Paralegal

Are you an energetic and well-organized Paralegal who enjoys working in an international environment where scientific research, research funding, and data-related matters come together? If so, we may be looking for you!

Our researchers independently acquire research projects funded by organizations such as the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN), the European Union, and private-sector clients. These projects focus on themes such as sustainability, food safety, and the relationship between people and their environment.

As a Paralegal, you will support our organization and legal team in the preparation and management of a wide variety of agreements and legal documents. You will also contribute to addressing day-to-day legal questions and requests. While working partly independently and managing your own portfolio of tasks, you will act as the connecting link between internal stakeholders and the legal team, navigating a complex organization with ease.

Your responsibilities

• Drafting, reviewing, and processing legal standard/template agreements, where necessary in consultation with the legal team;
• Advising on general terms and conditions;
• Managing correspondence with various internal clients and stakeholders;
• Handling legal files and dossiers, both from a substantive and administrative perspective;
• Maintaining contact with project leaders and project management support staff;
• Contributing to the translation of organizational developments into practical procedures, working agreements, and contract templates.

Your team

You will become part of the Liaison Office team within Wageningen Social & Economic Research, one of the research institutes of the Social Sciences Group at Wageningen University & Research (WUR). The team is close-knit, collaborative, and known for its careful yet pragmatic approach.

Within Wageningen University & Research, there is also a similar vacancy called Contact Management Officer. 

To be successful in this role, you bring:

• Higher professional education (HBO) level of working and thinking; a completed HBO degree in Law is an advantage;
• Relevant work experience within a complex (international) organization, particularly in legal advisory work and the drafting and management of contracts and general terms and conditions;
• A strong affinity with data and data management issues; in other words, you understand the implications of data use and data sharing for contractual agreements;
• A careful, accurate, and detail-oriented working style;
• The ability to work under pressure and effectively prioritize tasks;
• A proactive mindset and the ability to work independently while taking ownership of responsibilities;
• Strong communication skills with a clear, professional, and service-oriented approach;
• Excellent command of both Dutch and English, written and spoken;
• A natural ability to connect people, combined with tact, diplomacy, and initiative.

We offer a challenging position within an informal, collegial, dynamic, and international working environment, with ample opportunities for professional and personal development. As a Paralegal, you will be part of an ambitious team and work collaboratively on a wide range of legal and contractual matters. The team provides plenty of room for initiative, and our organizational culture is characterized by personal responsibility, ownership, and the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution.

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 €3.482 and € 4.929-  for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 9) Additionally, For this role 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.

You can see that there are sufficient challenges ahead of you. These challenges can also be viewed as development opportunities. Therefore, if you do not yet have the track record requested in the vacancy, we would still like to encourage you to apply. In this case, we work with an entry scale (scale 8).

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 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 de Graaf, Head of the Liaison Office SSG: 0317-480982, laura.degraaf@wur.nl.

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Jeanine van 't Veer-Drost, Corporate Recruiter SSG: recruitment.ssg@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 8 July 2026. Internal candidates are preferred to apply before 21 June 2026.

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

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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