Business Controller

Do you want to contribute as a Business Controller directly to research on sustainability and the living environment?At Environmental Sience Group (ESG), you are the financial sparring partner for various research teams and help make plans financially feasible.

As a Business Controller at the Environmental Sciences Group (ESG), you act as a financial sparring partner and advisor for several research teams, where you hold integral responsibility for financial management. You feel comfortable operating at the intersection of science and business operations and know how to make financial insights accessible to colleagues with diverse backgrounds. Together with your fellow Business Controllers, you play an important role in keeping our organisation financially healthy and future-proof.

Your role

In the position of Business Controller, you make a significant contribution to the financial steering and control of our organisation. You ensure solid financial (project) forecasts, monitor budgets, and proactively advise on risks, opportunities, and optimisations. Based on analyses and management information, you advise managers and the executive board on financial decisions.

You are able to move smoothly between figures and content; you know how to make complex financial issues understandable and accessible. With your guidance and advice, you help managers make better decisions. In addition, you contribute to further professionalising the Finance & Control function within ESG.

Your tasks and responsibilities

• You advise at a strategic level; you connect financial decisions to ESG’s long-term direction.
• You prepare (multi-year) budgets and scenarios and support decision-making with analyses and business cases.
• You advise managers and the executive board on risks and opportunities.
• You translate data into clear reports and insights (including through Power BI).
• You assess investments and major grant applications.
• You collaborate actively and contribute to knowledge sharing within the team.

Where you will be working

Our Finance & Control department acts as the business partner for ESG and stands for quality, integrity, and excellent service. We do this by providing adequate, reliable, and integrated information and advice. In doing so, we actively contribute to excellent education, research, and operations.

The Finance & Control team of the Environmental Sciences Group, with more than 45 financial professionals, is organised into three teams: business control, project control, and chair group administration. You will work in a team of five other Business Controllers, each responsible for a portfolio of chair groups and/or teams. Together, we carry joint responsibility for ESG’s financial management and internal processes and contribute to WUR-wide developments.

• You have strong financial insight and a hands-on mentality. You know how to translate analyses into concrete actions and results.
• You communicate clearly and convincingly and easily translate financial figures into understandable language and actionable insights. You work in a structured and independent manner and maintain oversight in complex issues.
• You are organisationally aware, take initiative, and can handle different—and sometimes conflicting—interests. You are confident in your advisory role and not afraid to engage in dialogue.
• You switch easily between strategy and operations and know how to translate figures into decision-making.

You also bring

• At minimum, a completed bachelor’s degree (hbo) in a field such as Business Economics or Accountancy.
• Extensive experience in financial control and/or business control, preferably within large organisations.
• Fluent proficiency in Dutch, both spoken and written.

In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about  English language level C1 and Dutch language level C1.

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 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 salary of between €4,045.- and €6,228.- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 11). Additionally, For this role a contract for 32 hours can be discussed. Initially, we will offer you a one‑year contract, which—if there is mutual enthusiasm—will be extended to a permanent contract. We actively encourage development and mobility within our organisation. In our recruitment and selection policy, you can read which conditions apply specifically to you as a (former) employee. If you have any questions about this, we are happy to help you.

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. 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.

For more information about the position, please contact Chris Nab via email: chris.nab@wur.nl.
Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Jeanine van 't Veer via jeanine.vantveer-drost@wur.nl.

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 4 May 2026. Internal candidates are preferred to apply before 13 April 2026.

We review applications on a rolling basis, including before the closing date. As a result, the vacancy may close earlier than indicated.

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.

​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.

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