Do you aspire to guide the next generation of professionals on the transition to sustainable food systems? If so, we have a place for you at the Farming Systems Ecology group (FSE) of Wageningen University & Research, as a lecturer / academic supervisor (0.6-1.0 FTE).

In our group, we focus on the radical redesign of farming systems and foodscapes.

Our research is guided towards a vision of a world in which all actors are inspired, knowledgeable, and skilled to proactively and jointly develop foodscapes that are abundant and equitable by enhancing and benefitting from the natural capital of our communities and environments.

Within this context, our mission is to equip the actors in the food system with the keys to unlock, redesign and transition farming systems by analysing, experiencing and learning from outstanding examples of farms and foodscapes around the world.

Our research and education programmes are expanding rapidly, and MSc thesis projects and internships have doubled over the last five years.

We now seek to urgently strengthen our teaching team with one or more professionals that can focus on guiding and supervising our MSc students. Our thesis projects are primarily embedded in our research portfolio, which requires thoughtful communication, coordination and planning of thesis topics.

The successful candidate(s) will be responsible for:

• Assisting in the coordination of multiple MSc-level courses
• Developing new educational materials, modules, and courses
• Assisting in the facilitation of knowledge-sharing workshops with both academic and private sector work partners

Applicants are invited to provide examples that demonstrate that they have been involved in similar tasks.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• A BSc or MSc in one of the following multi-disciplinary, integrative subjects: food systems, sustainable agriculture, business and finance, and/or curriculum development/education. Other disciplines may be taken into consideration, provided that the candidate demonstrates the relevance of the discipline to the description of the position applied for.
• Essential: Fluency in English (spoken and written). This must reach a minimum of CEFR C2 level. Professional proficiency in other major languages would be an advantage.

KNOWLEDGE (CONTENT)

• Knowledge on educational design and pedagogy;
• Knowledge (practical, theoretical and contextual) of sustainable / regenerative farming systems in more than one country and/or agro-climatic zone;
• Knowledge of the assessment of transitions towards regenerative food systems, ecosystem services, agro-ecology, planetary boundaries and/or Sustainable Development Goals. Applicants are invited to provide examples of how these concepts have informed and been used in their research / professional experiences;

SKILLS

• Proven track record in the coordination and/or facilitation of in-class and online learning environments;
• Experience and affinity with designing and co-developing (online) educational materials, in line with the education portfolio and guidelines of the FSE group;
• Experience with facilitating group-learning within settings with stakeholders from a diversity of professional and cultural backgrounds;
• Communication (written and verbal).

ATTRIBUTES

• Agility in meeting dynamic timelines and the ability to quickly adapt to evolving circumstances;
• Sensitive to the requirements of working across multiple cultural working environments;
• Affinity for the combination of principles that characterise the FSE group:
• • Diversity of approaches and outcomes, tailored to local conditions;
  • Redesign of foodscapes based on ecological processes;
  • Equitability and social responsibility;
  • Foster multi-functionality and synergies;
  • Engagement, collaboration and reflection.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• 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 December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive salary of between € 2.818,= and € 4.257,= gross for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 8/9). Additionally, a contract with a minimum of 0.6 FTE can be discussed. We offer a one-year contract, with a possible extension, depending on project progression.

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, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere. You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the "Best University" in the Netherlands for the 17th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
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. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief, known as the 30% ruling. Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

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 and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling, and other issues.

Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. For more information please go to our inclusivity page. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment.

Wageningen University & Research

Wageningen University & Research
The mission of Wageningen University and 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, 7.200 employees and 13.200 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen's unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video 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.