HR Business Partner

Are you looking for a challenging role as an HR Business Partner and would you like to work in a scientific environment? Do you have broad knowledge and experience of HR processes and services, and are you skilled in advising managers on the implementation of integrated HR policy? Would you like to proactively contribute to shaping HR service delivery? Then you may be the colleague we are looking for to join the HR team of the Animal Sciences Group!

As an HR Business Partner, you act as a sparring partner, advisor and process facilitator for managers of various chair groups and research groups (you will support approximately 250 FTE). You build professional working relationships and support managers in implementing HR policies. With your sharp eye for detail, advisory skills and connecting approach, you tailor your support to managers’ needs and challenges, helping them move forward. Across WUR, you will also contribute to key HR priorities and work closely with specialists from the HR Centre of Expertise (CoE) in Recruitment, Vitality & Health, and Learning & Development.

Your tasks and responsibilities as HR Business Partner include:

• Acting as a sparring partner for managers on HR issues and organisational development, providing both solicited and unsolicited advice.
• Playing a proactive role in developing and implementing HR policy within the groups; advising on strategic workforce planning and organisational questions, on individual and team-related cases, and being actively involved in change processes.
• Guiding the execution of annual and ongoing HR processes in close collaboration with colleagues, HR specialists and other partners.
• Helping shape the HR agenda and being jointly responsible for the successful implementation of WUR HR policies; in the coming years, the focus will be on organisational development, cultural change, leadership development, social safety, implementation of the Academic Career Framework, and further standardisation of HR services.
• Participating in various HR projects within WUR as a representative of ASG.

Your team
You will be working within our dedicated HR team, consisting of six HR Business Partners and the Head of HR. The team is supported by a centrally organised HR Services team and specialists from the CoE. Altogether, the ASG HR team comprises 14 colleagues. The HR team is based across our locations in IJmuiden, Lelystad and Wageningen. Collaboration is a core value within our team. We work organisation-wide on current topics such as staff and organisational development, team and leadership development, labour market challenges, social safety, hybrid working, vitality, and career development - including attracting and retaining talented colleagues.

Please notice:

WUR welcomes applications from international candidates. However, for applicants for this specific position from outside the EU/EFTA zone, immigration restrictions may apply based on Dutch and EU immigration laws. Such candidates may be eligible for an “orientation year” in the Netherlands or a visa as a “knowledge migrant”

You are curious and proactive, which means you stay well-informed about the latest developments and are able to offer well‑considered, forward‑looking advice. With your advisory skills, empathy, hands‑on mentality and persuasiveness, you are able to create support, build trust and initiate change.

You also bring:

• A relevant completed Bachelor’s or Master’s degree.
• At least 3 years of experience as an HR Advisor or HR Business Partner.
• Demonstrable experience in advising managers on a wide range of HR cases.
• Experience and affinity with HR data, dashboards, analyses and process improvements.
• Experience within a complex organisation is an advantage.
• Excellent command of both Dutch and English. Engelse taal.

In our international working environment, English is increasingly used for communication. For this position, level B2 is required. If you have not yet reached this level, we will of course support you, and you can make use of our language centre, Wageningen in’to Languages.

As you can see, there are plenty of challenges ahead -challenges that can also be viewed as development opportunities. So even if you do not yet meet every single requirement listed in the vacancy, but you do have solid professional experience, we warmly encourage you to apply.

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 € 3,399.- and € 5,478.- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 10). Additionally, for this role a contract for 24 to 32 hours can be discussed. As for your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract that can be extended. 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.

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.

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.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family. If you come with a partner, we offer a Dual Career group program organized by our Welcome Center. This program helps your partner to get familiar with the Dutch culture, labour market and assists your partner to find a job.

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 coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.