Lab technician Food Quality & Design

Are you a pro-active lab technician with a passion for education and a background in food sciences? Do you want to share your knowledge and skills with our students? Join our chair group’s laboratory support team.

We are looking for a lab technician with a passion for education at the Food Quality and Design (FQD) group. The Food Quality & Design group is involved in approx. 50 BSc and MSc courses, many of which have lab practicals. Next to that, many of the BSc and MSc Food Technology students work in the FQD labs as part of their thesis research. In this role, you would be responsible for the proper operation of the lab for both courses and thesis research.

It is a perfect job for a someone with experience with diverse food analyses, who is willing to develop oneself within a dynamic educational environment. In this role, you will have a variety of responsibilities contributing to the areas of education, laboratory (including health & safety),  quality assurance, instrument maintenance and development of analytical protocols. To be eligible, you should have a natural interest in education and have a background in food science or a related field. Familiarity with Wageningen University education is a plus, but candidates with a similar background are also invited to apply. You will preferably be available from August 2026, when the new academic year starts. 

Your duties and responsibilities include: 

• preparation and execution of laboratory practicals as part of the chair group’s BSc and MSc courses;

• support the collective efforts of the FQD lab technician team in implementing Good Laboratory Practices for education and research projects;

• duties of a Health and Safety officer at the FQD laboratories;

• monitoring and ensuring equipment performance together with providing technique-specific training to lab users;

• contribute to the continuous improvement of FQD analytical protocols and laboratory housekeeping.

Your team

You will work in the lab technician team of FQD, with 8 colleagues who have different roles in analytical and educational support of the chair group.

You will work here 

You will work at Food Quality and Design group (FQD), which is a large multidisciplinary chair group. The vision of the group is that health, sustainability, and quality aspects of food products are fundamental "to explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life", i.e. the mission of Wageningen University and Research. The objectives of FQD are to develop new scientific knowledge on food design and quality management and to train future generations for positions at the boundary between food technology and other disciplines. We are looking for a team player who is motivated to advance the quality of the group’s laboratory and education support.

For this position we are looking for someone who is pro-active, works meticulous and has a hands-on mentality. Furthermore, you have:

• education (HBO/BSc/MSc level) in analytical chemistry, biochemistry, or food chemistry with proven hands-on experience on diverse laboratory analyses;

• several years of relevant work experience, ideally within an educational environment;

• affinity with working in a multidisciplinary group in an international context;

• open and communicative personality  with advanced organizational skills;

• command of written and spoken English is mandatory, and for Dutch is appreciated.

In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about language level B2.

Scale 7 up to and including 10
WUR welcomes applications from international candidates. However, for applicants for this specific position from outside the EU/EFTA zone, immigration restrictions may apply based on Dutch and EU immigration laws. Such candidates may be eligible for an “orientationyear” in the Netherlands or a visa as a “knowledge migrant”.

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.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between €3382,-. and €4484,-. for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 8). Additionally, a contract for 32 hours can be discussed. As for your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract that can be extended, if possible within (company) organizational circumstances, on good performance. 

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.

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 Christos Fryganas via email: christos.fryganas@wur.nl. 

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Evelien Janssen, Corporate Recruiter, via email: evelien.janssen@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 15 June 2026. The first interviews are scheduled for mid June up to beginning of July 2026. Internal candidates are preferred to apply before 23 May 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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