Vacancy
EngD Designer for Regenerative Farming Systems
Your job
Would you like to contribute to the transition toward regenerative agriculture? Do you get excited about working with scientific insights and practical experience? And are you not afraid of tackling a complex design challenge? And do you speak fluent Dutch and English?Then we are looking for you!
As an EngD Designer for Regenerative Farming Systems, you will work with five farmers, researchers, and other stakeholders to design a “Fossil-Free Farm” as part of the ReGeNL programme.
Over the course of two years, you will analyze the current system, define goals, requirements, and functions, and ultimately deliver a design for a farm that operates entirely without the use of direct or indirect fossil fuels.
The project specifically focuses on:
- Developing a thorough understanding of the direct and indirect energy inputs of current farming systems and supply chains—identifying where and why fossil fuels are used most in the current food system.
- Exploring alternative solutions to reduce or eliminate fossil fuel use. These alternatives may be technical, technological, ecological, or based on significantly increased efficiency.
- Co-creating attractive and feasible system alternatives in close collaboration with stakeholders.
Parallel to this design process, farmers will experiment with partial solutions on their own farms. The design process may therefore yield interventions that can be tested in real-world. Conversely, insights from these on-farm trials will inform and enrich the overall design process. You will also be responsible for facilitating knowledge exchange and organizing stakeholder meetings.
Context and Background
Nitrogen emissions, climate change, biodiversity loss, and geopolitical instability threaten food production and demand substantial change in agriculture. Many stakeholders are exploring more sustainable forms of agriculture, including regenerative farming. To make these viable for a broader group of farmers, we need a deeper understanding of (soil) ecology and new business models that promote circularity and resource efficiency.
Through the Dutch National Growth Fund Programme ReGeNL, 1,000 farms will receive support to further transition toward regenerative agriculture. For a subset of 100 farms that are already working regeneratively, nature-inclusively, or organically, there is room for advanced innovation.
These 100 farms are invited to form innovation groups—each consisting of at least five farmers—working together on an innovative concept. These farmer-led innovations will be designed, evaluated, and—where possible—scaled across the broader programme.
To support these groups of innovative arable and dairy farmers, we are recruiting several Engineering Doctorate (EngD) candidates who can support the design process through technical design skills, agricultural knowledge, and process facilitation.
Your Team and Environment
You will work in a team of approximately five people within the Agricultural Biosystems Engineering (ABE) chair group, based in Wageningen. The design methodology we use is the Reflective Interactive Design Methodology (RIO), though other approaches may be used if well-justified. You will receive daily guidance from the research group to support your design work.
The Engineering Doctorate (EngD) programme is aimed at graduates with a Master's degree and prepares candidates for a professional design career. It combines one year of coursework with a practical design or prototype project. Upon completion, the EngD title will be awarded.
Your qualities
Your Profile
Because ReGeNL is a transition-oriented programme, we are looking for intrinsically motivated candidates who want to support farmers in developing innovative solutions. You are familiar with or eager to learn about design processes and have excellent communication skills, both within academia and with non-scientific stakeholders. You understand systems thinking, can abstract complex problems, and have an open mind toward alternative solutions.
The working language of the ReGeNL programme is Dutch. All discussions with farmers and stakeholders are conducted in Dutch. Therefore, proficiency in Dutch and knowledge of the Dutch agricultural context are essential. If you do not yet meet the required language level, we will provide support through our language center, Wageningen in’to Language. You will also have ample opportunity to learn from colleagues, participants, and researchers.
Your Qualities
- Strong intrinsic motivation for regenerative agriculture and system innovation
- A proactive attitude and initiative
- A completed Master’s degree relevant to design, agriculture, or engineering (qualifying for EngD)
- Knowledge of and/or experience with design methodologies
- Strong communication skills in Dutch and English, both written and spoken
- Several years of (work) experience in agriculture and affinity with agricultural innovation
We offer you
Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:
- sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
- working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
- 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.
Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.
You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.
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.
Do you want more information?
For more information about the position, please contact: Paul van Ham, Programme Manager – paul.vanham@wur.nl Marjolein Derks, Assistant Professor – marjolein.derks@wur.nl
For questions about the application process, contact:
Caroline van Vliet, Senior HR Business Partner – caroline.vanvliet@wur.nl
How to Apply
Please apply via the application button on our website. Only applications submitted through our site will be processed.
Deadline: May 26, 2025. Don’t wait too long—we aim to start scheduling interviews as soon as suitable candidates apply.
Selection Procedure
The selection process may include an assessment as part of the evaluation.
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 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.