Senior researcher marine mammals

Do you want to play a central role in research into the effect of human activities on seals and porpoises? Do you find it challenging to further strengthen this knowledge position with the team? Is paying attention to the contact and relationship with the client a no-brainer for you? Then we have an interesting vacancy for you at Wageningen Marine Research as a senior researcher on marine mammals.

A successful candidate:

• Direct medium-sized research projects, aimed at possible disruptive effects of human actions on seals and other marine mammals, advise on this and maintain active contacts with clients.
• Acquire new research projects within the described area of expertise, actively seek contact with our customers and actively anticipate market opportunities.
• Take the field of research, together with your colleagues, to a higher level. Play a proactive role in this based on your specific knowledge and expertise.
• Contribute to a long-term vision to support national and international research agendas.
• Publish your research regularly in the scientific literature and present research results at /and participate in national and international conferences, symposia and meetings.
• Actively seek out collaboration with other researchers within the institute where there is overlap? Where application of acoustic or other techniques are used.

• You have completed a relevant academic study in Natural or Life Sciences with a focus on marine ecology. You have a PhD in a field relevant to this position.
• You have broad experience in conducting ecological research on marine mammals independently and expertise in the effects of disturbance on seals and other marine mammals, especially noise. You have basic knowledge of and experience in the use of (bio)acoustics.
• You have experience in acquiring new research and you have a relevant network.
• have experience with project management.
• You have quantitative skills and experience with R.
• You can describe research in clear and high-quality reports and you can translate results into concrete advice to government, users and other stakeholders.
• You publish in scientific journals.
• You are customer-oriented, enterprising, result-oriented, strong in communication, flexible and stress resistant. You can balancing the role of science versus the consequence for society and policy.
• You like to work in a team, you dare to be critical and you can work under time pressure.
• Your level of communication skills in English is at least C1. If you speak a foreign language, it is a requirement that you have enough knowledge of the Dutch language.

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%;
• exellent pension scheme.
• the possibility of partially paid parental leave;
• the opportunity to work part-time.

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 max € 5.268,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 11/WO-researcher 3).

The location is Den Helder.

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.

For more information about this position, please contact Tammo Bult, tel.0317-487162, 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 closes when suitable candidates have applied.

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 with us and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented within WUR. For more information, please visit our inclusivity page, inclusiviteits pagina. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusivity can be read on the page working at WUR with a disability, functiebeperking.

Wageningen University & Research
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, 7.200 employees and 13.200 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.

Wageningen Marine Research (WMR) is a leading, independent research institute that focuses on strategic and applied marine ecological research. The institute was established in 2006. Products and services are executed on a project basis (more than 400 research projects) and show a wide diversty: field research, experiments on a realistic scale, on lab scale, data management and modelling. The institute has modern research facilities and is ISO 9001 certified. One of the research focuses in our organization is understanding the ecology of marine mammals, including harbour and grey seals and harbour porpoise in the North Sea, one of the busiest seas in the world. Human activities in the area include shipping, underwater explosions, seismic surveys, sand mining, fisheries and the construction and exploitation of offshore wind farms all potentially affecting these marine mammals or their environment. Research is being conducted into the effects of these activities and how these can be mitigated or reduced. Airial surveys, acoustic monitoring and telemetry and biologging are used for this, among other things. Based on our expertise, modelling and study results, policy and management advice on sustainable use of the North Sea is provided to our clients, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Rijkswaterstaat and private companies. The increasing interest in further developing the North Sea for human use is leading to a growing demand for applied research and expertise.

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.