Electrical Technician

As an Electrical Technician for Greenhouse Horticulture at Wageningen University & Research, based in Bleiswijk, you are responsible for ensuring the smooth operation of all electrical aspects of our research facility. You will mainly work in the greenhouses and the vertical farm, where you take responsibility for the technical systems. You independently carry out work related to installation technology as well as measurement and control technology, supporting both researchers and colleagues within the research facility. In time, you will also be willing to participate in weekly on-call and standby duties.

Your tasks and responsibilities as an electrical technician include:

• managing the technical aspects of greenhouse climate control systems;
• supervising external engineers during the installation of new equipment;
• carrying out small technical modifications independently;
• inspecting and maintaining newly delivered installations;
• troubleshooting and resolving technical faults.

Your team
In this role, you will be part of the technical service team (5 colleagues) and report to the Head of Technical Services. Together, we ensure that the Bleiswijk research location remains in excellent operational condition.

You are an experienced and inquisitive electrical technician who is open to learning new technologies. You enjoy staying one step ahead of current greenhouse horticulture practice and working with the very latest innovations. Because you are able to work independently, you are given a great deal of freedom within the team. Thanks to your perseverance, you are able to analyse complex faults, trace their root causes and resolve them effectively.

You also bring:

• higher professional education level (HBO) / a qualification in Electrical Engineering, MBO level 4 or equivalent;
• NEN3140 certification – safe working on low-voltage installations;
• good command of the English language, both spoken and written;
• strong command of the Dutch language.

Given the current composition of the team, we particularly encourage female candidates to apply.
In our international working environment, English is increasingly used for communication. For this position, proficiency at level B2 is required. If you do not yet meet this level, we will of course support you through our language centre, Wageningen in’to Language.

As you can see, there are plenty of challenges for you - challenges that can also be seen as opportunities for development. If you do not yet have the full track record mentioned in the vacancy but do have solid work experience, we would also be very pleased to receive your application.

WUR welcomes applications from international candidates. However, for applicants for this specific position from outside the EU/EFTA zone, immigration restrictions may apply based on Dutch and EU immigration laws. Such candidates may be eligible for an “orientation year” in the Netherlands or a visa as a “knowledge migrant”.

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

• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• 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. We offer, depending on your experience, a competitive gross salary of between € 3,231,- and € 4,374.-for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 8). Additionally, for this role a contract for 18 hours can be discussed. We offer you a temporary contract for the duration of one year. 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 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.