Are you interested in Food Packaging? Do you have hands-on experience in developing packaging material? Would you like to foster students and share your knowledge? We, Wageningen University & Research, are looking for a postdoc in active edible food packaging material. Will you join our team?

What are you going to do?
You will be involved in an exciting project focused on investigating active edible food packaging material.
Your primary responsibilities will include:

• conducting experimental activities related to the characterization of bio-based films, including physical, chemical, mechanical, and barrier properties;
• developing aqueous coating formulations for large-scale processes, with a focus on sustainability and affordability;
• evaluating the performance of bio-based films in terms of shelf life and sensory acceptability for food products;
• collaborating with team members to achieve project objectives and milestones within the designated timeframe;
• providing support for educational activities related to food packaging, including assisting with courses and supervising thesis students.

This is a full-time position with a duration of 2 years (24 months). You will have the opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research in the field of food quality design and make a meaningful impact on the development of sustainable packaging solutions.

As the ideal candidate you:

• hold a PhD degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemical and/or Packaging Engineering;
• demonstrated experience in experimental research, preferably in the area of food packaging materials, edible coatings and food quality assessment;
• have strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret and analyse complex data;
• have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team.

In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about language level C1.

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

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially 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 compensation / holiday hours by working more, 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 gross salary of between €3226,- and €5090,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10). Initially, we offer you a one-year contract, which will then be extended with another one-year contract if there is mutual enthusiasm. Of course, we would be happy to discuss this with you if you have any questions.

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 19th 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.
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.
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 for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, 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.

Wageningen University & Research

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.

You will work here
The research is embedded in the Food Quality Design group (FQD), led by prof.dr.ir. Kasper Hettinga. You will be supervised by dr. ir. Deniz Turan-Kunter.

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 and do not appreciate unasked for services from recruitment agencies. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.

For more information about this position, please contact Deniz Turan-Kunter, Assistant professor, by e-mail: deniz.turan-kunter@wur.nl.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Rutger Voorrips, corporate recruiter, by e-mail: rutger.voorrips@wur.nl.

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval. Please add contact information of 2 references in your resume.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including 10th of June 2024.

Procedure
As part of our selection process, an assessment may be incorporated within the procedure.

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. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment.