Research Assistant in Crop Health

As a Research Assistant in Crop Health, you will directly contribute to solving crop protection challenges in arable farming and open-field vegetable production. Together with colleagues, you help reduce the environmental impact of these cropping systems. From our location in Vredepeel, you are responsible for the preparation and practical execution of research activities. You work accurately according to fixed protocols and are alert to identifying and quantifying deviations in crops and growing conditions.

Please be aware: a good command of the Dutch language is required

Activities during the growing season
During the growing season, you carry out various observations and measurements related to diseases, pests, and weeds. You process the collected data accurately in automated systems, thereby contributing to reliable research results.

Activities after the growing season
After the growing season, you contribute to the analysis of the collected data and the preparation of reports. In addition, you are involved in updating and developing protocols so that future research can be carried out efficiently and consistently.

You combine your role as a research assistant with activities at the Vredepeel experimental farm. Here you carry out work related to arable farming and open-field vegetable production. In this innovative and challenging environment, you contribute to research on the cultivation of various crops and cropping systems.

Your tasks and responsibilities as Research Assistant Crop Health include:

• Observing diseases, pests, and weeds in a range of crops according to protocol;
• Entering collected data into automated systems;
• Contributing to the initial analysis of data and to reporting;
• Setting up, establishing, caring for, maintaining, sampling, and harvesting our field trials in various arable crops, industrial and open-field vegetables, and forage crops;
• Collaborating with researchers from the various projects.

You will work within the Crop Health research team, which focuses on finding sustainable solutions to crop protection challenges in arable farming and open-field vegetable production. Warning and monitoring techniques, cultural measures, biological control, and the well-considered use of chemicals form the building blocks of the crop protection systems we develop. By combining all these elements in new and existing cropping systems, we offer the sector solutions for fungal diseases, nematodes, insect pests, slugs, and weeds.

Your colleagues in this research team work from various WUR locations (Lelystad, Valthermond, Westmaas, Wageningen, Vredepeel, and Wijnandsrade). This position is based in Vredepeel, meaning that this small and dedicated team of experimental farm staff and regional researchers is the team you will work with on a daily basis. From these locations, we work on agricultural innovations specifically applicable to sandy and loess soils in the southeast of the Netherlands.

For this position, a good command of the Dutch language is required to ensure careful and effective communication with all stakeholders.

You see that there are plenty of challenges ahead of you. These challenges can also be viewed as development opportunities. Therefore, if you do not yet have the track record requested in the vacancy but do have solid work experience, we also warmly invite you to apply.

Where you will work
You will work within Wageningen Plant Research (WPR), specifically in the Open Field Crops Unit. Open Field Crops develops practical, scientifically substantiated strategies for crop technology, soil health, and crop protection for arable farmers, vegetable growers, suppliers, governments, and NGOs. The unit has approximately 150 employees and conducts research at the central location in Lelystad, regional experimental stations in Vredepeel, Wijnandsrade, Valthermond, Marwijksoord, and Westmaas, and on commercial farms throughout the Netherlands.

Open Field Crops contributes to a broad portfolio of innovations in arable farming, fruit production, and open-field vegetable systems, with a strong focus on integrated sustainability and crop health.

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;
• 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 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. We offer, depending on your experience, a competitive gross salary of between €2.749,- and €3.567,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 5 - 6). Additionally, For this role a contract for 24 hours 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.

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”. 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 the video below 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.