NVAO-accredited programmes
The 'NVAO-accredited Programmes' division is part of Education and Student Affairs. It is composed of the programme directors for NVAO-accredited programmes together with their programme teams (student advisors, programme advisors, secretarial offices). The Dean of Education heads this division.

The division also includes the programme team for the BSc programme 'Soil, Water, Atmosphere' and the MSc programmes 'Earth and Environment' and 'Geo Information Science'. The programme director we are looking for will manage this team and the above-mentioned programmes.

Work setting
In this division we aspire to a working environment in which programme directors do not work alone but as part of a team of programme directors and programme teams within a domain (such as Environmental Sciences, Economics and Society, and Food and Health). The programme directors together flesh out the domain in terms of:

• the discussion about issues such as (selection and) admission, quality assurance, implementation of policy on study advice and educational innovation
• the development and implementation of plans for the domain programmes in line with and/or as a result of implementation of the educational vision
• collaboration across the programme teams (sharing best practices, looking at where team staff can step in for or replace one another, where supplementary expertise is required for the teams as a whole, etc.).

The programme director
In the above context, the programme director we are seeking will be responsible for:

• the day-to-day management of the programmes, including:
  • Ongoing development of the curricula for both programmes, in consultation with the degree programme committees, relevant chair holders, lecturers, students and representatives of the professional field. This ongoing development will also encompass educational innovation at the programme level and the implementation of Wageningen University's educational vision.
  • Evaluation and monitoring of the quality of programme components and of the programme as a whole.
  • Consulting with lecturers about content, form and cohesion of the courses in the curriculum.
  • Advising on the admission of Bachelor's and Master's students.
  • Liaison with the Examining Board, Student Service Centre, etc.
• coordination of educational matters with fellow-programme directors and colleagues elsewhere within the organisation
• leading the programme team made up of student advisors and the secretarial office
• advising the degree programme committee on developments in teaching and improvements in the curricula.

The programme director reports to the Director of ESA/Dean of Education.

Job description
The candidate we are seeking will have:

• an ability to perform at an academic level, preferably with a PhD
• knowledge of and a strong affinity with the subject area of the programme
• a 'T-shaped profile', by which we mean that the candidate will have an in-depth knowledge of the subject area of the programme, as well as knowledge of related programmes at Wageningen University
• knowledge of and experience in educational management
• preferably, knowledge of and experience in digitisation in education
• preferably, experience in combining teaching and research, and teaching and external parties
• a sense of entrepreneurship
• a network that is relevant for the job.

Competences

• An awareness of the environment in which the candidate operates
• Good at encouraging and connecting different parties
• Excellent proficiency in spoken and written English
• Able to cope with pressure/high workload
• Persuasive, able to motivate, provide well-founded advice
• Good interpersonal skills, including intercultural communication skills
• Innovative and solution-oriented
• Sensitive to the organisation, with a good sense of administrative relationships
• Result-focused, without loss of values such as solidarity and fairness
• Plays a uniting role and is a team player.

The position is 0.7 FTEs. Following proven suitability, the appointment is for a maximum period of 5 years, after which it may be extended once more. Failing this, the candidate is expected to move to another position within or outside Wageningen University & Research. For the remaining 0.3 FTE, the candidate may be appointed to a suitable chair group at Wageningen University or to another role within Education and Student Affairs. Our aim is to enable candidates wishing to work full-time to do so.

The final salary scale for this position is scale 13 (approx. € 6133,- gross per month (fulltime). Wageningen University & Research offers a good salary and benefits package.

Wageningen University & Research

About WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY & RESEARCH
The mission of Wageningen University & Research is 'to explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life'. All our 6000 staff and 12,000 students work and learn in fields relating to healthy food and a healthy living environment. Key themes are sustainable agro-production systems, nutrition & health, animal health & welfare, liveable green spaces and social innovation.

Wageningen University & Research consists of Wageningen University and nine market-oriented research institutes, which work together in five thematic Science Groups. In addition to teaching, they conduct both fundamental and applied research. Our ambition is to distinguish ourselves nationally and internationally through excellent teaching and research in our field.

The University provides education for some 6000 Bachelor's and 6000 Master's students. Roughly half of the Master's students come from abroad, from more than 100 different countries. Students rate our teaching very highly: Wageningen University has ranked first place in the Higher Education Guide (Keuzegids Hoger Onderwijs) for the past 14 years.

In order to retain this top position in education, our focus in the coming years will be on maintaining the high quality of teaching in the face of growing student numbers, on strengthening the relationship between research and teaching, on reaching new target groups such as lifelong learners, and on further integrating digitisation and online education. Internationalisation and sustainability are important themes in this regard.

Education and Student Affairs
As the central department within Wageningen University & Research, the Education and Student Affairs department is responsible for strategic issues and policy making in the field of education, as well as operational and supporting activities. The department matches the demand and supply of teaching, guarantees the quality of education, and develops and implements educational policy. In addition to accredited programmes, the department helps to develop an online education portfolio. The department coordinates and facilitates the preparation and implementation of vital processes such as accreditations, external reviews and other quality audits of teaching at Wageningen University & Research. Lastly, the department provides services to existing and potential students and to WU lecturers and supports the delivery of teaching.
The ESA department consists of seven divisions: (1) NVAO-accredited Programmes, (2) Open and Online Education, (3) Wageningen Academy, (4) Quality and Strategic Information, (5) Student Service Centre, (6) Education Support Centre and (7) a team that supports the Director of ESA/Dean of Education and the Manager of ESA. In total, the department is made up of some 200 staff.