Secretary

As the secretary of our business unit, you support and relieve our management team in secretarial and administrative matters. Since much of the communication here is in Dutch, fluency in the Dutch language is a requirement for this role. Together with your fellow secretary, you serve as the point of contact for the employees of the Business Unit Agrosystems Research of Wageningen Plant Research in Wageningen and their external contacts.

You excel at prioritizing tasks and assertively, yet pleasantly, addressing issues when appropriate. Additionally, you enjoy being the connecting and stable factor for the employees of our business unit. You are alert and have an eye for both important and urgent matters. You can switch gears quickly and are attentive to things that are important to the organization. With your positive attitude, attention to relevant details, and ability to handle matters effectively, people enjoy working with you.

Your tasks and responsibilities as a secretary include:

• Preparing, organizing, and recording meetings of the AGRO MT and business unit gatherings;
• Managing the agenda, including planning a large number of meetings and discussions in an accurate, careful, and proactive manner;
• Ensuring the proper flow of all important information; providing relevant information to others upon request and on your own initiative, including onboarding new employees;
• Performing general tasks such as handling phone calls, providing information, welcoming guests, handling mail, processing signed documents, managing sick and recovery reports, and arranging catering and other facilities;
• Preparing, or at the request of the supervisor, applying for, submitting, or processing changes in HRM systems;
• Performing other administrative tasks: entering orders into the purchasing system, booking travel, approving and processing invoices, and digital archiving.

You will work together with your fellow secretary, the three team leaders, and the business unit manager of Agrosystems Research.

You are curious and eager to learn, connecting, customer- and service-oriented, always looking for improvement in work processes, able to handle stress and spontaneous tasks well, and enjoy working in a team;

You also possess:

• An education at least at MBO-4 level (secretarial direction) and preferably HBO thinking level;
• Demonstrable extensive experience as a management supporter (experience working for multiple managers simultaneously is a plus);
• An innate organizer, which is evident in excellent planning skills, structured work, and working according to procedures;
• A clear way of communicating and pleasantly conveying (binding) agreements;
• The ability to work independently while also focusing on collaboration and mutual alignment;
• Excellent command of the Dutch language and a good command of the English language, both spoken and written;
• Excellent proficiency in MS Office;
• Affinity and proficiency with various ICT systems.

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;
• 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 8,3%;
• 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 of between € 2.695,- and € 3.551,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 7). Additionally, a contract for 24 to 36 hours can be discussed. You will initially receive a one-year contract, which will be extended to an open-ended contract upon in mutual enthusiasm.                                                                                                   

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.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland and with your work you have a clear and positive impact on society. At WUR we work on the most pressing challenges of our time, like climate change and feeding the world in a sustainable way. 

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.

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.

For more information about this position, please contact Mira Teofanovic, secretary, +31317 487 231, or Elise Jacobs, secretary, +31317 480 529 or by e-mail: [email protected]

For more information about the procedure, please contact [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 August 12, 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 .

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.