Researcher Sustainable Land Management

Your job

We are looking for a passionate researcher sustainable land management with practical experience in (preferably) Africa, for our “research for development” projects in (mainly French speaking) Africa.

Your work
You will become involved in several projects in (French-speaking) Africa focusing on sustainable land management and land restoration. In most of the projects we work with the PIP approach. In your role you will be responsible for project coordination, setting up research, providing expertise, contact with partners and donors, developing new projects based on the knowledge development and research needs that you identify in the field. You will work together with partner organisations in East and West Africa and colleagues from WENR and other WUR-departments.

Your qualities

We are looking for a candidate with MSc or PhD degree in International Land and Water Management or similar programme, with:

• Several years of working experience in an international context (preferably in Africa);
• Practical experience with implementing land & water management activities, preferably in a smallholder farmer context
• Experience with local-led approaches and participatory research / development work;
• Fluency in English and a working level of French, with proven writing skills (especially in English);
• Excellent intercultural communication skills
• A fine team player, especially in multidisciplinary (international) projects/teams.
• Strong project management skills

We offer you

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;
• the option to accrue additional compensation hours by working more;
• 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 €3,693,- and €5,737,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 11). You will initially receive a one-year contract, which will be extended to an open-ended contract upon in mutual enthusiasm.                                                                                                    

Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiative 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.

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.

Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

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 and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, 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

Do you want more information?

For more information, please contact Aad Kessler (aad.kessler@wur.nl), senior researcher or Karin Andeweg (karin.andeweg@wur.nl), team leader of the Water and Food Group of WENR

For more information about the procedure, please contact Edgar Tijhuis, corporate recruiter, edgar.tijhuis@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 May 20^th 2024. We schedule the interviews soon afterwards.

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 every talent to feel at home in our organisation 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 inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment.

We are

Wageningen University & Research
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.