Assistant Professor Economic Modelling of Farms and Firms in Food Supply Chains

Do you want to support economic decision making and sustainable transitions in food supply chains? Do you have a passion for teaching empirical modelling of farms and firms in food supply chains? Then this may be the perfect opportunity for you!

The Business Economics Group at Wageningen University aims to support economic decision making and sustainable transitions in food supply chains. We are looking for a highly qualified person for an Assistant Professor position in the domain of quantitative economic analysis of farms and firms in food supply chains. Responsibilities for this position include teaching courses on business economics and quantitative methods; the exact portfolio of courses depends on the needs of the chair group and the specific experience and skills of the candidate. The candidate is also expected to develop an internationally recognised research program in the domain, and to generate external financial support for research projects. The position offers exciting opportunities to contribute to cutting-edge research and work alongside leading experts in the field.

This position is part of the Academic Career Framework (ACF) at Wageningen University & Research, which has replaced the traditional Tenure Track. This new career framework for all academic staff at Wageningen University started on 9 March 2025. One of the 3 career paths is the Professor Career Path. The aim of this ACF is to achieve a new balance in recognising and valuing academics where both team collaboration and the unique talent of individual scientists are seen, by creating more differentiation in career paths, putting the emphasis on the quality of work and less on quantitative results, doing justice to the individual qualities and ambitions of academics as much as to team performance, promoting all aspects of open science and encouraging high-quality leadership in the academy.

In this challenging career trajectory:

• you acquire, lead and implement innovative and creative(inter-) national research projects in the Business Economics Group;
• you collaborate with colleagues and supervise PhD students, BSc and MSc theses and you develop and teach courses;
• you contribute to the further development of the Business Economics Group.

As an Assistant Professor in the Business Economics group you are expected to have:

• a PhD in (applied) economics or business economics;
• proven interest and expertise in quantitative analysis of the economic dimensions of farms and firms in food supply chains; expertise in machine learning and/or causal inference is an advantage;
• preferably some years of experience in a similar position or as a postdoctoral researcher;
• proven ability to publish in peer reviewed scientific journals;
• ability to collaborate with colleagues from the Business Economics Group and other WU groups in research and education;
• the ability to work in international research teams;
• excellent didactic qualities and enthusiasm for teaching and working with students at BSc, MSc and PhD level;
• excellent (interpersonal) communication and writing skills;
• Excellent English communication and writing skills (a minimum of CEFR C2 level). For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our special language page;

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;
• 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 year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will be offered a fixed-term, 18 months contract which, upon positive evaluation, can lead to a permanent employment contract. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between € 4.728,- and € 6.433,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 11 or 12).

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.

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 the video below 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.

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.