Your job

Would you like to contribute to our team in the ‘Laboratory of Food Chemistry’? Do you have experience in working with (poly/oligo) saccharides? Do you have experience with carbohydrate active enzymes? Are you interested and experienced with HPLC or GC/LC-MS? Are you looking for a job where you can contribute to students’ development? Are you socially-oriented and want to work in an organisation that contributes to improving quality of life? We are looking for our new Biomass & Enzymology Analyst/Technician.

What are you going to do?
As an Analyst/Technician Biomass & Enzymology, you support education, contribute to maintaining equipment in the lab, develop analytical protocols and train Master’s students and PhD candidates to use materials and equipment in the lab. You work in a team of 6 technicians. Within the team, you will be responsible for HPLCs and other techniques, which are mainly focused on the analysis and separation of (poly/oligo) saccharides, lignin and related enzymes.

Your tasks and responsibilities include: 

• Support for analysis and troubleshooting of various HPLCs (HPAEC & HPSEC) 
• Enzyme collection tracking 
• Lab support
• Support in analysing polymer biomass and development thereof
• Daily duties

This is where you will work 
Our Food Chemistry (FCH) group within WUR has grown considerably in recent years, both in terms of education and research tasks. Chemical analysis (identification and quantification of individual components of complex mixtures) and understanding/predicting chemical reactions and molecular properties are both major themes in our work in terms of both education and research. To do these, the group has high-quality infrastructure, which consists of analytical and preparative-scale separation equipment (e.g. LC and GC), a variety of types of mass spectrometry (ion trap MS, high-resolution MS and ion mobility MS), a range of more general lab equipment and more.
You will work together with university lecturers on continuously improving education in our lab. The digitisation of education is also an important part of the work. You will also contribute to research projects on (poly/oligo) saccharides, lignin and related enzymes. 

Your qualities

• You have completed an HLO (BSc in Laboratory education) study programme or similar, and have at least 3 years’ work experience in a research environment;
• You have a good command of the English language, orally and in writing;
• You work well in a team and are flexible in your work;
• You have didactic skills and experience in or affinity with education; Experience with HPLC/GC/MS analyses of (poly/oligo) saccharides and knowledge of CAZymes is a plus. You are willing to act as an in-house emergency response team member/First Aid officer.

People are increasingly communicating in English in our international working environment. For this position, this involves language level B2. If you do not have this level yet, we will help you: you can visit our language centre�Wageningen in’to Languages

As you can see, there are plenty of challenges ahead. These challenges can be seen as development opportunities. So, if you do not have the track-record required in the vacancy just yet but your work experience is solid, we would like to invite you to apply.

We offer you

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent employment conditions. A few highlights from our collective labour agreement (CAO) include: 

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partly paid parental leave 
• working hours can be discussed, allowing for an optimal work-life balance 
• the possibility of building up extra holiday/compensation hours by working up to a maximum of 40 hours per week 
• we focus on vitality, and you can use the on-campus sports facilities at an attractive rate 
• a structural end of year bonus of 8,3%; 
• excellent pension scheme. 

In addition to these excellent fringe benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive salary of between €2,818 and €3,764 for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (scale 8). Additionally, a contract for 0.8 FTE can be discussed. This is a long-term position. We are offering a one-year contract, with the intention of converting the contract of employment into a contract for an indefinite period if you perform well. 

Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. Our learning environment and training programmes offer ample opportunities to take personal initiative. We are offering a versatile position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere. 
You will be working at the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, and at a university that has been voted the ‘Best University’ in the Netherlands for the 18th consecutive time. 

Do you want more information?

For more information about this position, please contact Dr Mirjam Kabel, Associate Professor “Biomass & Enzymology” in FCH, telephone +31(0)317 483 209.
For more information about the process, please contact Mr. Rutger Voorrips via rutger.voorrips@wur.nl

Would you like to apply? 
Click the application button on our vacancy website to apply directly. In doing so, you give us permission to process your personal information. 
Due to immigration law, you can only apply for this position if you are eligible for a work permit in the Netherlands by having a European passport.
This vacancy will be open until 25 August 2023. The first round of interviews will be held on 31 August 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 all talent to feel at home with us and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusivity can be found on our page ‘Working at WUR with a functional impairment’. 

We are

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is ‘To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’. Within Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation work together to contribute to solving important questions related to healthy food and living environments. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,200 employees (6,400 FTE) and 13,200 students, and over 150,000 Lifelong Learning participants, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. A holistic attitude towards problem-solving and collaboration across various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen’s unique approach. 
 
Our staff have given the following testimonies explaining why you should work at WUR: read the 6 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR 

We are recruiting for this vacancy ourselves. We will not accept any agency enquiries for this vacancy, but do feel free to share it with your network. 
 Apply now