Senior Researcher in Greenhouse Technology, Energy and Climate
Wageningen University
Netherlands

We are looking for

"Are you an enthusiastic researcher with an interest in sustainability, (food) horticulture and technology, then we are looking for you!"

• In an ambitious research program, we are working on energy savings in Dutch greenhouse horticulture and thus help make the sector more sustainable. In the coming years, Dutch greenhouses must stop using fossil energy and may no longer cause emissions. On behalf of the government, suppliers and growers, we answer research questions, stimulate innovations and help implement them in practice. Internationally, research questions are often related to setting up local food production and achieving high yields with minimal use of resources such as water and energy. In our research, we use simulation models, experiments and we collect data in (inter) national practice.

• You carry out projects in the field of systems engineering for greenhouse horticulture, especially the design of new and the improvement of existing greenhouse production systems;
• You contribute to the development and improvement of greenhouse production systems with reduced energy consumption, reduced emissions and increased production with a high-quality end product;
• You use existing models in the field of greenhouse design, climate control and energy management and develop them further;
• You translate scientific research results into practical applications and implement them in practice; you have close interaction with innovative growers and horticultural suppliers; you communicate your research results to the sector.
• You work in a multidisciplinary team together with various experts within and outside WUR;
• You are a project leader (usually public private partnerships in which parties such as companies, governments and other knowledge institutions participate);
• You initiate and conduct acquisitions with national and international parties;
• You disseminate the results to practice and science;
• You coach junior colleagues in their development and knowledge building;

We ask

• You have an academic training in biosystems engineering, systems and control engineering, physics or another relevant technical training and some years of work experience. You preferrable have a PhD.
• You have experience in the following research fields:You are a good organiser and are able to oversee and manage multiple projects.
  • Knowledge of the field of horticultural technology, energy and climate technology;
  • Basic knowledge of the interaction of crop production and technical design of greenhouse systems and the willingness to get familiar with the challenges of (international) horticulture;
  • Knowledge and experience with physical modeling;
  • Knowledge of programming (for example Matlab, c++, c#);

• You are able to publish research results in scientific journals but also to translate them to a broad audience.
• You are able to initiate new research in a broad field of horticultural technology and to formulate it in clear project proposals. You see project acquisition, both nationally and internationally, as a challenge. You have a relevant network.
• You can communicate very well in Dutch and English, with researchers and project staff as well as with clients.

• Important competences for this researcher are:
  • team player;
  • communicative skills;
  • proactive, result and quality oriented;
  • creative;
  • ambitious and driven.

We offer

A challenging position with, depending on your knowledge, education, competences and relevant experience, a competitive salary of up to a maximum of € 5.892 gross per month for a full working week of 36 hours in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement Wageningen Research (scale 12). At WUR you will work in an (inter) national leading organization in the field of research and education. This is a one-year position with the prospect of permanent employment if our partnership is mutually satisfactory.
We also offer:

• 8% holiday allowance;
• a fixed year-end bonus of 3%;
• excellent training and and secondary employment conditions;
• flexible working hours and holidays can be determined in consultation with colleagues in such a way that an optimal balance between work and private life is possible;
• excellent pension scheme via ABP;
• 171 holiday hours, the option to buy extra and good supplementary leave arrangements;
• an optional model to put together part of your employment conditions yourself, such as a bicycle plan;
• use the sports facilities on campus for a small fee.

More information

Are you enthusiastic or curious?
For more information about the position, please contact Dr Silke Hemming, team leader of the Greenhouse Technology research team, phone: +31 317 486921.

You can apply through the application button on our website. You can apply up to and including April 15, 2021.

We are

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, 6.500 employees and 12.500 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.

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

Wageningen University & Research, business unit Greenhouse Horticulture, is the internationally leading contract research institute for greenhouse horticulture. We focus on innovations in the greenhouse horticulture sector. Together with industry, science and government, questions on greenhouse design, crop management and cultivation are analyzed and translated into application-oriented research and innovation processes.
The business unit Greenhouse Horticulture has about 120 employees and different research teams:

• Crop health, water and growing medium
• Crop physiology
• Crop management and quality
• Greenhouse Technology