Executive assistant

Your job

Would you like to work as an executive secretary in an environment with friendly colleagues and a good work-life balance? Are you organizationally strong and enjoy taking work off your colleagues' hands? Then we are looking for you!

Due to the departure of one of our executive secretaries, we are seeking a new colleague. As a management assistant, you will provide secretarial, organizational, and administrative support to the management of the Social Sciences Group (SSG).

• You provide all-round support to the operations director of SSG, including complex agenda and email management, guest reception, correspondence, and various administrative tasks.
• You prepare meetings and take care of the minutes and follow-up. Communicating and taking minutes in English is no problem for you.
• You ensure, together with your colleagues, that administrative processes within the secretariat run smoothly, are well documented, and are coordinated with colleagues. You proactively contribute to improving processes.
• Together with your colleague (the executive secretary of the general director), you support organization-wide tasks and activities.

As an executive secretary, you are the first point of contact for colleagues and external contacts. These various contacts, both internal and external, national and international, make this position dynamic. Do you enjoy variety, action, and supporting your management? Then we have your dream job!

Your qualities

• You have a relevant, completed secretarial education at a minimum MBO level.
• You have an HBO work and thinking level.
• You have at least 5 years of experience as an (executive) secretary in a complex environment.
• You are fluent in both Dutch and English.
• You have extensive experience with software packages like MS Office and quickly adapt to new systems and procedures.

Additionally:

• You are collaborative and easily make new contacts.
• You can set priorities well, are stress-resistant, and have a friendly yet firm personality.
• You have environmental and organizational sensitivity.
• You can keep an overview of various tasks and work under time pressure.
• You work independently, are solution-oriented, and proactive.
• You know how to handle confidential information appropriately.

In our international working environment, more and more communication is conducted in English. For this position, you need at least a B2 language level. If you do not yet have this level, we are happy to help you through our language center, Wageningen in’to Languages.

We offer you

As an executive secretary at Wageningen University & Research, you benefit from excellent employment conditions. Highlights from our CAO include:

• Flexible working hours that can be set in consultation for an optimal work-life balance.
• The possibility to build extra compensation hours by working more.
• Sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave.
• Lots of attention to vitality with affordable use of sports facilities on campus.
• A structural year-end bonus of 8.3%.
• Excellent pension scheme through ABP.

These secondary employment conditions naturally include a suitable salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a market-conforming salary of at least €2,695 to a maximum of €3,551 for a full working week of 36 hours in accordance with the CAO Wageningen Research (scale 7). The appointment is for 28-32 hours. Initially, we offer you a one-year contract, which can be extended to a permanent contract upon mutual enthusiasm. We are happy to discuss any questions you might have.

Wageningen University & Research promotes internal growth opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are ample opportunities for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we offer excellent training opportunities. You get a versatile job in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You will be working on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, at a university that has been chosen as the Best University in the Netherlands for the 19th time!

Do you want more information?

For more information about this position, you can contact Karin Brakeboer via karin.brakeboer@wur.nl.

Would you like to apply?
You can do so directly via the application button on the vacancy on our website.

This vacancy is open until August 31, 2024. After the deadline, we will immediately schedule the first interviews.

Wageningen University & Research (WUR) has many employees with different backgrounds and qualities who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home with us and have the same career opportunities. Therefore, we specifically welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. Read more about how WUR handles inclusivity on the Working at WUR with a Disability page.

We are

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.