Postdoc: High throughput microfluidics for protein functionality measurement

Are you fascinated by microfluidic systems? Do you want to contribute to the future of food production within our ‘Future Foods Project’? Ready for your next step in science? This post-doc position might be a good opportunity for you!

With this post-doc position based at the laboratory of Food Process Engineering, you will play a pivotal role in the EU Future Foods project. You will bridge experimental and modelling results in order to arrive at microfluidic device that can be used for high-throughput screening of protein functionality. You will work in an international consortium consisting of both academic and industrial partners, dedicated to boosting the use of proteins that are less impactful for the planet we live in.

As our post-doc you will be responsible for bringing our existing microfluidic techniques to a next level, allowing their use under a wide range of process conditions, to thus be in a position to connect processes that occur at small scale to stability of food products, also at longer time scales. If successful this will speed up food product innovation greatly, and allow the use of alternative protein sources based on first principles. 

You will take the lead in connecting with our project partners, manage BSc and MSc thesis students participating in the project, as well as connect with our technical support staff. We expect you to also become a valuable part of our post-doc/PhD candidate community and connect with other scientific staff. 

Your duties and responsibilities include: 

• design a microfluidic system in which the process conditions can be adjusted over a wide range, thus allowing analysis of protein functionality at high throughput fashion;
• write your findings down in scientific papers, and present at (international) conferences;
• manage the project, and keep close connections with project partners;
• manage projects of thesis students contributing to your project.      

Your team

You will work within the chair group of Food Process Engineering of Wageningen University, and will be coached by prof. Karin Schroën. The FPE group has around 20 scientific and support staff, 40 PhD candidates and post-docs. You will become part of this dynamic group that on an annual basis also is the home of 50 thesis students. 

You will work here 

Information about chair group: https://www.wur.nl/en/chair-groups/food-sciences-and-technology/food-process-engineering.

You are fascinated by how science can contribute to real world challenges, you have a solid background in technical sciences, and a drive to contribute to a large team. You have good language, and communication skills, and enjoy managing others. 

You also possess: 

• a PhD in chemical, food, or bio-technology or similar;
• work experience other than having completed your PhD is not needed. 

In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about language level C1.

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 € 3.546,- and € 5.538,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10). As for your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract that can be extended, if possible within (company) organizational circumstances, on good performance, for the duration of the project. 

We encourage development and internal mobility within our organization. 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 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. 

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, dual career programs 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 Karin Schroën, chair holder of Food Process Engineering, via email: Karin.schroen@wur.nl or by phone: +31317483396. 

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 7 May 2026. 

Internal candidates are preferred to apply before 16 April 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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