Programme director Data Science for Global Challenges en Food and Health

Your job

As program director you are responsible for the integral quality of 2 programs on applied data science. These are the MSc program Data Science for Food and Health, which is now 3 years old, and the newly established BSc program Data Science for Global Challenges, which will start in September 2025. Together with the program committee, teachers, students and program team you will make these programs a success.

Your duties and responsibilities as program director are:

• The start-up of the new program, including the creation and setup of a new program team that the program director will lead;
• Day-to-day care of the programs, including:
  • Continuous development of the curricula of the programs, in consultation with teachers, students and representatives of the field and given the available budget. This ongoing development includes educational innovation at the program level and the implementation of Wageningen University's educational vision;
  • Evaluating and monitoring the quality of components and the entire program, respectively;
  • Consultation with teachers on content and form of subjects in the curriculum and the budget available for the subject;
  • Recruiting and providing information (or having it provided) to ensure a sufficient intake of students;
  • Advising on admission of bachelor and master students;
  • Contact with the examination board, Student Service Centre, etc.
• Coordinating with fellow program directors and with colleagues elsewhere in the organization;
• Leading the program team;
• Advising the program committee on developments in education and the organization as a whole;
• Advising the relevant general directors (SSG, AFSG, PSG) on faculty promotion through participation in BACs.

You will collaborate with colleagues within and outside your own department and be in contact with lecturers from a variety of fields who contribute to the success of these programs. You will perform the position in Wageningen, with the ability to work partially from home.

Work setting
The work setting we strive for within this section is one in which program directors do not work alone, but in collegial cooperation with other program directors and within their program team. Together, the program directors give substance to:

• discussing issues such as (selection and) admission, quality assurance, implementation of policy regarding study advice and educational innovation;
• developing plans and their implementation for the programs in the relevant domain in line with or as a result of the implementation of the educational vision;
• cooperation across the program teams (sharing best practices, seeing where staff from teams can help out or replace each other, where additional expertise is needed for the teams as a whole, etc.).
• The programme director we’re looking for will work most closely together with the colleagues within the Technology & Nutrition area.

Your qualities

You are/have:

• an academic (master) level of thought and work, a PhD is a plus;
• knowledge of and strong affinity for data science and additionally one or some of the application areas of the program;
• a π-profile ('pi-shaped professional), by which we mean that the candidate 'has knowledge of both data science and one or more content areas of the programs, but also brings knowledge and attitude to connect them.
• knowledge of the adjacent courses at such a level that you can
  • see conceptual differences between your own programs and the related programs (in design, educational model, didactic content, learning objectives to be achieved);
  • identify conceptual and content overlap;
  • recognize best practices of the own programs and adjacent programs and can use this to improve the own programs.
• some experience with financial management (is a plus);
• knowledge of and experience with educational management;
• knowledge of and experience with digitization in education;
• conceptual ability; especially in the area of “bridge building” between data science and application areas;
• experience in leading a team;
• ability to build a relevant network for the position, or if present to expand it.

Competencies

• Oriented towards people and the academic environment;
• Strong in driving and connecting different parties;
• Resistant to (work) pressure, able to switch quickly;
• Persuasive, able to motivate and substantiate;
• Organizational sensitivity, good feel for administrative relations;
• Innovative, future-oriented and solution-oriented;
• Good contact skills, including intercultural communication skills, committed;
• Directs for results; but also understands values such as solidarity and justice;
• Connecting people and a team player.

In our international working environment there is a significant amount of communication in English. For this position it is about language level C2. Due to the content and context of this position, including the dual-language setup of the new BSc programme, this C2 language level requirement applies both for Dutch and English.

You can see that there are plenty of challenges ahead of you. These challenges can also be seen as development opportunities. So if you do not yet have the track-record required in the vacancy, but do have solid work experience, we would also like to invite you to apply.

We offer you

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

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more,  per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between € 6,224.- and € 7,575.- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 13). Initially, we offer you a one-year contract for 0.5 fte. This contract will be extended to an open-ended contract if there is mutual enthusiasm and unchanged situation. You are appointed in the position as programme director for a duration of 5 years, after these 5 years you can either be re-appointed or you’re expected to move to another position within Wageningen University & Research. Of course, we would be happy to discuss this with you if you have any questions.

Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 19^th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
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.
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 and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, 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.

Do you want more information?

For more information about this position, please contact Rolf Marteijn, current programme director, cellphone +31 6-30462450, email rolf.marteijn@wur.nl  or  prof.dr. Arnold Bregt, Dean of Education, 
cellphone +31 6-25030244, email arnold.bregt@wur.nl.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Edvard Jongschaap, corporate recruiter, email edvard.jongschaap@wur.nl

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including 7 October 2024. We schedule the first job interviews on 18 October 2024.

Procedure
As part of our selection process, an assessment may be incorporated within the procedure

Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment.

We are

Wageningen University & Research
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 this video to get an idea of our green campus!

Education and Student Affairs
Within Wageningen UR, Education and Student Affairs is the central department with strategic, policy-related, executive and support tasks in the field of education. The department matches education supply and demand, is responsible for quality assurance in education and develops and implements education policies. The department coordinates and facilitates the preparation and implementation of crucial processes such as accreditations, visitations and other quality audits focused on education at Wageningen University. The department provides services to (potential) students and faculty of our university and supports the operational processes in education.

Education
Part of Education & Student Affairs is the “Education” section, which, among other sections, has a group of 20 program directors for the NVAO-accredited programs as well as their program teams (student advisors, student information officers, secretariats).

The Dean of Education leads this section.

The program director we are looking for will be part of this group.

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves and do not appreciate unasked for services from recruitment agencies. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.