Data Platform Specialist

Bring Structure, Clarity, and Direction to a Data-Driven Policy and Research Environment

Are you analytically strong, enjoy creating order within complex data flows, and a team player who connects people to move forward together? Do you like working at the intersection of technology, content, and organization? Then we are looking for you.

We manage and develop a data platform that collects information on agricultural practices, sustainability, economic performance, and environmental impact. This data is used for national and European policy, scientific research, and statistics.

The playing field is complex: you’ll work with many systems, chains, data sources, and stakeholders – from developers to researchers, from architects to end users. Within the team responsible for the platform, we are looking for a Data Platform Specialist who brings structure to information models and processes, and helps develop clarity and ownership.

You will contribute to organizing data flows, ensuring information is available in the right place, and fostering shared understanding of what we do – and why. You ensure that existing models stay up to date and that disruptions are quickly resolved: if the platform goes down, we need to act immediately – otherwise, 60 colleagues are unable to work.

What will you do?

• Model and structure data: entities, attributes, and their relationships.
• Document and analyze data collection and processing workflows.
• Set up data structures, screen configurations, and validation rules within the platform.
• Setting up data pipelines for various sources.
• Integrate external data sources into the system.
• Identify bottlenecks and monitor data quality.
• Improve workflows and documentation in collaboration with stakeholders.
• Act as an ambassador: explain, collaborate, and foster insight and ownership.
• Serve as a bridge between users, operations, architecture, and development.

During the migration phase, you will work with two systems, learn how they function, and help build a reliable transition to the new platform.

Senior Fullstack Softwareontwikkelaar

Contribute to an Advanced Data Collection Platform for Policy and Sustainability

Do you have a keen eye for software architecture, technical depth, and social relevance? Would you like to contribute to a platform that will become the backbone for policy data on agriculture? Then we’d love to meet you.

We are building a new, modern platform that collects information on sustainability, business operations, and environmental impact in the agricultural sector. This data is essential for policy-making, research, and European reporting.

At its core, the system is a metadata-driven data management platform, linked to a low-code user interface engine. This enables us to create dynamic forms, automatic validation, and smart workflows. AI applications – such as integration of LLM technology (e.g., GPT/OpenAI) – are on the roadmap.
As a Senior Fullstack Software Developer, you’ll play a key role in the technical development. You will work in a multidisciplinary scrum team alongside data, platform, and domain specialists.

What will you do?

• Build full-stack functionality with a modern JavaScript frontend (preferably Vue.js).
• Develop a rule engine in C#, using design patterns such as the Visitor pattern.
• Design and implement RESTful APIs.
• Contribute ideas on the use of LLM technology (such as GPT).
• Work in a scrum team with plenty of room for technical input.

Project Manager Maintenance

Are you an independent technician with a heart for sustainable technology and the ambition to grow? In this varied position as Project Leader Maintenance (Mechanical Engineering) at Wageningen University & Research, you will have the space and the confidence to make mechanical installations in complex buildings — from laboratories to teaching spaces — future-proof. Curious? Read on!

No day is the samein this versatile position as Project Manager Maintenance. You pick up replacements and expansions and actively contribute to sustainable improvements. You also contribute to the multi-year maintenance plan (MJOP) and ensure that the plans you draw up are actually implemented later. You independently plan your projects, request quotes and manage contractors during implementation. In doing so, you keep an eye on safety and smooth cooperation with colleagues, such as technical administrators and location managers.

You will work in a friendly and expert team within the Facilities and Services department, where everyone helps each other and works together on smart, sustainable solutions.

Your most important tasks:

• You ensure that maintenance and replacement of installations are properly prepared, planned and carried out;
• You keep in touch with contractors and advisors and make sure everyone knows what needs to be done;
• You pay attention to safety and prevent nuisance during the work;
• You check reports of inspections and ensure that errors are resolved;
• You contribute to the maintenance planning and the budget for the coming years (MJOP);
• For buildings outside the campus, you are the point of contact for maintenance and malfunctions.

Your team
You will be working in the Construction & Housing Management team of Wageningen University & Research. Together we take care of the buildings and installations, such as laboratories, heat pumps and smart technology. Everything has to be sustainable and future-proof – we even want to get rid of gas completely within two years!

You will join a nice and friendly team of about 20 colleagues. We work together with experts in engineering and construction. The atmosphere is informal, there is time for a joke and we occasionally organize a drink or outing. You work on a modern campus, with nice workplaces, good coffee and green spaces to consult or relax.

Watch an impressionof our last Meet-Up here. This will give you an even better picture.

Junior Lecturer Water Resources Management 0,8 FTE

As part of the ESG, the Water Resources Management (WRM) group is seeking to recruit a Junior Lecturer (Docent 4) in the field of the socio-technical aspects of water management for two years.

The department of Environmental Sciences (ESG) of Wageningen University provides fundamental research and academic education on our living environment: nature, landscape, land usage, adaptation to climate change, water and ocean management, and the various competing claims on space. This also includes biodiversity and the sustainability of management and production. Wageningen University is part of the Wageningen University and Research Centre concern.

The Water Resources Management (WRM) group is engaged in interdisciplinary research and education at the intersection of water, technology and society. We study integrated water resource management and governance questions in both the global South and North. Central in our study are questions as to how patterns of allocation and use of water can be explained as the combined outcome of technological choices, socio-ecological dynamics and cultural-political negotiation processes and other forms of socio-political interaction.

Job description:

The Junior Lecturer will have the following education responsibilities, to be further developed based on experience and interest:

• Inputs to the Bachelor International Land and Water Management courses
• Supervise BSc internship and thesis students in the field of water resources management (4-5 students per year);

2. Education development and innovation (10% time allocation)

• Education innovation tasks, such as Design 2;

3. Academic services and outreach (10% time allocation)
The Junior Lecturer will work partly on tasks that link research and education and support the chair group, such as organizing education seminars.

PhD in climate information services for salinity management and sustainable adaptation strategies in Bangladesh Delta

Are you passionate about facilitating agricultural adaptation strategies and improve the livelihood of farmers living in the saline regions of the Bangladesh Delta? Do you want to pursue an interdisciplinary PhD research project about climate services to support salinity management and sustainable agriculture in Bangladesh? If so, an exciting job opportunity is waiting for you!

The Earth Systems and Global Change Group, Wageningen University, is looking for a motivated doctoral (PhD) candidate to join an interdisciplinary research project focused on “Adaptive delta management for climate resilient agriculture and food security in Bangladesh”. This PhD project will co-create and co-design climate information services for short-to-long-term adaptation strategies for smallholder farmers to tackle weather and salinity problems in Bangladesh via living lab approach.

As part of this project, you will be involved in the following key objectives:

• Needs assessment – Through living labs, you will identify gaps, needs, local and scientific local weather forecast knowledge required for small-scale, saline cropping systems in the study area.
• Co-design climate information services for salinity management in the DROPapp by integrating local and scientific knowledge. In this project, you will integrate the local forecasts based on observed local ecological indicators and scientific forecasts based on numerical weather prediction using Machine Learning approach (hybrid forecast). The app is also expected to be equipped with seasonal forecast for agricultural planning. You will co-design the short-, medium-, and long-term adaptation strategies based on both the salinity information and weather forecasts.
• Co-production of adaptation strategies – You will co-develop short- to long-term strategies with smallholder farmers to address weather variability and salinity intrusion. Building on challenges identified through living labs and in collaboration with local stakeholders, you will design adaptation strategies that respond to climate change impacts on agriculture and aquaculture. Using the DROPapp, you will support decisions on crop calendars, salt-tolerant varieties, water management, and early warning-based actions.
• Evaluate the benefit of adaptation strategies and climate information services - You will perform a comprehensive evaluation of the technical, socio-economic, and environmental benefits of adaptation strategies and climate information services implemented in the farmers’ communities compared with control communities. We expect that the updated climate services used by farmers will improve farmers’ livelihood.

Your duties and responsibilities in this role will include:

• Conducting research and analysis within the framework of the project
• Improving climate information services, DROP app, by incorporating hybrid forecast and agricultural advice based on seasonal forecast
• Contributing to designing adaptation strategies including Nature-Based Solutions to cope with climate change-induced salinity issues at the delta regions
• Publishing research results in peer-reviewed journals
• Contribute to teaching activities (total teaching activities, incl. student supervision represent up to 10% of total working time)