Legal counsel

Do you enjoy working as a legal counsel in an international environment focused on today’s major societal challenges, such as climate change and the nitrogen issue? On a beautiful green campus, together with great colleagues working towards sustainable impact? Then we’re looking for you!

For the Legal Affairs & Liaison Office (LOLA) team within the Environmental Sciences Group (ESG), we are looking for an enthusiastic new legal counsel. ESG’s activities give rise to legal questions, particularly in relation to research projects involving (inter)national governments, knowledge institutions, and companies. As a legal counsel, you will be an important link in drafting and concluding agreements for the funding and execution of groundbreaking research.

You will be part of a friendly team with plenty of room for your own initiative. In addition, you will work together with the legal counsels from other parts of Wageningen University & Research.

This position is for 27 hours per week, initially on a one-year contract. A different number of hours is negotiable.

Your responsibilities

In this role, you will be responsible, among other things, for:

• Advising project leaders/researchers and management on legal aspects of research projects and other matters.
• Drafting or reviewing a wide range of agreements in Dutch and English, including research, consortium, non-disclosure, and grant agreements in the areas of climate, sustainability, and the living environment.
• Participating in project groups on specific topics, taking part in WUR-wide Legal policy meetings, and maintaining contacts with other legal counsels within WUR.

We are looking for a colleague who:

• Has a degree in Dutch law (Nederlands Recht).
• Has strong analytical skills and is able to quickly distil the essence from relevant regulations and translate this into practical advice and clear agreements.
• Works well in a team.
• Has excellent communication skills and a strong command of Dutch and English, both spoken and written.
• Has a strong personality, is reliable and acts with integrity, and is sensitive to organisational dynamics.
• Maintains an overview, sets priorities, can switch quickly, is client-oriented, and performs well under pressure.

In our international working environment, more and more communication takes place in English. For this position, a C1 level of English is required.

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 € 3.399,- and € 6.228,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 10-11). 

As for your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract that can be extended. The contract is for 27 hours per week. Of course, we are happy to have a conversation with you if you have any questions about this.

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. 

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 Communitypage 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 Laura Schellingerhout, Head of Legal Affairs & Liaison Office, tel 06-51582301 or e-mail; laura.schellingerhout@wur.nl.

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Edgar Tijhuis, Corporate Recruiter, via edgar.tijhuis@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 March, 16 2026. Internal candidates are preferred to apply before February 23rd 2026.

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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