Program Leader Sustainable Land Use

We are looking for an enthusiastic Program Leader Sustainable Land Use, who will lead the program and thus help realize the strategic goals of the Environmental Sciences Group (ESG) of Wageningen University & Research (WUR). 

A program team is accountable for propagating a professional and customer-oriented work culture based on our core and cultural values. Through the program leaders, our mission and ambitions are made concrete. They channel the efforts of employees to acquire, innovate and execute projects. This is where 'inside' and 'outside' meet. 

Our five programmes work to embed the disciplinary and interdisciplinary expertise in integral, whole-of-society approaches aimed at achieving societal impact. Such a programmatic approach to today’s complex societal challenges mobilizes the diverse knowledge needed to enable policy coherence and actions across sectoral siloes. It also moves research beyond short term projects, which helps to create longer contact time and support needed to achieve societal outcomes and impact. 

Sustainable Land Use program  
The goal of the Sustainable Land Use program is to develop and implement sustainable societal solutions for global land use challenges. Global landscape and ecosystem resilience is under increasing pressure: climate change, increasing urbanisation and migration, and the growing demand for food, animal feed, fibres and fuels are forcing us to change our land use. It makes us aware how we depend on our ecosystems. We work on the following topics: 

• Healthy soils for responsible production 
• Sustainable production systems for zero hunger 
• Climate-smart land use for climate action 
• Mobilising the data revolution for sustainable development 
• Fair and functional land use for life on land 

You have a completed university education, preferably in the domain of the program. You can think strategically, are able to develop a vision and communicate it. A networker pur sang who can act commercially skillfully with persuasiveness. You are able to set priorities and combine that with decisiveness. 

• You are a connector and networker and seen (inter)nationally as a logical partner to organize innovations and research with. You actively maintain your network know-how to inspire internally and externally;
• You know how to convince (key) customers/stakeholders at a high level of new strategic themes with high impact for the customer;
• You can give presentations at (inter)national meetings, both scientific and non-scientific, and excel in the integration knowledge developed in different parts of ESG;
• You are a strategist, have vision and dare to make choices. You ensure coherence and coordination with other program leaders, (team) leaders and the ESG researchers; 
• You are responsible for acquisition within your own program and find balance in the portfolio of projects aimed at knowledge development, knowledge valorization and a healthy financial return in the short and long term;
• You are an entrepreneur who realizes turnover and returns on the (inter)national market by building lasting relationships with (key) customers and stakeholders. You proactively translate current trends and developments into customized propositions. 
• You shape your program around dynamic topics, and you enthuse a team of topic leaders to work with you on the propagation on the program. Together you tie an ESG-wide team of researchers to the program that helps shape externally focused activities; 
• You are sensitive to financial and legal preconditions that are part of the negotiation process with (key) clients and stakeholders. 

In addition, you share our core and cultural values. These are: 

1. Entrepreneurial (we show courage in creating (new) market opportunities);

2. Collaborative (we are focused on working with each other and others);

3. Reliable (we do what we promise);

4. Flexible (we are agile and decisive);

5. Trustworthy (we have confidence in each other and in the direction of WENR).

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, 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 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 € 4,862,- and € 7,306,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 13). Additionally, a contract for 0.8 FTE can be discussed. You will initially receive a one-year contract, which will be extended to an open-ended contract upon 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.

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 helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling. For instance under the "30% rule", certain categories of international staff can receive tax exemption on approximately 30% of their gross salary.

Voor meer informatie over deze functie kun je contact opnemen met Bram de Vos, Algemeen Directeur ESG, e-mail: [email protected]  

For more information about the procedure, please contact Nannie van Berkel-Hijlkema, sr. HR Business Partner, 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 Monday January 15th 2024. We hope to schedule the first job interviews soon afterwards.

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.

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, 7,200 employees (6,400 fte) and 13,200 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.. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen’s unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.

These are the points our employees list as good reasons to come work at WUR: read the 5 reasons to come work at WUR

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.