Researcher Biodiversity & Agro-Ecology

Your job

Are you an experienced researcher in biodiversity and agro-ecology, and do you like to contribute to the development of knowledge on urgent social issues concerning the green living environment? Do you have extensive knowledge of landscape and agriculture, and do you enjoy conducting applied scientific research within a project organization? Then we are looking for you!

Within the Biodiversity and Policy (BB) team, we are looking for a new colleague. With your knowledge of biodiversity and agro-ecosystems, you will perform applied research on the subject nature-inclusive agriculture, landscape, and nature restoration to promote biodiversity both nationally and internationally. You will work project-based on projects focusing on monitoring, protecting, and restoring biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, including policy studies. You will carry out research, process and interpret research results within project frameworks, and write publications, including peer-reviewed scientific articles and Dutch reports and articles. You will also contribute ideas for new acquisitions and, in time, take the lead in these efforts. Supervision of more junior researchers also will be part of your work.
Examples of projects we work in are: EU Agro-ecologypartnership , Monitoring SBB experimenten, KPI-kringlooplandbouw

Your qualities

• A MSc or PhD in Biology, Forest and Nature Management, Agro-ecology, or similar.
• A researcher/system thinker capable of structured reflection on complex issues.
• Extensive experience in designing and coordinating (field) research on Dutch flora and fauna, landscapes, and forms of (agricultural) management is required.
• Extensive experience as a project leader in inter- and transdisciplinary research. You act proactively and can achieve the agreed results on time. You can translate ecological knowledge into policy.

In our working environment most of the communication is in Dutch and there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position proven oral and written communication skills at least Dutch (B2 level) and English language level C1 is required.
You can see that there are plenty of challenges ahead of you. If you don’t yet have the track-record required in the vacancy but are recently graduated and consider these challenges as development opportunities, 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:

• 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 hours by working more;
• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• 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. We offer, depending on your experience, a competitive gross salary of between €3,693,- and €5,737,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 11). Additionally, a contract for 32 hours can be discussed. You will initially receive a one-year contract, which will be extended to an open-ended contract upon in mutual enthusiasm. 
                                                                                                  
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 multi-faceted 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 with your work you have a clear and positive impact on society. At WUR we work on the most pressing challenges of our time, like climate change and feeding the world in a sustainable way. 

Do you want more information?

For more information about this position, please contact Joke de Jong, Team Lead of the Biodiversity and Policy Team, e-mail: joke.dejong@wur.nl  or project lead Anne van Doorn, e-mail: anne.vandoorn@wur.nl

For more information about the procedure, please contact Edgar Tijhuis, corporate recruiter edgar.tijhuis@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 August 19^th 2024. We hope to schedule the first job interviews in week of September 2^nd 2024.

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

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.