valued team member, you are flexible and keen to find solutions.

An enthusiastic and ambitious project leader agro supply chains and agro-logistics with

• A college education in the field of logistics or business management
• Experience in leading innovative food supply chain projects
• Experience with Dutch and international clients
• A social and creative personality
• Willingness to travel abroad (EU / international)
• Independent thinking and team spirit
• A constant drive to improve yourself and the team
• Affinity with the agrifood domain
• Good language skills in Dutch and English.

A job at a commercial organisation that will challenge you every day to provide our clients with the best possible solution. As International project leader Supply Chain Development you will be part of an ambitious team working on a wide range of issues with plenty of scope for initiative. Personal input and responsibility are an integral part of our culture.
We offer a temporary position with an average working time of 36 hours per week, for the period of 1 year, with the possibility of a permanent employment after a successful evaluation. Besides a salary at market rates, we offer you favourable study and leave arrangements and a pension scheme with the ABP pension fund.

Wageningen University & Research

Wageningen Food & Biobased Research develops insights and technologies that support industries, governments, and research institutes to create innovative solutions for a healthier, more sustainable, and prosperous world. Together with our clients we develop healthy and tasty food, truly-sustainable food chains, and chemicals and materials that use biomass instead of fossil resources. Our in-depth knowledge of the entire chain, from raw materials through processing to end product, drives our approach.

We make smart connections between various disciplines to explore complex issues from different perspectives. Through a combination of intelligent analyses and pragmatic invention, we find solutions for these issues. Grounded in science and business, our researchers bring a no-nonsense attitude to their work. We investigate and develop at all stages: upscaling from lab to pilot and from initial idea to production processes that deliver real products for our customers. We have direct access to the latest scientific findings and have a firm grasp of what modern technology offers. Every day, we work with national and global companies, governments and other research institutes to create innovative solutions; now and in the future.

Wageningen Food & Biobased Research is one of the Contract Research Organizations of Wageningen University & Research, with the aim to explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life. With approximately 30 locations, 5,000 members of staff and 10,000 students, Wageningen University & Research is a world leader in its domain. An integral way of working, and cooperation between the exact sciences and the technological and social disciplines are key to its approach. For further information about Wageningen Food & Biobased Research: www.wur.eu/wfbr.

For further information about working at Wageningen University & Research, take a look at www.wur.nl/en/Jobs.htm

Acquisition regarding this vacancy is not appreciated.