Assistant Professor in Strategic Marketing in Food and Agribusiness

Location: Wageningen
End date: Mon 29 April 2024

Your job

Do you want to develop and share your knowledge of strategic marketing with the next generation of marketing professionals working on a sustainable future for food and agribusiness? Are you eager to contribute to multi(inter) disciplinary education, research, and collaboration, promoting an inclusive and sustainable environment within and outside the academic community? If yes, then we have the perfect opportunity for you!

The Marketing and Consumer Behaviour Group (MCB) of Wageningen University is looking for an enthusiastic and ambitious Assistant Professor within the Academic Career Framework to fulfil a pivotal position. The position involves research on sustainable marketing in food and agribusiness and education, including courses and bachelor- and master-thesis supervision, among others within the Sustainable Business and Innovation master program.

As an assistant professor, you will make the first steps in developing a research vision within the domain described above. You are devoted to, and have the relevant background needed, to conduct research on and educate students in strategic marketing management, with an explicit interest in sustainability, food and agribusiness. You are a team player contributing to the acquisition of externally funded projects and the supervision of PhD students. The focus of our teaching is to train students to develop and execute theory-driven research projects addressing real-life problems related to sustainable marketing.

The successful applicant will make an essential contribution to this focus and will attain the Dutch university teaching qualification (BKO). We expect applicants to be eager to significantly contribute to the scientific and societal mission of our group in both teaching and research. This includes educating students in advanced marketing theories, in applying and publishing on marketing theories in solving societal problems, and in acquiring research projects (including theory application and data collection) related to sustainable/agribusiness strategic marketing.

Your responsibilities

The Marketing and Consumer Behaviour group of Wageningen University is unique in certain respects, and we expect our candidates to fit this profile as well. More specifically, just like our current team, you:

  • are multidisciplinary-focused: we support the assumption that multi (inter) disciplinary research and teaching is necessary to address the current and future societal problems;
  • foster collaboration: We foster a culture of education, research and collaboration with stakeholders, encouraging our faculty and students to engage in cutting-edge collaborative projects;
  • have a sustainability focus: Our university is dedicated to sustainability and environmental stewardship;
  • have an agribusiness focus: we are dedicated to maintaining the agricultural focus of our research;
  • focus on professional development: We are committed to the professional growth of our employees. We provide ample opportunities for professional development, including workshops, seminars, conferences, and mentorship programs. We also support employees in pursuing further education and acquiring new skills;
  • are open-minded and embrace diversity: We strongly value diversity and promote an inclusive environment where individuals from all backgrounds and perspectives are valued.

Your qualities

The ideal candidate is expected to have the following qualities:

  • an excellent knowledge of various marketing theories and marketing research methods;
  • a PhD degree (or planned defense date) in (strategic) marketing;
  • experience with publishing in top-scientific journals (as evidenced by a publication record);
  • experience with and/or a strong interest in student-focused teaching;
  • strong affinity with societally relevant science on topics such as sustainability, health, and circularity;
  • Strong affinity with food and/or agribusiness;
  • within the previously described domain, ability to develop a focused research vision aligned with your unique expertise;
  • willing and able to acquire externally funded research projects (initially as part of a team effort, later also independently);
  • willing and able to supervise PhD students, and willing to build your own team (over time);
  • excellent English language proficiency (a minimum of CEFR C2 level). For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our special language page;
  • knowledge of Dutch language will be highly valued.

We offer you

Depending on the qualification, interests, and ambition of the candidate, we offer you a position as an assistant professor within the new Academic Career Framework (the Wageningen University Recognition and Reward system). The position is a 0.8 FTE position (but can be adjusted to a 1.0 FTE position depending on the candidate).  

In addition, Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. Our Collective Labour Agreement includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • partially paid parental leave;
  • 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 / holiday hours by working more;
  • 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 the first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between €5.247 and €6.737 for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 12). Initially, we offer you a two-year (0.8 fte) contract, which will then be extended to an open-ended contract if there is mutual enthusiasm. Of course, we would be happy to discuss this with you if you have any questions.

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 unique 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 at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 19th consecutive time.

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.

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 about this function, please contact Dr. Ilona E. de Hooge by phone (+31 317 486124) or by email ([email protected]). When contacting Ilona, please indicate the vacancy you are emailing about.

For more information about the procedure you can contact Noorien Abbas, Corporate Recruiter, via email ([email protected]).

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 is open till Monday, April 30th, 2024. The first job interviews will take place between May 6th, 2024 and May 20th, 2024. The starting date for this position is negotiable, however, no later than October 1, 2024.

Equal opportunitiesWageningen 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
TThe 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!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/t-iFDLrVjKI?si=rJkXVIeCDO8fwDOO

You will work here
The Marketing and Consumer Behaviour group is one of the leading research and teaching groups in the fields of marketing (research) and consumer behavior related to food, sustainability, and agribusiness. The group consists of a enthusiastic, passionate, dedicated, and warm team of researchers and lecturers. It has a long history of commitment to excellent empirical research and teaching (as also evidenced by our high listings in both research and teaching rankings). Most of our research supports the global sustainability goals (“Science for Impact”) and is committed to essential scientific contributions to the fields of Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Agribusiness, Sustainability, and Food Sciences. We are looking for a person who fits this team and these goals. Thus, you are a team player motivated to advance the quality of the group’s research and education, while grasping the opportunity to develop yourself further in both activities.

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.