Are you passionate about CFD (computational fluid dynamics) analysis and simulation and do you want to explore the options of such technologies for improving climate control in equipment for transport and storage of temperature-sensitive food, like fruit and vegetables? Are you an enthusiastic and enterprising researcher in the field of computer modelling and simulation to assist in developing innovative designs by predicting the distribution of air flow and temperature in facilities for temperature-controlled storage and transport. With this research you contribute to our aim to reduce food waste, reduce costs, and reduce the carbon food print of international fresh food supply chains. Will you join our team?

Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, part of Wageningen University & Research, offers a challenging and market-oriented environment where motivated scientific professionals conduct research for companies, government organizations and knowledge institutes. The Post-Harvest Technology group develops knowledge and technology for quality preservation of fruit, vegetables and ornamental plant products after harvest. Our domain encompasses management/control of temperature, humidity, oxygen, carbon dioxide, ethylene and energy consumption in storage and transport applications across the cold chain. Examples include our research on the effect of carton design on cooling rate, weight loss during long term storage of pears, and the improved design of reefer containers for intercontinental transport.

As a researcher you will contribute to the further scientific development of this research area by:

• Leading and carrying out multidisciplinary applied-research projects in which storage and transport innovations are designed, tested and implemented;
• elaborating research results into reports, publications and presentations for our clients;
• working together with our partners, and building and maintaining an effective (inter-) national network, to realize the desired market position in this research area.
• performing CFD simulations to support design innovations on multiple scales: from the design of large storage rooms, down to the perforation in packaging units.
• designing and performing experiments to validate/calibrate the models, both in a lab environment and in field experiments.
• developing new concepts and determining their feasibility.

As organization, we regard impact-driven research, collaboration, and professionalism as the core values of our work. As team, we are supportive to each other, we trust and respect each other and we are proud to work together with our clients and partners towards a more sustainable world. We expect you to be an enthusiastic and inspiring team player, a specialist in the CFD domain, full of creative and innovative ideas, and able to develop and carry out concrete project plans together with your colleagues and industrial partners.

• We are looking for a colleague with the ability and ambition to become a leading scientist in the field of post-harvest technology;
• you have an MSc or PhD degree in a relevant area, e.g. mechanical engineering with a specialization in Aerodynamics or Hydrodynamics;
• you have knowledge and affinity of thermodynamics and refrigeration technology;
• you have affinity of post-harvest fruit packaging, storage and transport is a plus;
• your communication skills are excellent and you have a good verbal and written command of English and Dutch;
• you have experience in or a demonstrable talent for carrying out contract research for the business community;
• you have strong analytical skills, are results-oriented and have a commercial outlook;
• you are able to identify new opportunities in the market and develop them independently or with colleagues;
• you are interested in the latest scientific developments, and know how to translate these to practical applications;
• you are decisive and good at taking initiative and you are a team player with an affinity for the agrifood sector.

We offer you a meaningful job with, depending on your experience, a competitive salary and a full working week of 36 hours in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Wageningen Research.

• 8% holiday allowance;
• a structural end-of-year bonus of 3%;
• excellent training opportunities and secondary employment conditions;
• flexible working hours and holidays can possibly be determined in consultation so that an optimal balance between work and private life is possible;
• excellent pension plan through ABP;
• 171 vacation hours, the possibility to purchase extra and good supplementary leave schemes;
• the possibility to work a maximum of 40 hours per week and in this way build up a maximum of 204 compensation hours per year;
• a flexible model to put together part of your employment conditions yourself, such as a bicycle plan;
• a lively workplace where you can easily make contacts and where many activities take place on the Wageningen Campus. A place where education, research and business are represented;
• make use of the sports facilities on campus.

Wageningen University & Research stimulates internal career opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are ample opportunities for own initiative in a learning environment.

We offer a versatile job in an international environment with varied activities in a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

Wageningen University & Research

Wageningen Food & Biobased Research develops insights and technologies that support industries, governments, and research institutes to create innovative solutions for a healthier, more sustainable, and prosperous world. Together with our clients we develop healthy and tasty food, truly-sustainable food chains, and chemicals and materials that use biomass instead of fossil resources. Our in-depth knowledge of the entire chain, from raw materials through processing to end product, drives our approach. Website: www.wageningenur.nl/en/fbr.

We make smart connections between various disciplines to explore complex issues from different perspectives. Through a combination of intelligent analyses and pragmatic invention, we find solutions for these issues. Grounded in science and business, our researchers bring a no-nonsense attitude to their work. We investigate and develop at all stages: upscaling from lab to pilot and from initial idea to production processes that deliver real products for our customers. We have direct access to the latest scientific findings and have a firm grasp of what modern technology offers. Every day, we work with national and global companies, governments and other research institutes to create innovative solutions; now and in the future.

Wageningen Food & Biobased Research is one of the Contract Research Organizations of Wageningen University & Research, with the aim to explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life. With approximately 30 locations, 5,000 members of staff and 10,000 students, we are world leader in its domain. An integral way of working and cooperation between the exact sciences, the technological and social disciplines are key to its approach.

Could you be one of these people? We give you the space you need.

For further information about working at Wageningen University & Research, take a look at http://www.wur.nl/en/Jobs.htm

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