Are you a unifying leader who can coach and direct a large team of professionals, enabling you to form a common vision? Are you able to transform social developments regarding biodiversity, nature, and society into concrete opportunities for applied and scientific research? If so, we would love to hear from you!

We are looking for an enthusiastic and involved team leader for the Biodiversity and Policy (B&B) team at Wageningen Environmental Research. The team consists of 30 people and it specialises in a variety of areas related to:

• Policy supporting models and knowledge in the area of biodiversity and land use for policy makers and businesses;
• Monitoring and analysis of Dutch and European policy regarding nature and biodiversity, as well as its success;
• Research into the management and maintenance of protected areas and species;
• Research into green infrastructure, natural capital, ecosystem services, and socioecological networks;
• Research into social innovation, green citizenship initiatives, and stakeholder participation;
• Research into nature-inclusive agriculture and the types of collaboration within it.
• Research into functional combinations of biodiversity with solar energy, water extraction, mineral extraction, erosion resistance, etc.

As team leader, you will focus on the sustainable employability and development of your employees. You have a keen eye for everyone's capabilities and needs as well as the connection between them. You also stand for academic integrity, social impact, and the financial results of your team. You and your team will work enthusiastically towards acquisition objectives and goals from the WENR Strategic Plan. You encourage collaboration, within the team, with project leaders, other WENR teams, relevant chair groups at Wageningen University, and other domestic and international groups at WUR as well as externally. As a team leader, you are a member of the WENR team leader consultation.

At the moment, a shift is taking place from traditional fields such as ecosystems, development of protected areas, and species management towards ecosystem services, green infrastructure, social engagement with nature, nature-inclusive agriculture, and the preservation of natural capital. As a team leader, you will fulfil an inspirational role and set an example. Together with your team you develop a vision. You take the lead in market/customer-focused and project-oriented work and work towards a complementary composition of the team.

• Experience with academic research in a relevant field and managerial experience with professionals and large research projects (at least 5 years).
• Academic training in a field relevant to this team;
• Strategic insight into developments in the field, society, and the market, both nationally and internationally;
• Good acquisition skills, and experience with the acquisition of European research projects is preferred, as is having a relevant network.
• A person who can bridge the gap between academia, policy makers, and other stakeholders;
• An inspiring colleague with a coaching style of management, who exudes confidence is aware of their exemplary role.
• A passion for the conservation of nature, and a fascination with the interaction between nature and society;
• Taking pleasure in managing a very diverse team with the focus on facilitating collaboration in a professional context;
• Good command of Dutch and English.

We also expect that you will contribute to building our core and cultural values:

These are:

1. Entrepreneurial: we are never afraid to create new market opportunities
2. Emphasis on collaboration: we are focused on collaborating with each other and others
3. Reliable: our word is our bond
4. Flexible: we are adaptable and decisive
5. Trust: we are confident in each other and the course of WENR

A challenging position with, depending on your experience, a competitive salary of between €3736 and €6284 for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the Wageningen Research CLA (scale 12 or 13). Additionally, a contract for 0.9 FTE can be discussed. The contract is for one year, with the opportunity to receive a permanent contract.

We also offer:

• 8% holiday allowance;
• a fixed December bonus of 3%;
• excellent educational opportunities and secondary employment conditions;
• flexible working hours and holidays that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• excellent ABP pension regulations;
• 171 hours of leave, the option to purchase additional hours, and good additional leave regulations;
• the option to work up to 40 hours a week and accumulate a maximum of 204 compensation hours per year;
• a choice model to partially create your own benefits package, which includes a bicycle scheme;
• a lively green workplace where it is easy to establish new contacts, and where many activities take place on Wageningen Campus. A place where education, research, and business are all represented;
• the opportunity to use the sports facilities on campus for a small fee.

Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment.
We offer a multi-faceted job in an international environment with a wide variety of activities, in a pleasant and open working atmosphere. Would you like to learn more about Wageningen University & Research, and why our employees are so satisfied with their jobs? If so, read more here: https://www.wur.nl/en/Jobs.htm.

Wageningen University & Research

The mission of our University is "To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life". Within Wageningen University & Research, nine specialised research institutes from the Wageningen Research Foundation and Wageningen University have joined forces to help answer the most important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With approximately 30 locations, 6,500 employees, and 12,000 students, it is one of the leading organisations in its domain worldwide. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of the unique approach of Wageningen.

Together with our clients, partners, and stakeholders, the Biodiversity and Policy team works towards creating a robust, sustainable, viable, profitable, and biodiverse landscape, at both the national and international level. In our research, we assume that nature will provide solutions for many issues on the path towards a sustainable living environment.

B&B is a diverse team built around three fields of knowledge; a) information and data processing (modeling and GIS), b) ecology and ecosystems (flora and fauna), and c) management and policy (governance). We are the knowledge partner for sponsors, policy makers, legislators and regulators, users, management, the business community, and social organisations.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age. Furthermore, given our active policy to be as inclusive as possible as organization, we warmly invite international and female scholars to apply.