Group Head Fungal and Oomycete Phytopathology

As Group Head within WPR, you will lead the Fungal and Oomycete Phytopathology research team. This leadership role involves coaching, motivating, and inspiring approximately 25 team members in the execution of research tasks, as well as acquiring and conducting applied and demand-driven national and international research.

In your capacity as a researcher, you will also personally contribute to project management, acquisition, and execution, thereby strengthening or maintaining the institute’s financial, scientific, and market position while ensuring the continuity and quality of research delivery.

Your tasks and responsibilities as a group head are: 

• As a figurehead, leads the team based on a clear team strategy. You coach, motivate and inspire employees in the field of (project) management, research quality, project implementation, and acquisition. Cooperation, openness, transparency, and shared responsibility are key concepts in this.
• Actively steers towards a balanced structure of the team and the optimal use of resources, whereby ambition, capacity, competencies and quality of the team are aligned with the implementation of the Strategic Agenda of the WPR institute.
• Bears responsibility for the strategic development and composition of the project portfolio through substantive choices and prioritization based on the Strategic Agenda and financial frameworks of the Institute Management Team (IMT) of WPR.
• You have an active role in (or organise) acquisition and project management and monitor (or organize) scientific quality, integrity and innovation.
• You position team members based on their ambitions, capacities and competencies. You stimulate sustainable employability within the institute and development through Let's Talk Together (LTT) and Result & Development (R&O) conversations, with a focus on personal development, performance, well-being and future prospects that fit within the frameworks and continuity of the institute's development direction.
• You actively steer towards cohesion, cooperation, scientific quality, diversity, social safety, professionalism and operational excellence of the team and are a role model in this; guarantee a safe, inclusive, healthy and transparent organizational culture with room for dialogue, reflection and learning. 

Purpose team 

The Fungal and Oomycete Phytopathology team develops knowledge and solutions for understanding, preventing, and managing fungal and oomycete diseases across all crop sectors.

Core Expertise and activities

• Host-pathogen interactions
• Disease epidemiology and risk assessmen
• Disease detection and monit
• Fungicide alternatives and resistance management
• Diagnostics and surveillance of emerging pathogens
• Evaluation of resistant varieties
• Hytosanitary health and regulated organisms

Strategic Impact

This team contributes to sustainable crop protection by reducing disease pressure and reliance on chemical fungicides, while enhancing crop resilience. 

You will work here 

This position is part of the group head community of the Wageningen Plant Research (WPR) institute in Wageningen. The group heads community is responsible for the functioning of the research teams, so that strategic ambitions are translated into coherent plans, effective implementation and optimal deployment of people, facilities and support. The Institute Management Team (IMT) is responsible for WPR as a whole and the group head is responsible for the contribution of his own team, in coordination and collaboration with the other research teams.

 You possess:

• At least 3–5 years of demonstrable experience in the hierarchical management of teams and/or complex (inter)national projects involving agrotechnological innovations within a scientific or research environment.
• You have gained this leadership experience working with a knowledge-intensive team of professionals and by both acquiring and executing (strategic or applied) research in a scientific field relevant to the group’s research domain.
• Familiair with the relevant themes of the WPR institute and able to connect with stakeholders both within the institute and externally (companies, government bodies, NGOs, and research institutions).
• Able to represent the research field and the group’s activities in an engaging manner.
• Organizationally sensitive (both within and outside WUR), proactive, decisive, and steadfast in maintaining direction.
• A skilled networker (nationally and internationally) within the discipline’s network—engaging at the policy level with research organizations and relevant stakeholder groups.
• Extensive experience with a coaching leadership style and a focus on collaboration.
• Strong conceptual and analytical skills; proactive and capable of translating strategy and vision into action and results, while acting in a way that is collaborative, accessible, communicative, and transparent.

Desired Qualifications

• Familiar with the relevant themes of the WPR institute and able to connect with stakeholders both within the institute and externally (companies, government bodies, NGOs, and research institutions). Able to represent the group’s research field and activities in an engaging manner.
• Fluent in Dutch and English (or willing to acquire proficiency quickly).

Competencies

• Organizational sensitivity (within and outside WUR); decisive, resolute, andsteadfast in maintaining direction.
• Networker (national and international) within the relevant discipline, at the policy level, and with research organizations and key stakeholder groups.
• Extensive experience with a coaching leadership style focused on collaboration, characterized by an approach that is connecting, accessible, communicative, and transparent.
• Strong conceptual and analytical skills; proactive and capable of translating strategy and vision into action and results. 

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.

Naturally, these excellent secondary benefits come with a fitting salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a salary ranging from a minimum of € 5,508.- to a maximum of € 9,064.- for a full 36-hour work week, in accordance with the Wageningen Research collective labour agreement (scale 14). (A startscale 13 can be applicable). We initially offer a one-year contract, with the possibility of extension based on performance and the organization's financial situation.

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 Marleen Riemens, Institute Manager at WPR, via email: marleen.riemens@wur.nl.

Questions about the procedure? Please contact Dax Teunissen, Corporate Recruiter, via email: vacaturemeldingen.psg@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 November 30, 2026. Internal candidates are preferred to apply before 2 November 2026.

Applications are reviewed regularly. Therefore, the position may be filled before the stated closing date.

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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