Management Office Assistant

Do you enjoy keeping things organised and interacting with people? As a Management Office Assistant (MOA) for the Cell Biology and Immunology (CBI) and Host-Microbe Interactomics (HMI) research groups at Wageningen University & Research (WUR), you will be the one ensuring everything runs smoothly for an enthusiastic, international team of academics working on innovative teaching and research.

As a Management Office Assistant (MOA), you will support the chair holders and staff members of both groups in their teaching, research and management activities. You will ensure that the administration is well organised and act as the point of contact for students, lecturers and researchers. You will be based at Wageningen Campus in a dynamic, international environment.

Your duties and responsibilities as a Management Office Assistant are: 

• supporting the academic administration;
• handling administrative tasks within research projects;
• managing the schedule and communications for the chair holder and the research group;
• organising meetings and gatherings;
• acting as the first point of contact for internal and external enquiries.

Your team

You will work alongside our current MOAs and support a team of lecturers, researchers, analysts and students within the CBI and HMI research groups. Our team is involved in teaching and research into cells and the immune system in animals and humans (CBI), and the role of the microbiome in health and disease (HMI). In this way, you will help lecturers and researchers contribute to better health for humans and animals.

This is where you will be working 

The Cell Biology & Immunology and Host-Microbe Interactomics research groups are part of Wageningen University & Research. We conduct fundamental and applied research aimed at improving human and animal health. At CBI, we study the functioning of cells and the immune system in animals and humans. At HMI, we study pathogenic bacteria that cause infections in animals and ways to reduce disease and antibiotic resistance. We provide teaching in these fields, and we supervise thesis students and interns. 

Due to Dutch immigration laws, candidates from outside the EU/EFTA zone, can usually not be hired for this position. More information can be found on the website of the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service.

You are accurate, proactive and have strong communication skills. You are able to switch easily between different tasks and feel at home in an academic environment.

You also posses:

• a completed secretarial qualification at MBO or HBO level, and/or demonstrable work experience with administrative processes;
• you have a good command of Dutch and English (spoken and written, at C2 and C1 level respectively), and you have excellent communication and interpersonal skills;
• you have good digital skills; Microsoft Office holds no secrets for you (particularly Teams, Outlook, Word and Excel) and you know how to use administrative software and AI efficiently (or are willing to learn);
• you have strong organisational skills and a service-oriented, customer-focused attitude;
• you have an affinity with the fields of CBI and HMI, and enjoy working in an academic teaching and research environment. 

In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of  communication in English. For this position it is about language level C1 required. If you do not yet meet this language level, we will of course support you, and you can make use of our language centre, Wageningen in’to Language.

Do you see this role as offering plenty of challenges and opportunities for development, but don’t quite meet all the requirements? Do you have relevant experience and are you keen to develop further in a support role? If so, we encourage you to apply.

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 € 3,029.-  and € 3,623.- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 6). This is a position of 32 to 38 hours per week. 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 Walter Gerrits, Interim Chairholder, via telephonenumber: +31 317 48 4258 or via email: walter.gerrits@wur.nl.

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Ine van't Land, corporate recruiter, via email: ine.van'tland@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 Monday May 25, 2026. Internal candidates are preferred to apply before May 4, 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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