Do you have a passion for mushrooms, and would you like to become a world leading expert in solid state fermentation and cultivation of mushrooms and their mycelium for food and novel non-food applications? Then the dynamic Mushroom Research Group of Wageningen University and Research offers you a unique opportunity.

You will as a researcher be responsible for generating new projects concerning mushroom cultivation and mycelial growth with a focus on aspects and dynamics of solid state systems. How fungi utilize their substrate to support growth, mushroom production and how substrates influence the properties of mushrooms and mycelium for a wide range of applications will be a key part of your research. Your research will be complementing the teams expertise on mushroom breeding, composition of mycelium and mushrooms, and molecular genetics. As a research-project leader and developer, you will operate at the interface of academics and industry, applying novel concepts for practical solutions.

Your main duties and responsibilities as a researcher include:

• To define, generate, and coordinate strategic research projects in alignment with the Mushroom Research Group mission to “apply mushrooms and their mycelium to improve society”;
• To integrate and develop new knowledge and technology for solid state fermentation aimed at mycelium and mushroom cultivation for commercial applications together with industrial partners;
• Maintain and grow a vibrant network within the national and international mushroom industry in addition to an academic network;
• Disseminate your results through scientific publications, publications tailored for the audience in target industries, visits to conferences, industry meetings and providing specific consultancy.

You will work here
You will collaborate with colleagues in the Mushroom research group, Plant Breeding, and other groups in and outside WUR. Examples are long lasting collaborations with Biointeractions, Food and Biobased Research, Animal nutrition and Food safety. The Mushroom Group is one of 10 teams in Plant Breeding, having 130+ colleagues (~70 Ph D students) with whom we work together and frequently exchange information. Plant Breeding is located at the Wageningen Campus where our offices, labs, culture collection and also our specialized mushroom cultivation facilities are located.

Your team
The Mushroom Research Group consists of a closely collaborating team of 6 permanent professionals and usually 2-3 Ph D & MSc students. We maintain strong connections between members, and supporting each other is a key value as only our combined expertise enables successful execution of our diverse projects.

Plant Breeding
Embedded within the department of Plant Breeding at WUR, the research of the Mushroom Research Group revolves around improvement of mushrooms and their mycelium through breeding and cultivation, for their use both in food, health, and non-food applications. Close collaborations within WUR, with national and international academic institutes and governmental research units, and with a range of commercial partners, provides a strong position for the initiation of strategic research and the development of new technologies. Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms 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 December 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 salary of between €3.202 and €6.763 for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 10-12). Additionally, a contract for 4 days per week can be discussed. As for your contract, we initially offer a two-year contract that can be extended - if possible within (company) organizational circumstances - on good performance. Of course, we are happy to have a conversation with you if you have any questions about this.

Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiaive in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a multi-faceted position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland and with your work you have a clear and positive impact on society. At WUR we work on the most pressing challenges of our time, like climate change and feeding the world in a sustainable way.

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. 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 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. 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 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. You are able to work on multiple projects simultaneously with a variety of members, while balancing priorities including acquisition, project-management, supervision, customer relations, and your own personal development. You are able to quickly switch between tasks and discern the level of academic depth required for finding solutions to problems in goal oriented research.

You also possess:

• A Ph D in mushroom, fungal or microbiology related to solid state fermentation;
• Clear affinity with mushroom fungi;
• Critical thinking, and ability to translate questions from industry into new research;
• Enthusiasm for and the capability to acquire new collaborations (projects) at the interface of academics and industry;
• Excellent communication and academic reporting abilities in English (and Dutch) and or commitment to learn Dutch soon.

In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about academic language level in English. If you do not yet have this level in Dutch, we will of course help you and you can go to our language center Wageningen in'to Language.

You can see that there are plenty of challenges ahead of you. These challenges can also be seen as development opportunities. So if you do not yet have the track-record required in the vacancy, but at least have a Ph D degree and do have solid work experience, we would also like to invite you to apply. For more information about this position, please contact: Arend van Peer, Group leader Mushroom Research arend.vanpeer@wur.nl , 31 (0)317 - 486 001

For more information about the procedure, please contact Dax Teunissen, coorporate recruiter, vacaturemeldingen.psg@wur.nl

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including 23 Decemer 2024

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.