As program director you are responsible for the integral quality of 2 programs on Animal Sciences, the Bachelor (3 years) and the Master (2 years) in Animal Sciences. Both programs are being taught in English. Currently we are working on the implementation of three tracks in our Master program, i.e., Animals in Sustainable Food Systems, Animal Health and Diseases, and Animals in Biodiverse Ecosystems.

Together with the program committee, students, lecturers, professors and your program team, you will make these programs a success.

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 18 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.

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 Animal Science Group (ASG)

In our international working environment there is a significant amount of communication in English, especially while both programs are in English. For this position it is about language level C2. Due to the content and context of this position, including the fact that a significant number of colleagues is Dutch, this C2 language level requirement applies both for Dutch and English.

Your duties and responsibilities as program director are:

• 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 (coaching) the program team;
• Advising the program committee on developments in education and the organization as a whole;
• Advising the general director of ASG on faculty promotion through participation in BACs and ECPs.
• Close communication and collaboration with the Veterinary faculty in Utrecht, and with the 4 Universities of Applied Sciences.

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.

You are/have:

• an academic (master) level of thought and work, a PhD is a plus;
• knowledge of and strong affinity for the subareas within animal sciences with a main focus on sustainability and animal welfare and ethics;
• a π-profile ('pi-shaped professional), by which we mean that the candidate has strong knowledge on a certain area in Animal Sciences but also knowledge on adjacent areas, being able to connect these;
• knowledge of the adjacent courses and/or programs 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.
• experience and affinity with teaching and the organization of lecturing;
• experience and affinity with student counselling;
• some experience with financial management (is a plus);
• knowledge of and experience with educational management;
• knowledge of and experience with digitization in education;
• experience in leading a team;
• ability to build a relevant network for the position, or if present, to expand it.
• Language level C2 in both Dutch and English

Competencies

• Oriented towards people and the academic environment;
• Leadership style: coaching
• 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.

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;
• 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 €6.002,- and €7.305,- 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- 0.6 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 program 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 19th 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.

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 and do not appreciate unasked for services from recruitment agencies. However, sharing in your network is appreciated