Key Skills

Job Description

Your job Are you an organisational talent with a head for finance, who enjoys connecting people and keeping projects running smoothly? As Business Support Officer in Wageningen, you are the link between the Philosophy and Strategic Communication chair groups, management and WUR's support departments. Together with one other Business Support Officer and three Management Assistants, you form the support staff of CPT (Communication, Philosophy and Technology), part of the Section CPTE. As a team, you are the link between the staff of the chair groups and management within our university organisation. Within the team, you are specifically responsible for project management and financial management for the Philosophy and Strategic Communication chair groups. You are the point of contact for a diverse group of people – including lecturers, researchers, PhD candidates and students – as well as guests and support departments, on matters relating to finance, projects and, where needed, HR. Your Duties And Responsibilities Include monitoring the budgets of ongoing projects, preparing financial reports and supporting the preparation of the annual and multi-year budgets, including keeping staff and PhD overviews up to date; reviewing and checking expense and hours claims, orders, purchases and invoices, and supporting project leaders with acquisition and project administration, in close consultation with project leaders and project controllers; drawing up sales invoices and intercompany bookings, and checking and approving timesheets and project registrations; preparing staffing requests and supporting the recruitment and appointment of staff, student assistants and research assistants, including the related administration (employment contracts, guest and email accounts and, for international staff and PhD candidates, matters such as working from abroad and residence permits); acting as the point of contact for, and maintaining contact with, staff, PhD candidates, guests, departments such as Finance & Control, HR, Liaison Office, WASS, Project Control and Business Control, and external parties. Your team You will join an enthusiastic and professional team with one other Business Support Officer and three Management Assistants. Your line manager is the section chair, Prof. Rens Vliegenthart. You will work here The staff of the Section CPTE (Communication, Philosophy, Technology and Education) research transformations in domains such as agriculture, climate and environment, and advance societal engagement with these transformations. They do so from an inclusive, process-oriented, empirical, critical and reflexive perspective. They also teach on these topics in various bachelor's and master's programmes at WUR. Your qualities You have a proactive, flexible and enterprising personality. You know how to set priorities, work accurately and handle the processing and checking of data with care. You are decisive and see yourself as a connector: you actively seek collaboration with your direct colleagues and other departments. You know how to motivate others and take initiative where needed. Experience in a coordinating role and in a complex organisation such as a university is an advantage. You Also Possess a post-secondary vocational (MBO+) or bachelor's-level (HBO) background, with knowledge of and affinity with financial and other management processes; demonstrable financial insight and relevant administrative experience; experience with MS Office, Excel in particular, and the ability to pick up new software systems quickly; a good command of Dutch and English. In our international working environment there is communication in both English and Dutch. For this position, the required language level (https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/table-1-cefr-3.3-common-reference-levels-global-scale) is at least B2 for both. There are plenty of challenges waiting for you, and they can also be seen as opportunities for development. So if you do not yet have the full track record asked for in this vacancy, but do have solid work experience, we would still very much like to invite you to apply. We offer Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment (https://www.wur.nl/en/jobs/conditions-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; 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 year-end bonus of 8.3%; excellent pension scheme. In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a gross salary of between €3537,-. and €4673,-. for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (https://www.universiteitenvannederland.nl/en/collective-labour-agreement-of-dutch-universities) (scale 8 ). As for your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract that can be extended, if possible within (company) organizational circumstances, on good performance. If you are an internal employee, your current contract is the starting point. Ask your HR Business Partner about your situation specifically. We encourage development and internal mobility within our organisation. Our recruitment and selection policy (https://wur.service-now.com/esc?id=kb_article&sysparm_article=KB0012172) sets out the conditions that apply specifically to you as a (former) employee. If you have any questions, we are happy to help. 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. Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family. If you come with a partner, we offer a Dual Career group program organized by our Welcome Center (https://wcfv.nl/en/home/global/our-services/happy-landing-and-living/). This program helps your partner to get familiar with the Dutch culture, labour market and assists your partner to find a job. Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community (https://www.wur.nl/en/jobs/expats-new-international-staff) page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands. Important information For more information about the position, please contact Rens Vliegenthart via email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]). Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Jeanine van't Veer - Drost, Corporate Recruiter, via email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]). Ready to apply? Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered. You can apply up to and including 9 November 2026. Internal candidates are preferred to apply before 16 October 2026. Applications are reviewed regularly. Therefore, the position may be filled before the stated closing date. Procedure As part of our selection process, an assessment may be incorporated within the procedure. Welcome, safe, and valued Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization. We are 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, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 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 (https://www.wur.nl/en/Jobs/Why-choose-WUR.htm) why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus! We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.

Core Responsibilities

Manage project and financial administration for the Philosophy and Strategic Communication chair groups, including budgets, reports, claims, invoices, timesheets, and project registrations. Coordinate staffing and recruitment administration and serve as a contact point for staff, university support departments, guests, and external parties.

Requirements

Applicants should have an MBO+ (post-secondary vocational) or HBO (bachelor's-level) background, financial insight, relevant administrative experience, and knowledge of financial and management processes. They should be proactive, accurate, collaborative, proficient with MS Office—especially Excel—and have at least B2 proficiency in both Dutch and English.

Benefits

• Sabbatical Leave
• Study Leave
• Partially Paid Parental Leave
• Flexible Working Hours
• Campus Sports Facilities
• Year-End Bonus
• Pension Scheme