PhD student Ingredient branding, economic risk assessment and the development of robust business models

We are looking for

Do you have a MSc degree in Economics, Supply chain management or a related field? Are you fascinated by the blue economy and/or seaweeds? Do you have experience in collecting and interpreting qualitative and quantitative data in the domain of business economics and supply chain development? And do you want to be part of a multidisciplinary team of fellow-academics and industrial partners? Then you might be one of the PhD-candidates we are looking for!

Seaweed culture in the North Sea has high potential to sustainably produce commodities of the future. However, the step from small-scale pilot experiments to large scale offshore production has not yet materialized. Main reasons are insecurities about ecological consequences, strict regulations, variable yields and uncertainty about profitability and market potential. One cause underlying the aforementioned insecurities is the high loss (up to 90%) caused by detachment of seaweeds from culture lines in facilities. In the framework of a KIC aquatic food production consortium, we offer 4 PhD student positions in an interdisciplinary research team that aims to reduce seaweed (Saccharina latissima) detachment and study associated economic and ecological risks. You will work in close association with the different members from the team and partners from the Dutch seaweed industry and retail in a joint effort to boast seaweed culture. 

In this multidisciplinary project 4 PhD students will operate as a team and each focus on specific aspects of the project. This first PhD student focuses on economic risk management of seaweed farms. The second sub-project (

see vacancy

) focuses on developing a method to quantify attachment of seaweed seedlings and explore the influence of environmental variables on attachment. The third PhD student (

see vacancy

) focuses on identifying and employing the genetics that underlie attachment. The final sub-project (

see vacancy

) aims to study the ecological consequences of large scale seaweed culture in the North Sea.

• You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team in close collaboration with other academic and industrial partners;
• By using data generated by other team members, input from industrial partners and data from literature, you will perform economic feasibility and risk assessment studies of offshore seaweed cultivation in the North Sea;
• Business models for local seaweed culture will be designed and their robustness will be tested;
• You will collaborate with branding experts to develop the brand Northseaweed for marketing locally produced seaweeds.

The research is embedded within the

Business Economics

group, and you are part of the risk management and resilience in food supply chains team, which is led by

Prof. Miranda Meuwissen

. You will be co-supervised by dr. Tijs Ketelaar, who is the coordinator of the consortium.

We ask

You have:

• A successfully completed MSc degree in Economics, Supply chain management or similar;
• For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level ;
• Experience in collecting and interpreting qualitative and quantitative data in the domain of business economics and supply chain development;
• An enthusiastic attitude, you are a team player and are willing to think out of the box;
• An affinity for the blue economy and/or seaweeds and are enthusiastic about collaborating with diverse partners from the seaweed sector.

We offer

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment . A few highlights from our  Collective Labour Agreement include:

• 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 receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.443,- per month rising to € 3.122,- in the fourth year in according to the

Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU)

(scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

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 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.

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 .

More information

Do you want more information?
For more information about this position, please contact Miranda Meuwissen, Professor of risk management and resilience in food supply chains, telephone +31 317 483857 or by e-mail [email protected] .

For more information about the procedure, please contact Ine van 't Land, corporate recruiter, [email protected] l.

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly by uploading your CV and motivation letter, 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 April 28 2022. We hope to schedule the first job interviews in the 2th week of June. The preferred starting date for this position is 1 August / 1 September.

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 the best university of the Netherlands by students for the 17th time in a row.

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