Research Assistant in Crop Physiology and Ecology

Are you an enthusiastic, practically minded person with a passion for crop‑physiological and agro‑ecological research? Then this may be an excellent position for you! As a research assistant, you will be involved in the planning, organisation, and execution of our greenhouse and field experiments, thereby supporting our scientific research team. You will also assist in several of our laboratory, greenhouse, and field practicals within the BSc and MSc programmes of Wageningen University. Would you like to use your expertise to strengthen our team at the Centre for Crop Systems Analysis at Wageningen University & Research?

As a research assistant, you will contribute to the development of plant-based production within sustainable agro‑ecosystems. You are interested in - and skilled at - setting up and carrying out experiments in the field and in the greenhouse. Affinity with agronomy, open‑field cultivation, soil and root experiments, and crop and weed ecology is important.

Within our team, your tasks and responsibilities as a research assistant will include:

• Assisting with the planning, organisation, and implementation of experiments (open field, greenhouse, and laboratory) for staff and students, and sharing responsibility for communication with our experimental farm (Unifarm). These experiments are mostly conducted in Wageningen, but occasionally elsewhere.
• Carrying out agronomic, cultivation‑technical, and ecological research activities, both in the field and in the greenhouse or laboratory. This includes both routine tasks and customised work for specific research questions.
• Supporting teaching practicals in the greenhouse and in the field.

You will collaborate with colleagues from the Centre for Crop Systems Analysis - a diverse and international team of researchers, lecturers, support staff, and many PhD candidates. Your workplace will be Wageningen, on the WUR campus.

You have a genuine interest in research and education and feel at home in a dynamic academic environment. You work in a structured and precise manner, communicate clearly, and are flexible during peak periods in the research calendar. With your enthusiasm, proactive attitude, and solution‑oriented approach, you take initiative and bring tasks to a successful conclusion.

You also have:

• A degree in agriculture, horticulture, or biology at higher professional education (HBO) level, or equivalent knowledge and skill level.
• Solid knowledge of plant and crop functioning, as well as cultivation and ecosystem processes.
• Experience in designing and conducting experimental agronomic research in field trials. Experience in greenhouse work and in the laboratory is an advantage.
• Experience with relevant activities related to field and pot trials (determining fertilisation, soil measurements, root washing, dry‑matter assessments, etc.).
• Good command of both Dutch and English, spoken and written. In our international working environment, English is increasingly used. For this position, language level B1 is required.

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 of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between € 3,708.- and € 5,057.- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 9). In addition, an appointment of 0.8 FTE is possible. As for your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract that can be extended. Of course, we are happy to have a conversation with you if you have any questions about this.

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.

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. If you come with a partner, we offer a Dual Career group program organized by our Welcome Center. This program helps your partner to get familiar with the Dutch culture, labour market and assists your partner to find a job.

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 coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account 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.