Full Professor and Chair Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics

The Division of Human Nutrition and Health of Wageningen University has an outstanding reputation in scientific research and education in the area of nutrition and health. The Division of Human Nutrition and Health comprises five chair groups. Due to the departure of one of the chair holders, a vacancy has become available for a full professor of the chair group Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics (NMG).

The mission of the NMG group is to contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of action of dietary nutrients and their impact on human health and metabolism. A multipronged approach is used that combines evidence generated in comprehensively phenotyped dietary intervention studies in humans with mechanistic substantiation in animal and in vitro studies, supported by advanced nutrigenomics technology platforms including transcriptomics and metabolomics.

The position of chair of the NMG group provides you with the opportunity to further develop your own research line and your leadership profile. Together with other staff members, you are responsible for the academic and operational management, including finances and HR, of this chair group. You will define the research strategy, lead the team of scientists, lecturers and support staff, and further strengthen the national and international position of the group. You are also responsible for teaching and innovations in BSc, MSc and PhD courses, with the objective of contributing to the strong reputation and position of WUR in higher education.

The NMG group was established in 2000, and has grown into a senior group comprised of 1 Chair holder, 2 Associate Professors, 3 Assistant Professors (of which 1 vacancy), 3 Postdocs, 4 Supportive Staff, 1 Lecturer and ~ 15 PhD students.

The Division of Human Nutrition and Health houses a total of 190 part-time and full-time employees including 90 PhDs and 20 postdocs. The Division has five full-time chairs: 1) Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics; 2) Global Nutrition; 3) Sensory Science and Eating Behaviour; 4) Nutrition and Disease; and 5) Nutritional Biology. Expertise within the Division comprises nutrition at the cellular, individual and population level. The five chair groups have a joint budget, and the chair of NMG will actively participate in managing the Division together with the other four chairs.

As a successful candidate,

you are a scholar with a PhD degree and an internationally proven scientific track record in the field of human nutrition, physiology of nutrient metabolism, molecular nutrition, nutrigenomics, (bio)medical science or related disciplines;

you have the talent, passion and skills to turn your visionary, long term ideas on development of human (molecular) nutrition, metabolism and genomics into concrete plans;

you have experience in developing and maintaining a broad (inter)national network with different partners (e.g. academic institutes, societal organizations, policymakers, private sector);

you have experience with and were successful in attracting funding and competitive grants;

you have experience with interesting and motivating students and with supervising students with diverse backgrounds. You also have experience in innovating and developing Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD level courses and programs;

you draw energy from and have experience in leading professionals in a multidisciplinary team. You bring empathic and inclusive leadership with a focus on people’s development, team building and creating synergy.

You will be working for an inspiring international organisation with a large number of interdisciplinary projects all over the world. The scientific quality of Wageningen University is affirmed by the prominent position we occupy in international rankings and citation indices.

We offer you a position as Full Professor of the Chair Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics. Besides a competitive salary (maximum gross salary for starting chair holders is € 9.680,- per month), we offer a number of additional benefits, such as an end-of-year extra month’s salary, a holiday allowance and a pension plan with the Dutch pension fund for government and education. International candidates moving to the Netherlands may benefit from a special tax relief, by which 30% of their salary is exempt from tax for 5 years. Have a look on https://www.wur.nl/en/Jobs/Moving-to-the-Netherlands.htm. Working hours can be discussed to optimize the work-life balance (32-38 hours per week)

Coming from abroad
We are a globally leading university in the life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen University, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

The university’s highly qualified team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family. A specialised staffing agency will help your partner to find a job. Furthermore, we can assist you in finding schools for your kids and assist you with finding housing in the region or elsewhere in the Netherlands. The Wageningen University & Research's (WUR) International Community page (https://www.wur.nl/en/International-students-and-staff.htm) contains practical information about what we do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen.

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!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.

Further information about the position can be acquired from prof. dr. Edith Feskens, Chair of Global Nutrition, Email: edith.feskens@wur.nl

Application
You are encouraged to upload your complete application via our website and address this to Ineke Ammerlaan, the secretary of the Appointment Advisory Committee. Four documents should be uploaded:

• A motivation letter (preferably one page A4)
• A curriculum vitae including the names of 4 references (in total max 4 page A4)
• A teaching statement (in total max ½ page A4)
• A list of publications

The closing date of the vacancy is October 16, 2023
The Committee will interview selected candidates for this position on November 22, 24 and 29, 2023. The Committee will thereafter invite short-listed candidates for a second interview and a public lecture on January 23 and 24, 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.