Full Professor and Chair of Soil Biology

Wageningen University & Research (WUR) is seeking a full professor (0.8 - 1.0 fte) to lead the Chair Group Soil Biology of Wageningen University.

The Soil Biology group seeks a chair holder to further strengthen and shape the research and education portfolio of the chair group and be accountable for its management.

As a chair holder you will be responsible for defining the research and education strategy of the group together with the team of academic and support staff that you will lead in an inclusive and motivating way. You will use your scientific expertise and global network to support and strengthen academic development of the group and its individual staff members, to maintain the international visibility of the group’s research and its societal impact, (co)create new research directions, collaborate with other disciplines and develop externally funded research programs. You will contribute to the development, innovation and execution of education in BSc, MSc and PhD courses, to maintain and strengthen the excellent reputation and position of WUR in national, European and international higher education.

About Soil Biology
Building on the mission of WUR, the mission of the Soil Biology Group is “To explore the potential of life to increase the quality of soil”. Our aim is to advance and share knowledge, through research and education, on how soil life can improve the quality and functioning of soils in agroecosystems around the world. Our mission is driven by research and education, focusing on two core themes: (1) Soils in a Changing Climate, which examines the role of soils in climate resilience; and (2) Healthy and Fertile Soils, which investigates interactions between soil biota and cycles of elements, and the effects of land management on soil biodiversity in agricultural contexts. We are dedicated to excellence in teaching linked to cutting-edge research, encouraging student engagement with the current societal challenges related to soils.

The group consists of an enthusiastic, diverse and creative team, including 30 PhD candidates, 10 supporting staff members and 14 academic staff members. The group contributes to teaching in 3 BSc and 5 MSc programmes of WU in the fields of biology, soil, plant and environmental sciences.

More information about the Soil Biology Group, the research projects, education and publications can be found with this document and at the WUR Soil Biology group Website.

Laboratory Analyst Virology (MBO/HBO) at WBVR in Lelystad

Would you like to work on projects that truly make a difference, for both animals and people?

As a Laboratory Analyst at Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR) in Lelystad, you will contribute directly to cutting-edge research on viral diseases in animals, including diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Your work is varied and challenging: one day you may be processing samples from studies for external clients, and the next you are supporting colleagues in developing new laboratory tests. Are you accurate, able to document your work in accordance with applicable quality requirements, and do you value working in a team? Then we would love to meet you.

Your tasks and responsibilities as a Laboratory Analyst include:

• (Assisting with the) collection, registration, processing, and analysis of various samples;
• Performing (classical) virological tests such as virus titrations and virus neutralization test;
• Applying molecular, cell biological, or immunological tests for further research (e.g., qPCR, immunocytochemistry, ELISA, EliSpot);
• Recording and documenting your work and results accurately;
• Reviewing data and results from other projects as part of quality control (QC) procedures.

Your team
At WBVR, you will have the opportunity to contribute to sociatally relevant research on infectious (animal) diseases. We offer a varied and dynamic role in a well-equipped laboratory with state-of-the-art facilities and techniques. You will join a positive working environment with both experienced and supportive colleagues.

You will work in changing team settings alongside project leaders, researchers, and fellow analysts, often on multiple projects at the same time. Communication lines are short, and even after your onboarding period, support is always available if needed. Depending on your interests and ambitions, there is also room for professional growth and development.

PhD position in Evaporation-driven self-assembly at fluid-fluid interfaces

Are you a highly motivated, curious researcher who is fascinated by the fundamental principles underlying evaporation of confined liquids and self-assembly at interfaces? Are you enthusiastic about interdisciplinary research at the intersection of hydrodynamics and soft matter physics? Are you excited about using a multifaceted approach combining advanced microscopy techniques, microfluidics, colloidal synthesis, and mathematical modelling? Then you could be the ideal PhD candidate for this position.

Self-assembled structures of colloidal particles and/or polymers at a liquid-air interface can be spontaneously generated when a multiphase multicomponent liquid volume in confinement (e.g. in a droplet or in a capillary) is driven out of equilibrium through evaporation. Such structures are ubiquitous in several biological and industrial processes. and leads to a multitude of interesting phenomena characterized by their rich physics, such as phase separation, stratification, compaction, and crystallization. The intricate and multiscale coupling between the evaporation-driven hydrodynamics and physicochemical interactions between the dispersed phases (e.g. solvents, particles, salts, polymers) is key for determining the final morphology of the self-assembled interfacial structure. However, precise and quantitative characterization of such self-assembly dynamics has thus far proven to be a challenge due to the large separation of length- and time-scales of the underlying physical processes.

We are looking for a highly motivated and skilled candidate for a PhD position who will experimentally investigate the fundamental mechanisms dictating evaporation-driven interfacial self-assembly in confined multiphase multicomponent liquids. By controlled experiments using high-resolution microscopic techniques, and by establishing a theoretical framework that captures the essential self-assembly dynamics, this research aims to advance the state-of-the-art in self-assembly dynamics, leading to an improved understanding of one of the most essential processes in soft matter science.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter chair group. You will be directly supervised by Dr. ir. Uddalok Sen (Physics of Soft Matter lab). You will be part of a small and highly interdisciplinary team. The project offers opportunities for local and international collaboration, guaranteeing a dynamic working environment. A part of the project is also affiliated with an academic-industrial collaboration and provides the opportunity to study interesting, complex physics, and solve real world problems.

(Sr) Functional Application Manager

Do you have the ambition to continuously improve HR processes and systems? Do you believe in making processes smarter with data? And are you someone who naturally takes the lead without losing connection? Then this is your chance to make a difference in our team!

What will you do?
As a Senior Functional Application Manager, you and your team manage all HR systems and links. You make sure everything works properly, think along about improvements and help professional users as a second-line user. In addition, you are also a cooperating Scrum Master/ Cooperating foreman. This means that you organize the work in the team, monitor the planning and ensure that everyone can work comfortably. You work together with colleagues inside and outside HR and ensure continuous improvement of our systems and processes.

The role of the application manager is changingSystems no longer stand alone, but work together – often in the cloud. Safety and smart links are becoming increasingly important. Also at WUR. That is why we are looking for administrators who think beyond just "does the button work?"
What we think is important (or what you want to learn):

• Privacy & data: You handle sensitive information with care.
• Cybersecurity: You think along about risks and work together with security.
• Smart permissions: Users can do what is necessary, no more.
• Managing suppliers: You estimate what does and does not suit WUR.
• Links & automation: You know (or learn) APIs and think along about smart, secure solutions.

In short: you make sure everything works and stays safe. Of course, you don't have to do this alone! We have several specialized teams that can support you in this.

Economic Researcher

Do you have experience conducting economic research on the Dutch or European agricultural sector? Would you like to contribute to sustainable and future-proof agriculture and agrifood chains through independent research? Then we are looking for you!

As an economic researcher, you will engage in applied research within dynamic, interdisciplinary project teams. Together with your team, you will examine the economic impact of various policy measures on agricultural businesses, supply chains, or broader economic systems. There are opportunities across multiple teams, so we can explore together which projects best align with your interests. Do you enjoy calculating the effects of policy measures on businesses? Are you keen to delve into the sustainability of agricultural value chains? Or would you prefer to develop our macroeconomic models? All of this is possible.

The focus is on projects for industry, as well as the Dutch and European governments. You may also participate in larger European research consortia. You will present your findings to clients and publish your results in (applied) scientific journals. Additionally, you will contribute to or lead acquisition processes. Within our teams, there are excellent opportunities to grow into a senior researcher or project leader role.
Examples of our work in agricultural economic research can be found here:
https://www.wur.nl/en/research-results/research-institutes/social-economic-research.htm

Your Team
Depending on your interests and the best fit, you will join one of the eleven expertise groups within Wageningen Social & Economic Research. Each group consists of 25–35 enthusiastic researchers from various countries and academic disciplines. You will work within changing project teams and often collaborate with other departments of Wageningen University & Research or external knowledge partners.