Research Assistant Flavour Technology

We are looking for

Do you have a passion for working with advanced analysis equipment and do you want to participate in the assessment of food and ingredients for smell and taste? Do you enjoy detecting anomalies and solving a flavour “puzzle”, both through chemical analysis and human tasting? Do you have a practical attitude and are you flexible in setting up new methods? Are you communicative and do you work precisely? Then we are looking for you!

We are looking for an enthusiastic, enterprising and competent research assistant for the design and implementation of specialist chromatographic and mass spectrometric analyses, especially in the field of aroma and taste compounds.
As a Research Assistant Flavour Technology you contribute to the further development of knowledge in the field of smell and taste of ingredients and food products, among other things by:

• setting up and executing experiments together with colleagues within multidisciplinary applied science research projects in the field of food process technology and product development;
• developing analytical (high-throughput) methods for identifying and quantifying flavour and taste components and determining key components in different matrices;
• developing and applying new in-vivo methods for the determination of product quality, sensory perception and multi-compound interaction, e.g. identifying substances that enhance desirable properties or mask undesirable properties;
• generating qualitatively and quantitatively reliable results, including using multivariate statistics and data analysis, and actively communicating these results to colleagues in the project teams;
• the day-to-day management of the equipment and planning of activities in the analysis laboratory.

Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, part of Wageningen University & Research, offers you a challenging and market-oriented environment where motivated scientific professionals conduct research for companies, government and knowledge institutions. In our Food Technology group, more than 45 people work on the development and practical implementation of knowledge and technology for the food industry. One of the spearheads of our research is the development of sustainable technologies for new ingredients (e.g. fermentation for aroma and taste compounds) and their application in healthy and safe food products (e.g. meat substitutes). In-depth knowledge in the field of smell and taste is essential, e.g. for the optimization of product quality and the prevention of deviations due to production and storage conditions. We work with a wide range of equipment to measure aromas and flavours in order to understand the impact on the odour and taste experience. These techniques include LC-MSMS, SICRIT/LC-Orbitrap (HRMS), PTR-HRMS, GC-MS, GC-MSMS, GC-O, Olfacto- and Gustometers.

We ask

• you are an enthusiastic, independent research assistant with good communication and technical skills and team spirit, you have problem-solving skills, you are quality-oriented and customer-oriented, you can plan and organise well and you have an eye for safety in the laboratory;
• you like variety and challenge, you can switch well between creative work and routine activities and you function well in a dynamic project organization in which working for customers is central;
• you have completed a relevant education at HBO level, for example Analytical Chemistry, and preferably several years of work experience with chemical analysis techniques (preferably for aroma and flavour compounds) and the statistics used for data analysis;
• you are able to independently work out, interpret and report results and have good oral and written reporting skills in Dutch and English. The level of English we are looking for is at least B2. Click here   to read more about the different language levels.

We offer

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 of between € 2908,-. and € 4151,-. for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the

CLA Wageningen Research

(scale 9). Additionally, a contract for 0.8 FTE can be discussed.

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 at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University ” in the Netherlands for the 17th 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. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief , known as the 30% ruling. 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, and other issues.

More information

Do you want more information?
For more information about this position, please contact Ben Langelaan, R&D Manager Food Technology, telephone: +31317484382 or by e-mail: [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 June 20th 2022.

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. For more information please go to our inclusivity page . 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 and 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, 6.800 employees and 12.900 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. 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.

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.