Program Coordinator

Your job
Wageningen University and Research (WUR) is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Project Coordinator to join our team. You will play a pivotal role in the management and organization of various research programs, primarily focusing on food, nutrition, agriculture, food systems, and public health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), especially in Africa and Asia.

The Chairgroup Global Nutrition runs several smaller and larger research projects, from PhD projects to larger research projects financed by the EU or CGIAR in collaboration with many partners, both globally and from LMICs.  These projects are in different phases, from proposal development, contract negotiations, through data collection and analysis, to reporting. You will support the program leadership in all phases of the projects, staying in contact with both leadership, PhD students and/or partners, depending on the project.

In general, the focus of the projects of the Chairgroup is on nutritional needs and interventions to improve human health across the life span. Determinants studied include e.g. the local food environment and costs of diet; regarding outcomes also the impact on indicators of sustainability such as green-house gas emissions are taken into account. Assessment of dietary intake of households and individuals in various contexts is an important expertise.

What will you do?

• management and organization of several research programs;
• coordinate technical reporting, including planning, tracking outputs and outcomes, ensuring input from partners if needed, report editing;
• coordinate financial reporting, including planning, tracking burn rates, and coordination of time writing and partners;
• liaise with Contractmanagement and acquisition to support program leadership and partners in contract and acquisition issues;
• support program leaders hip and partners in the coordination of programs;
• support project team and partner meetings, including agenda setting, meeting place arrangements, minutes, and support for visa;
• coordinate WUR project websites and social media expressions as needed;
• support international PhDs, including overseeing visa applications, housing, and monitoring fulfilling requirements of Hora Finita;
• support program leadership in travel arrangements, including security requests, etc.

Your qualities

You have a Master’s degree in a relevant field such as nutrition, public health, economics, agricultural economics, international development, or agriculture.

You also have:

• knowledge and experience (>7 years) in program management and coordination;
• working experience with programs focused on food, nutrition, agriculture, food systems, and public health in LMICs;
• demonstrated experience interacting with partners and stakeholders, including donors, governments, non-governmental and UN organizations, researchers, and other stakeholders in LMICs;
• excellent writing and editing skills, and fluency in spoken English;
• excellent computer skills, including experience with program management software;
• excellent interpersonal skills and ability to interact and communicate with diverse audiences;
• ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment; excellent organizational skills and attention to detail;
• preferred: Ability to contribute to research on nutrition, diets, food environments, and other nutrition topics;
• preferred: Experience working in East and Southern Africa and in East and South Asia is an advantage;
• preferred: Ability to travel nationally and internationally if needed;

Please note

: Due to immigration restrictions from the Dutch Government, this position is only open for candidates who are EU Passport holders. It is not possible to obtain a work permit for this position if you are from outside of the EU.

In our international working environment in the working language is English. For this position language level C1 in English is required. If you do not yet manage at this level, WUR will offer you support through our language center Wageningen in'to Language

Although you might see plenty challenges in the work offered in this vacancy, these challenges also offer development opportunities. If you think 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.

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 €3226,- and €5090,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the

Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU)

(scale 10). We offer you a contract for 24 hours a week on average (with flexibility for international travel. Additionally, a contract for 32 hours a week can be discussed. Initially, we offer you a one-year contract, which will then be extended to an open-ended contract if there is mutual enthusiasm. 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.

Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

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 and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, 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 Inge Brouwer, professor, by e-mail: [email protected] .

For more information about the procedure, please contact Rutger Voorrips, corporate recruiter, by e-mail: [email protected] .

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 the 6th of May 2024. Don’t wait with your application. As soon as we have suitable applications we will start the first interviews.

Procedure
As part of our selection process, an assessment may be incorporated within the procedure.

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 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.