We are looking for an ambitious PhD student with great interest in fermentation and food safety. The PROSAFE project, funded by NWO, aims to valorise vegetable side-streams into food products through fermentation to reduce food waste and achieve a more sustainable food system. You will design the fermentation strategy such that microorganisms convert side-streams of mushrooms and bean sprouts into a safe food product that is characterized by good palatability and digestibility. You will interact with another PhD student with a background in social sciences who focusses on the integration of new fermented food products in consumption practices (including buying, preparing, eating).

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• develop prototypes of fermented food products made from processing left-overs of mushrooms and sprouts;
• design the fermentation such that the products are healthy and safe;
• interact with the stakeholders of the project who will supply the lefts-overs and who will upscale your prototype in their premises.

You will work here
The PhD position is available at the laboratory of Food Microbiology. Our mission is to generate and disseminate knowledge of food associated microbes to assure quality and safety of food.

In order to control food safety and quality from primary production to consumption, solid knowledge of Food Microbiology is necessary and both positive (fermentation) and negative aspects (spoilage, disease) of micro-organisms are studied. Quality and safety of food are relevant for public health, sustainability and also for enjoying life. This is what we teach and research. We do this in a dynamic, international group of people with state of the art infrastructure and many national and international cooperations.

As PhD candidate, of course you are an ambitious scientist and driven by curiosity. Besides that, you also:

• have an excellent MSc record in (food) microbiology, food sciences, food technology, or biotechnology;
• have affinity with functional chemical and genomic analyses and experience is considered an advantage;
• are a creative researcher, being independent yet at the same time being a team player;
• have excellent oral and written communication skills in English;
• show willingness to be involved in teaching activities.

In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position we look for candidates at language level C1.
Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

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

• 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, 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 receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.770 - per month rising to € 3.539,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. Additionally, a contract for 32 hours a week can be discussed. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

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. 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.

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 Heidy den Besten, Professor Food Microbiology, by phone: 0317 483213, or by email: heidy.denbesten@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.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including 17 June 2024. We hope to schedule the first job interviews end June 2024.

Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using THIS LINK.
Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.

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.