Key Skills

Job Description

Your job Do you have experience working in a laboratory environment, with ISO 17025, and are you energised by organising and delivering complex projects? Can you bring together different interests, maintain an overview of project content, planning and finances, and know when to make adjustments? And would you like to contribute to research and analyses that are essential to the safety of our food chain? Are you fluent in Dutch? Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR) is looking for a Project Manager to take responsibility for delivering a variety of projects in laboratory analysis, quality assurance and food safety research. What will you do? As a Project Manager at WFSR, you will be responsible for the overall coordination and delivery of projects. You will work on a range of medium-sized and complex projects, bringing together different disciplines, interests and activities. You will ensure alignment between the project's objectives, planning, capacity, quality requirements and financial parameters, making adjustments when developments require it. Your responsibilities will also include acquiring new projects. You will be the central point of contact for the delivery of your projects. In this role, you will work closely with researchers, laboratory analysts, team leaders, programme leaders and Finance colleagues. You will also maintain active contact with internal and external clients. You will align expectations, discuss progress and results, and advise on the decisions needed to deliver projects successfully. Your Responsibilities Will Include Independently preparing, planning and coordinating medium-sized and complex projects involving laboratory analysis, quality assurance and research; Translating project objectives into a realistic approach, schedule, resource plan and budget; Monitoring progress, quality, budget and risks, and making timely adjustments where necessary; Coordinating activities and priorities across different teams and disciplines within WFSR; Identifying bottlenecks and dependencies, and advising clients and colleagues involved in the projects on how to address them; Maintaining professional relationships with internal and external clients and ensuring clear communication about progress, results and any deviations from the plan; Contributing to the further professionalisation and improvement of project management practices within WFSR; Evaluating completed projects and translating lessons learned into improvements for future projects; Where appropriate, contributing to the development of new assignments, for example by helping to develop project proposals and budgets and identifying opportunities for collaboration or business development. You will draw on a sound understanding of the laboratory and research environment, including ISO 17025 and ISO 9001. You do not need to be the subject-matter expert for every project. Your ability to connect subject-matter experts, clients and different disciplines, and to ensure that agreements are delivered, is precisely what makes your contribution so valuable. Where will you work? Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR) conducts high-quality, independent research into the safety and reliability of food and animal feed. We analyse residues, toxins, contaminants, and microbiological and viral contamination. In addition, we analyse trends, conduct risk assessments and detect fraud in the food chain. WFSR is a national and European reference laboratory and carries out statutory research tasks on behalf of the Dutch government. Your qualities As a Project Manager, you maintain a comprehensive overview of everything happening within your projects, both in terms of people and figures. You recognise the individual needs and motivations of team members, as well as those of the team and the organisation as a whole. You know how to create a socially and physically safe working environment in which open communication is encouraged. You are quality- and customer-oriented, skilled in process management, and able to work effectively under tight deadlines. You work independently within the framework of project plans, know how to set the right priorities and can switch effectively between different tasks. You Also Have Several years of demonstrable professional experience as a Project Manager, including experience in project management; At least a completed university degree (WO level), or equivalent professional experience and level of thinking; A flexible, proactive, decisive and self-directed approach, strong planning skills, familiarity with budgeting and political awareness; An affinity with food safety; A collaborative mindset: you involve the project team in decision-making while also being able to make the final decision when necessary; Experience in writing project proposals and grant applications is an advantage. In our international working environment, communication in English is becoming increasingly common. For this position, you will need to have English language proficiency at CEFR level C1. If you have not yet reached this level, we will of course support you, and you can make use of our language centre, Wageningen in’to Language (https://www.wur.nl/nl/onderwijs-opleidingen/wageningen-into-languages.htm). Given the contact with Dutch-speaking clients, Dutch language proficiency at C1 level is also essential. 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: working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance; sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave; 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. We offer, depending on your experience, a competitive gross monthly salary of between €4,220 and €6,471 for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 11). If you do not yet meet all the required qualifications, you may be placed in salary scale 10 as an introductory scale (minimum €3,545 to maximum €5,698 per month). Additionally, for this role a contract for 32 hours a week can be discussed. We initially offer a two-year contract, with the possibility of renewal subject to satisfactory performance We encourage development and internal mobility within our organisation. Our recruitment and selection policy 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 Saskia Sterk, teamleader, via e-mail: [email protected]. Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Rutger Voorrips, Corporate Recruiter, via email; [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 November 30th, 2026. Internal candidates are preferred to apply before November 3rd, 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

Coordinate and deliver medium-sized and complex projects in laboratory analysis, quality assurance, and food safety research, managing objectives, schedules, resources, budgets, quality, and risks. Align researchers, laboratory teams, clients, and other stakeholders; support new project development; and improve project management practices using lessons learned.

Requirements

Requires several years of project management experience, a university degree or equivalent professional experience, an affinity with food safety, and strong planning, budgeting, collaboration, and decision-making abilities. Requires Dutch at CEFR C1 and English at CEFR C1, along with familiarity with laboratory and research environments, including ISO 17025 and ISO 9001.

Benefits

• Flexible Working Hours
• Sabbatical Leave
• Study Leave
• Partially Paid Parental Leave
• Campus Sports Facilities
• Year-End Bonus
• Pension Scheme
• Professional Development
• Internal Mobility Support
• Immigration Procedure Assistance
• Dual Career Support