Laboratorium assistant

The Laboratory of Biochemistry of Wageningen University and Research is looking for a laboratory assistant to support our research. You will do this by maintaining the organization in our plant growth facility, aiding with harvesting of plant seeds, and organizing and maintaining our collections of living plants, seeds, bacteria, fungi and plasmids. In addition, you will help and guide our students, PhD students and PostDocs to work in our plant growth facility.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• maintaining the organization in our plant growth facility;
• helping and guiding our students, PhD students and PostDocs with their work in our plant growth facility;
• maintaining and organizing our collections of living plants, seeds, bacteria, fungi, phages and plasmids;
• contribute to the preparations of practicals.

Your team
The Laboratory of Biochemistry is a vibrant and multidisciplinary department, in which several research groups do fundamental research on biochemical processes in plants, fungi and bacteria. You will be part of the “Research Support Team” of the Laboratory of Biochemistry, which is composed of research technicians and staff scientists, and is led by the lab manager.

You have an understanding of biochemical and/or molecular biology research (MBO/MLO education completed) and you have experience with working with plants (preferably Arabidopsis thaliana) or are keen to learn working with plants.

In addition:

• you work well organized and accurately;
• you enjoy helping people;
• preferably, you have experience with electronic lab journals/LIMS;
• you are proficient in English, both in speaking and writing, and enjoy working in an international environment.

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;
• 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 year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between €3004 and €3623 for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 4 or 5).
Additionally, a contract for 0.84 FTE can be discussed. As for your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract that can be extended, if possible within (company) organizational circumstances, on good performance. Of course, we are happy to have a conversation with you if you have any questions about this.

Due to Dutch immigration laws, candidates from outside the EU/EFTA zone, can usually not be hired for this position. More information can be found on the website of the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is ‘To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’.

We pursue this mission through a synergistic approach between Wageningen University and Wageningen Research Foundation (applied research). Our research focuses on questions within the domains of food, living environment, and society. With approximately 30 locations, 7,700 staff members, 2,500 PhD candidates, and over 13,000 students, Wageningen University & Research is among the world’s leading knowledge institutions in its domain. The integral approach to challenges and the collaboration across various disciplines form the core of the unique Wageningen approach.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR.

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

For more information about the position, please contact Simon Lindhoud, Lab manager, via email: Simon.lindhout@wur.nl.

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Evelien Janssen, Corporate Recruiter, via email: Evelien.janssen@wur.nl.

Ready to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

You can apply up and until 24 Novmber 2025. Don’t wait with your application. As soon as we receive interesting applications, we will initiate the first round of interviews.

Procedure
As part of our selection process, an assessment may be incorporated within the procedure.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.