Project assistant

Your job

We are seeking an enthusiastic and results-driven team player with a passion for supporting our  innovative educational and engaging activities. As a project assistant, you will be involved in various aspects of our work, including the organization of our student competitions and events, the recruitment of students, communications with our students and partners, and providing input and content for our social media. This role encompasses a diverse range of tasks, often requiring initiative and problem-solving skills, as well as recurring administrative responsibilities that demand organization and attention to detail.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• Contribute to the design and organization of online and live events, including logistical tasks.
• Assist in the planning and implementation of student recruitment for our Challenges and events.
• Coordinate and communicate with various individuals and organizations involved.
• Contribute to the communication and public relations for the Student Challenges, including content creation for our social media platforms.
• Provide administrative and office support.
• Attend networking events and engage in community management activities.

You will work with the team WUR Student Challenges, and support the two project leaders in the organization of their Challenges and events. Our team presently consists of 3 dedicated professionals who are experienced and passionate about delivering outstanding and impactful learning experiences to students. Our main objective is to organize the annual 'Signature’ and ‘Local Impact’ Challenges, while also coordinating a range of smaller student competitions and events. Additionally, we aim to establish ourselves as a central hub for student competitions at Wageningen University & Research, serving as a valuable resource where students can access information and receive support for their participation in these competitions.

Your qualities

• Strong communication skills, comfortable interacting with diverse groups, including students, colleagues and partners (companies, non-profits, government organisations and universities);
• Flexibility, creativity, and resilience, with the ability to devise pragmatic solutions.
• Well-organized, proactive, results-driven, and detail-oriented;
• Willingness to work at the Wageningen Campus for a minimum of two days per week, and occasionally work outside of regular working hours;
• Interested in education and sustainable development.

You also possess:

• Experience in organizing events.
• Experience in administrative support
• Experience in contributing to several projects at the same time.

In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about language level B2. If you do not yet have this level, we will of course help you and you can go to our language center Wageningen in'to Language.

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.

You will work here
WUR Student Challenges is positioned within Education & Students Affairs department (ESA) of Wageningen University & Research. ESA plays a central role in strategic planning, policy development, and execution of education-related tasks. It acts as a bridge between the educational offerings and student needs, ensuring the provision of high-quality education and implementing educational policies. In addition to managing accredited education programs, ESA also develops various educational elements to enrich the Wageningen educational ecosystem, including online education and extracurricular academic student competitions.

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 3.218 and € 4.298 for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 8).

This position (0.8 fte) starts with a one year contract with a possibility to extend. Extension is dependent on a joint evaluation and the availability of funds.

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. If you come with a partner, we offer a Dual Career group program organized by our Welcome Center. This program helps your partner to get familiar with the Dutch culture, labour market and assists your partner to find a job.

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 coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account 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  Rio Pals, manager WUR Student Challenges, at +31 (0)6 44584392 or by e-mail rio.pals@wur.nl.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Dick Lubbers, HR Business Partner, recruiter, at 0317 - 483536, or by email: dick.lubbers@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 Sunday 15^th December 2024. We will schedule the job interviews on Wednesday 18^th and Thursday 19^th of December.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.

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.