Full Professor and Chair of the Animal Production Systems Group

 

Wageningen University & Research is recruiting a Full Professor to lead the Chair Group of Animal Production Systems (APS).

As head of the APS group, you will lead a vibrant team of researchers and lecturers. You will support our group's research ambitions by further strengthening its position in national and international networks, by consolidating established research lines as well as developing new lines of research. You will actively contribute to the excellent reputation and position of WUR in higher education through your active role in our current education programmes and in the ongoing development of courses at Bachelor, Master and PhD level.

You will provide an encouraging working and learning environment for academics at different career stages. Strengthening the acquisition of external funding for research and recruiting the best new people at all levels are key elements of the chair holder’s responsibility. In addition to this, it is key to further improve the group’s successes in generating scientific and societal impact, and lead the group in the further development of an internationally competitive research profile in which you embed your own lines of research.

You are a scientist with broad interest and expertise that will strengthen and extend the future education and research of APS. Furthermore, you are known as an internationally recognised research leader in this field and have a broad international (and preferably multi-stakeholder) network focusing on system research and agri-food system sustainability.
 

We ask

• a PhD in (farming) agri-food systems research and sustainability and/or system analysis;
• experience with animal sciences and livestock production in particular;
• experience with computational and theoretical modelling;
• a passion for, and ample experience in, BSC, MSc and PhD education and in the supervision of students, PhDs and staff;
• a track record in project acquisition and coordination;
• experience in the effective and efficient management of a team of professionals and the ability to inspire and further build on a team in an atmosphere of open communication;
• an international network in academia and industry and experience with collaboration with these partners;
• skills and ambition to connect complementary subject areas to the APS group, within WUR and nationally and internationally;
• excellent writing, communication and presentation skills.

We offer

You will be working for an inspiring international organization with a large number of interdisciplinary projects all over the world. The scientific quality of Wageningen University is affirmed by the prominent position we occupy in international rankings and citation indices.

We offer you a position as Full Professor of the Chair of Animal Production Systems. In addition to a competitive salary and a contract for an indefinite period, we offer a number of additional benefits, such as an end-of-year extra month’s salary, a holiday allowance and a pension plan with the Dutch pension fund for government and education. International candidates moving to the Netherlands may benefit from special tax relief, by which 30% of their salary is exempt from tax. For more information take a look on https://www.wur.nl/en/Jobs/Moving-to-the-Netherlands.htm

Coming from abroad
We are a globally leading university in the 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 international employees.
The university’s highly qualified team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family. A specialized staffing agency will help your partner to find a job. Furthermore, we can assist you in finding schools for your children and housing in the region or elsewhere in the Netherlands. The Wageningen University & Research's (WUR) International Community page (https://www.wur.nl/en/International-students-and-staff.htm) contains practical information about what we do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen.

More information

Further information about the position can be obtained from Prof. Walter Gerrits, Chair of the Appointment Advisory Committee, E-mail: walter.gerrits@wur.nl

Application
Please upload your complete application via our website and address this to Ineke Ammerlaan, secretary of the Appointment Advisory Committee. Four documents should be uploaded:

• A motivation letter
• A curriculum vitae including the names of 4 references (in total max 4 page A4)
• A teaching statement (in total max ½ page A4)
• A list of publications

The closing date for the vacancy is 5 May 2021.
At the beginning of June, the committee will invite selected candidates for a first interview. On the basis of their findings, the committee will invite a limited number of candidates for a second round of discussions, including a public lecture, in the second half of June.
WUR’s policy is to increase the number of women professors. Therefore, all women candidates matching the profile are invited to apply.

Equal opportunities
WUR employs many people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who encourage and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organization and be offered equal career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. For more information please go to our inclusivity webpage. You can read about a good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness on the page Working at WUR with a functional impairment.

We are

Our mission is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Wageningen University and the specialized research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to find solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With approximately 30 branches, 6,500 employees and 12,500 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organizations in its domain. A coordinated approach to problems and cooperation between various fields are at the heart of Wageningen’s outstanding approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020! These are the points our employees list when asked Why work at WUR?

APS is part of the Department of Animal Sciences within WUR. The researchers and lecturers of the Department conduct research and provide academic education in the domains of Wageningen University & Research: food, environment, health and agriculture.

The research and education of APS is rooted in system analysis, and combines a diverse set of qualitative and quantitative approaches to explore the role of farm animals in food systems, using modelling approaches and scenario analyses. It yields tools and insights that can be used by diverse food actors (e.g. farmers, industry, retailers, government, NGOs) to improve the sustainability of animal production systems. APS currently focuses its research and teaching on the synergies and trade-offs between three pillars of sustainability: environment (efficient use of resources and emissions to air, water and soil), animal welfare (behaviour and health), and livelihoods (farm income, employment and food security with emphasis on tropical developing regions). Developments around circular food systems are especially topical, and APS plays a leading role in this field.

APS consists currently of 50 people, including 1 personal professor, 3 tenured scientific staff members, 7 lecturers/researchers, 3 technicians and administrative staff, 31 PhD students, 2 special professors and 3 postdocs.

More information about our group can be found on our website.

Apply now