As senior researcher greenhouse crop management and cultivation, you play a leading role in research into integral sustainable greenhouse cultivation of vegetables and ornamental crops. Your research will focus on maximizing plant potential, drawing on knowledge of plant physiology and employing innovative technologies.

From a solid plant physiological basis you will work on the innovation and improvement of the cultivation of plants in greenhouses. You will work integratively on all aspects of cultivation, from the technical setup to climate- and crop management strategies. Important topics are e.g. the response of crops to the greenhouse climate, energy-efficient lighting systems and dehumidification. Additionally, the research focuses on a data-driven approach, exploring the role of digitization in crop cultivation and management, enhancing the resilience of cultivation systems by design. You will also contribute to the cultivation of new crops and development of new cultivation systems.

Your duties and responsibilities as senior researcher include:

• Acquiring multidisciplinary projects, including B2B- and Public-Private Partnership projects;
• Maintaining contacts with companies and organizations in the sector and the government;
• Involving stakeholders in research projects;
• Leading (multidisciplinary) projects and supervising (junior) researchers;
• Presenting research results to clients and target groups; both through trade journals and presentations for the sector and through scientific articles and presentations at academic conferences;
• Acting externally as an expert on behalf of the organization, both nationally and internationally.

Your team
You will work within the team Crop Management & Cultivation, one of the 6 research teams of the Business Unit (BU) Greenhouse Horticulture in Bleiswijk. The team consists of 18 people, who collectively work on the optimisation or development of crop production systems in greenhouse horticulture and flower bulbs.

You are an enterprising and creative researcher with good communication skills. You cooperate well with others, both internally and externally, and you have effective project management skills.

You also possess:

• Relevant education at MSc or PhD level, for example horticulture, plant sciences or biology;
• At least seven years of relevant work experience;
• Knowledge of plant physiology and cultivation of greenhouse crops, specifically crop-climate interaction and integration of horticultural technology in cultivation systems, including energy-efficient LED lighting. Broad interest in cultivation and cultivation aspects such plant pathology.
• Proven acquisition experience.
• Affinity with working in a contract research organization.
• Proficient in both Dutch and English.
• Driver’s License B.

In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about language level C1 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
The Business Unit (BU) Greenhouse horticulture of Wageningen Plant Research is located in Bleiswijk

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, up to 40 hours per week;
• 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 4%;
• 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 maximum €6.763,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 12). Additionally, a contract for 0,89FTE can be discussed. You will initially receive a one-year contract.

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.

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 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.