Senior Data Scientist in Nutrition and Health Research

As senior data scientist you will contribute to answering research questions within the nutrition and health domain. The Division of Human Nutrition and Health has access to many large comprehensively phenotyped and genotyped human dietary intervention and cohort studies.

In your work, you will integrate various types of data, such as dietary and lifestyle data (including biomarkers of intake and exposure), -omics data (e.g. genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics), functional data (e.g. fat distribution), sensor data (e.g. continuous glucose monitoring) as well as clinical data and investigate them in relation to short- and long-term health outcomes. To study these high-dimensional and complex data, you will apply state-of-the-art data-analytical techniques, such as machine learning methods. To gain insight into the underlying mechanisms between nutrition and health, it is crucial that predictive, integrative and causal analyses are taken into account.

As senior data scientist, you will provide data science support and perform your research in collaboration with faculty members who combine lifestyle factors as well as biological measurements to study their mutual influence on health outcomes. You will collaborate with nutritionists, epidemiologists, and (molecular) biologists, and will thus work in a multidisciplinary setting.

• a PhD degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence or a related field;
• several years of experience post PhD in mastering and applying novel computational solutions to complex biological questions;
• excellent skills in R. Experience with python/ matlab would be appreciated;
• demonstrable affinity with nutrition research;
• the ability to manage multiple projects at the same time;
• the ability to effectively convey your expertise to and collaborate with researchers outside your field;
• the ability to work in a team;
• good English writing and oral communication skills;

In our international working environment there is more and more communication in English. For this position, C2 English language level is required. 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:
Your position will be embedded in the Division of Human Nutrition and Health . You will be supervised by Dr. Lydia Afman and Dr. Fränzel van Duijnhoven .

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, up to 40 hours 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 € 5929,-. for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10/11). 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.

For more information about this position, please contact Dr. Lydia Afman, telephone number: +31 317 485789 or by email: [email protected] or Dr. Fränzel van Duijnhoven, telephone number: +31 317 485375 or by email: [email protected] .

For more information about the procedure, please contact Rutger Voorrips, recruiter, by email: [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 8th of April 2024. We hope to schedule the first job interviews in the second half of April.

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 .

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.