Tenure tracker assistant/associate professor position in Crop Ecology

Your job

Within the chair group Crop & Weed Ecology (CWE), Wageningen University we offer a tenure-tracker position at assistant or associate professor level in crop ecology.

In this position you will focus on understanding the role of crop- and natural biodiversity in agricultural fields and their surroundings in increasing the resilience of agro-ecosystems to environmental perturbations such as weather extremes. Climate change is projected to increase the occurrence of weather extremes (e.g. heat waves, droughts and floods) which may have both direct and indirect effects (e.g., changes in the distribution and impact of pests and diseases) on agro-ecosystems. Simultaneously, farmers are pressured to reduce the use of synthetic inputs in part to prevent biodiversity decline. Ecological research is showing that biodiverse agro-ecosystems can be more stress resilient, but the ecological mechanisms that drive this relationship are still poorly understood. The advertised position aims to further our understanding of these mechanisms and use this knowledge to contribute to developing biodiversity-friendly stress-resilient agro-ecosystems. The research and teaching will focus on the crop stand/ecosystem level preferably in the landscape and/or regional context.

You are a highly-motivated plant ecologist or agro-ecologist with a keen interest in exploring the relationships between crop and natural biodiversity and stress resilience of agro-ecosystems. You Possess well-developed skills in quantitative modelling approaches (e.g., crop simulation models, spatial ecological models) and preferably experience with advanced statistics (including modern data science and machine learning). You also have a keen interest in issues related to agricultural sustainability and climate adaptation and will have the ambition to develop a successful, largely externally-funded research line as well as to contribute to innovative teaching in the areas of crop ecology and related subjects. Ideally, you will participate in (inter)national biodiversity/climate initiatives such as: the Wageningen Biodiversity Initiative, the national Climate Institute or the National Delta Plan for Biodiversity Recovery. Finally, you should have a keen interest in communicating and working with a wide variety of partners including scientists from other fields and stakeholders such as farmers, nature conservationists and private companies.

Your qualities

• A PhD degree and proven publication record in high-impact journals in plant ecology, agro-ecology, crop science or similar.
• An established research program and clear research vision in the area of agro-ecology, plant ecology or similar.
• Experience in teaching students and supervising BSc and MSc students with diverse backgrounds. An affinity for developing courses at Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD levels, and interest in innovative teaching methods
• Well-developed skills in quantitative modelling/statistics and experience with experimental work.
• Ambition and preferably experience in developing a largely externally-funded research line.
• Affinity with crop systems.

We offer you

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 be offered a fixed-term (currently at 7 year based on Dutch labor laws)  contract which, upon positive evaluation based on criteria elaborated in the University's Tenure Track policy, can lead to a permanent employment contract as professor. Depending on your experience or on your current position in a Tenure Track, we offer a competitive gross salary of between € 3.974,-- and € 7.362,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours in accordance with the 

Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU)

 (scale 11-14). Part-time employment is negotiable, with a minimum of 30.4 (0.8 fte) hours per week.

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 18th 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 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.

Do you want more information?

For more information about this position or about the procedure, please contact Niels Anten, Chair holder, telephone 31 (0)317 484772/(0)6 14323960 – [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. Please upload a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, a separate list of publications and a 1000-word (max) statement of research and education interests and intended direction.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including 1 May. We hope to schedule the first job interviews in mid May 2023.

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

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.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!

You will work here
The research is embedded within the chair Crop & Weed Ecology, which is led by Prof. Niels P.R. Anten (https://www.wur.nl/nl/personen/niels-prof.dr.ir.-npr-niels-anten.htm ) and is part of the Centre for Crop Systems Analysis . CWE conducts research and teaching on the ecology and management of crops, diseases, pest and weeds. CWE has a special interest in understanding the role of natural and crop biodiversity in determining performance and stress resilience of crop systems. We study plant form and adaptation, and ecological processes from plant to landscape scale. We thus contribute to the development of sustainable agricultural systems that provide high yields with a minimal ecological footprint and that maximally contribute to natural biodiversity and its associated ecosystem functions.

In this challenging career trajectory:

• you will be part of the transition towards more sustainable, biodiversity-friendly agriculture
• you acquire, lead and implement innovative and creative (inter-)national research projects in Crop & Weed Ecology;
• you collaborate with colleagues and supervise PhD students, BSc and MSc theses and you develop and teach courses;

Tenure Track

is a career path for scientists who pursue to excel in education and research. We seek to attract scientific talent and to stimulate and support their development.

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