International Liaison Officer

Corporate Strategy & Accounts (CSA) is the department of Wageningen University & Research in which knowledge and expertise are bundled for the development of WUR-wide strategy and its translation into policy for education, research and value creation, nationally and internationally. CSA supports the implementation of the international ambitions of Wageningen University & Research. CSA does so by maintaining existing relationships and facilitating and developing new international activities for Wageningen University & Research in the field of research, education and value creation.

The international relations are coordinated by liaison managers who are responsible for specific regions (i.e. Africa, Asia, China, Europe, Latin America, Middle East) and specific stakeholders (i.e. science partners, multi-lateral development banks, UN organisations). The liaison managers are expected to:

• Develop and maintain a network with relevant parties, such as knowledge institutions, multilateral agencies, governmental bodies, embassies, NGO’s, business partners and funding agencies.
• Proactively identify new opportunities for international activities for Wageningen University & Research.
• Profile Wageningen University & Research internationally.
• Facilitate collaboration between scientists of Wageningen University & Research and (potential) partners; and
• Provide strategic advice to WUR management on international developments and the arising opportunities and challenges.

The activities focus on promising areas or countries within that region (in terms of societal, academic and economic impact), based on a strategic plan for that region. In WUR’s international activities the importance of the Middle East and Africa regions is growing and at the same time there is more (need for) interaction with multilateral partners like the United Nations organisations, Multilateral Development Banks and international donors. Therefore, CSA wants to strengthen activities of WUR in these regions and with these stakeholders. The activities are embedded in a wider international strategy of Wageningen University & Research, that has strong ties with national and European policies.

CSA is looking for an international Liaison Officer with a focus on the Middle East region while also working on activities in Africa and with multilateral organisations. You will closely work together with other liaison officers to play an active role in setting up and maintaining strategic relations.

You will support the implementation of the international ambitions of Wageningen University & Research to further increase its international activities. In close collaboration with relevant stakeholders, you will build/develop effective and efficient partnerships and networks and link them with relevant partners of Wageningen University & Research to increase our societal impact. You will closely interact with the employees of Wageningen University & Research who are active in the Middle East or Africa region or have an interest to become active. You will report to the Director of Corporate Strategy & Accounts.

The tasks of the international liaison officer are to:

• Contribute to the development of the international strategy of Wageningen University & Research.
• Act as liaison:
  
  • internally between researchers active in the regions, working with the specific partners, with international liaison colleagues.
  • externally between WUR and relevant stakeholders (knowledge & educational institutions, national authorities, embassies, donors).
• Together with the colleague liaison officers, draft engagement strategies for existing or potential partners/partners and facilitate their implementation.
• Advise the Executive Board and the WUR Management Board on international developments that are of strategic importance to WUR and on (new) strategic partnerships.
• Manage existing and develop new contacts with organisations and networks that are relevant for intensifying the international activities of Wageningen University & Research.
• Act as entry point for financers and (donor)organizations with the interest to initiate or increase activities with WUR.
• Organise internal and external science-policy dialogues.
• Active participation in receiving international delegations.
• Initiate, stimulate or facilitate initiatives between Wageningen University & Research and external partners.

Assistant Professor, Molecular Veterinary Parasitology

The Laboratory of Nematology invites applications for an Assistant Professorship in Molecular Veterinary Parasitology at Wageningen University. This position offers a unique opportunity to shape and advance fundamental parasitology in The Netherlands at a moment when the field is undergoing a paradigm shift. The rise in anthelmintic resistance, environmental side-effects of parasite control, and climate-driven changes in parasite dynamics make that we need to look beyond a drug-centered approach alone. This position contributes to redefining veterinary parasitology in research, education, and society in The Netherlands and beyond.

We envision to expand our research area with the following themes:

• molecular host–parasite interactions in livestock, companion, and wildlife animals;
• immunology and cell biology of helminth infections;
• foundations for rational vaccine design and alternative parasite control strategies;
• one-Health approaches linking animal health and environment under ongoing global changes.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• you will establish an independent, internationally recognised research line focusing on fundamental mechanisms underlying helminth infections in animal systems;
• you are expected to develop a competitive funding portfolio and will be supported in applying for prestigious personal grants (e.g., NWO and ERC) as main applicant, and in public-private partnerships and Horizon programs as (co-)applicant;
• you will teach in courses at BSc and MSc level, such as Basics of Infectious Diseases and Frontiers in Medical and Veterinary Biology.
• you will supervise thesis students from Biology, Animal Sciences, Molecular Life Sciences, and Biotechnology programs at Wageningen University;
• You will engage in outreach activities aimed at achieving societal impact.

This position is a Professor Career Path of the Academic Career Framework (ACF) at Wageningen University & Research. 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 acknowledged, by putting more emphasis on the quality of work instead of quantitative results. The framework does justice to the individual qualities and ambitions of academics as much as to team performance.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the chair Laboratory of Nematology (https://wur.eu/nem), which is led by Prof. Dr. Geert Smant (website). At the Laboratory of Nematology, we focus on nematodes and related organisms as key factors in soil resilience and nutrient cycling, and as a persistent threat to animal, human, and plant health. As a strong team, we address animal parasitic worms from different angles, such as genetic diversity, effects of anthelminthics on soil organisms, and vaccine development. As member of our team, you will be fully dedicated to animal host–parasite interactions, and will act as a unifying force within our Human and Animal Health research theme and work in close collaboration with Dr. Ruud Wilbers (website).

HR Business Partner

Ben je op zoek naar een uitdagende rol als HR Business Partner en wil je werken in een wetenschappelijke omgeving? Heb jij brede kennis van en ervaring met HR processen en diensten en heb je ervaring in het adviseren van leidinggevenden bij het implementeren van integraal HR beleid? Wil je pro-actief meebouwen aan de vormgeving van de dienstverlening van HR? Dan ben jij de collega die wij zoeken voor ons team HR van Animal Sciences Group!

Als HR business partner ben je sparringpartner, adviseur en procesbegeleider voor leidinggevenden van diverse leerstoelgroepen en onderzoeksgroepen (je bedient ca. 250 fte). Je bouwt aan professionele werkrelaties en je helpt hen HR beleid te implementeren. Met jouw advies, scherpe blik en verbindende stijl sluit je aan bij de behoefte van leidinggevenden, de uitdagingen waar zij voor staan en je helpt hen een stap verder. Ook WUR-breed denk en werk je mee aan HR-speerpunten en werk je nauw samen met specialisten vanuit het HR Centre of Expertise (CoE) voor Recruitment, Vital & Health en Learning & Development.

Jouw taken en verantwoordelijkheden als HR business partner zijn:

• Je bent sparringpartner voor leidinggevende op HR vraagstukken en organisatieontwikkeling en geeft daarbij zowel gevraagd als ongevraagd advies.
• Je speelt een proactieve rol bij de ontwikkeling en implementatie van HR beleid binnen de groepen, je adviseert over strategische personeelsplannen en organisatievraagstukken, over individuele en team casuïstiek en bent actief betrokken bij verandertrajecten.
• Je begeleidt de uitvoering van de HR (jaar) processen in nauwe samenwerking met je collega’s, HR-specialisten en andere samenwerkingspartners.
• Je geeft mede invulling aan de HR-agenda en bent (mede) verantwoordelijkheid voor de succesvolle implementatie van WUR HR-beleid; de focus ligt de komende jaren op organisatieontwikkelingen, cultuurverandering, leiderschapsontwikkeling, sociale veiligheid, implementatie van het Academic Career framework en verdere uniformering van de dienstverlening.
• Je neemt deel aan diverse HR-projecten binnen WUR als vertegenwoordiger vanuit ASG.

Jouw team
Jij gaat samenwerken met ons gedreven HR-team wat bestaat uit 6 HR BP’s en het hoofd HR. Daarnaast werkt het HR team samen met/ wordt ondersteund door een centraal georganiseerd team van HR services en specialisten vanuit het CoE, in totaal bestaat het HR team ASG uit 14 personen. Het HR team zit verspreid over vestigingen in IJmuiden, Lelystad en Wageningen. Samenwerken is binnen ons HR-team een belangrijke waarde. Als team werken we organisatie breed, nauw samen aan actuele onderwerpen op het gebied van o.a. personeel – en organisatieontwikkeling, team- en leiderschapsontwikkeling, arbeidsmarktvraagstukken, sociale veiligheid, hybride werken, vitaliteit en loopbaanontwikkeling waaronder binden en boeien van talentvolle collega’s.

HR Business Partner

Are you looking for a challenging role as an HR Business Partner and would you like to work in a scientific environment? Do you have broad knowledge and experience of HR processes and services, and are you skilled in advising managers on the implementation of integrated HR policy? Would you like to proactively contribute to shaping HR service delivery? Then you may be the colleague we are looking for to join the HR team of the Animal Sciences Group!

As an HR Business Partner, you act as a sparring partner, advisor and process facilitator for managers of various chair groups and research groups (you will support approximately 250 FTE). You build professional working relationships and support managers in implementing HR policies. With your sharp eye for detail, advisory skills and connecting approach, you tailor your support to managers’ needs and challenges, helping them move forward. Across WUR, you will also contribute to key HR priorities and work closely with specialists from the HR Centre of Expertise (CoE) in Recruitment, Vitality & Health, and Learning & Development.

Your tasks and responsibilities as HR Business Partner include:

• Acting as a sparring partner for managers on HR issues and organisational development, providing both solicited and unsolicited advice.
• Playing a proactive role in developing and implementing HR policy within the groups; advising on strategic workforce planning and organisational questions, on individual and team-related cases, and being actively involved in change processes.
• Guiding the execution of annual and ongoing HR processes in close collaboration with colleagues, HR specialists and other partners.
• Helping shape the HR agenda and being jointly responsible for the successful implementation of WUR HR policies; in the coming years, the focus will be on organisational development, cultural change, leadership development, social safety, implementation of the Academic Career Framework, and further standardisation of HR services.
• Participating in various HR projects within WUR as a representative of ASG.

Your team
You will be working within our dedicated HR team, consisting of six HR Business Partners and the Head of HR. The team is supported by a centrally organised HR Services team and specialists from the CoE. Altogether, the ASG HR team comprises 14 colleagues. The HR team is based across our locations in IJmuiden, Lelystad and Wageningen. Collaboration is a core value within our team. We work organisation-wide on current topics such as staff and organisational development, team and leadership development, labour market challenges, social safety, hybrid working, vitality, and career development - including attracting and retaining talented colleagues.

Please notice:

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”

Chemisch analist biopolymeren

Werk jij graag met moderne analysetechnieken zoals chromatografie, massaspectrometrie en NMR? Vind je het leuk om met geavanceerde apparatuur te werken en deze zelf te bedienen en te onderhouden? Heb je interesse in biopolymeren, zoals polysachariden en lignine? En wil je met jouw werk bijdragen aan een duurzame toekomst en een circulaire bio-economie? Dan zijn wij op zoek naar jou!

Wij zoeken een gemotiveerde en enthousiaste chemisch analist biopolymeren die onze onderzoeksprojecten op het gebied van biogrondstoffen komt versterken.

Wat ga je doen?
In deze functie werk je mee aan vernieuwend en praktisch onderzoek. Je taken zijn onder andere:

• Je onderzoekt en bewerkt biopolymeren om beter te begrijpen hoe ze werken en hoe hun eigenschappen kunnen worden verbeterd om fossiele verbindingen te vervangen in producten en materialen.
• Je gebruikt, onderhoudt en beheert verschillende analyseapparaten, zoals HPAEC, HPLC, SEC, LC-MS, MALDI-TOF-MS, FT-IR en NMR en de bij behorende data verwerking. Je zorgt dat alles goed blijft werken en lost kleine storingen op.
• Je voert experimenten uit samen met collega’s en onder begeleiding van een projectleider.
• Je verwerkt en presenteert je onderzoeksresultaten in duidelijke verslagen en presentaties.

Hoe werk je bij ons?
Je werkt in wisselende projectteams met een projectleider en één of meer onderzoekers. Je werkt aan verschillende projecten tegelijk, waardoor geen dag hetzelfde is. Je krijgt ruimte om je ideeën te delen, jezelf te ontwikkelen en nieuwe vaardigheden te leren.

Bij ons staat innovatie centraal. Je werkt in een omgeving waar jouw kennis en inzet echt worden gewaardeerd.

Wat doen wij?
Binnen onze onderzoeksgroep Biorefinery and Sustainable Value Chains doen wij toegepast wetenschappelijk onderzoek. Wij werken aan een circulaire bio-economie en een toekomst zonder fossiele grondstoffen en met minder CO₂-uitstoot.

Wij onderzoeken biogrondstoffen en biopolymeren. We kijken hoe deze stoffen zijn opgebouwd en hoe ze werken. Met deze kennis ontwikkelen we duurzame oplossingen, zoals milieuvriendelijke materialen, waterzuivering en ingrediënten voor persoonlijke verzorging.

Met jouw werk help je mee aan producten die bijdragen aan een betere wereld.