Postdoc researcher: Food Waste - Practices and Societal Transformations

Are you excited to contribute to empowering citizens, retailers, municipalities, and policymakers to adopt and scale circular practices in the domain of food consumption? We are looking for an enthusiastic postdoctoral researcher to conduct research and coordinate the project Food Waste: Practices and Societal Transformations.

In this project you will not only do research but also translate insights into strategies and toolkits to help reduce food waste. You will start by examining practices and behaviors of various stakeholders (people, restaurants, retail) together with partners from different European countries to identify practices related to food waste. For instance, various successful practices to prevent food may exist, and mapping these local practices will help to identify opportunities to prevent food waste at scale. Drawing on literature studies and empirical research you will uncover and map food consumption practices in different countries, and translate this knowledge into new innovative ways and practical toolkits to reduce food waste. You will be involved in designing and executing the research. 

The project involves gaining a deep understanding of practices in different countries in Europe and identifying culturally appropriate, financially practical and feasible, leverage points to develop interventions. In plain words, to make sure that interventions at home, supermarkets or restaurants align with what people do and value and contribute to an understanding whether any identified interventions are scalable across different countries where different practices and eating cultures exist.

Your duties and responsibilities include: 

• Study and map consumption patterns relevant for preventing food waste among different groups including citizens, retailers and policymakers;
• Examine whether and how effective practices to prevent food waste in one country can be translated to another country;
• Develop practical toolkits to facilitate the adoption of circular food consumption practices for various interest holders, and contribute to strategies of scaling these practices;
• Contribute sociological and behavioral expertise in a large international consortium;
• (Contribute to) management of a work package in a European Horizon grant.

Your team

The project is part of the HORIZON project “Empowering Equitable and Emotionally Intelligent Transitions to Circular Food Systems”.

You will be working closely with prof. dr. Harm Veling (behavioral scientist; chair of CHL) and dr. Hilje van der Horst (sociologist specialized in consumption). In their work, they aim to gain a deep understanding of behavioral patterns and consumption patterns drawing on psychological and sociological theories, and examine how this understanding can contribute to societal transitions that benefit human and planetary health.  They will co-supervise this project to ensure insights from different disciplines are integrated. 

You combine a genuine curiosity in understanding differences in food consumption practices across Europe in the context of food waste with a strong drive to translate this understanding in designing research and developing practical toolkits for various stakeholders to reduce food waste. You have excellent communication skills and a proactive attitude for effective collaboration in multidisciplinary and international teams. You have the ability and willingness to engage with various stakeholders inside and outside academia and manage a project in this diverse international context. 

You also possess: 

• A completed PhD in a relevant discipline (e.g., sociology, social science; behavioral science);
• Demonstrable expertise in mixed-methods research;
• Ability and willingness to engage with various stakeholders inside and outside academia;
• Project management skills;
• Excellent communication skills in English.

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). Additionally, a contract for 0.8 FTE 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, for the duration of the project (33 months). 

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 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.

Do you want more information?
For more information about the position, please contact Hilje van der Horst, hilje.vanderhorst@wur.nl or Harm Veling, harm.veling@wur.nl
Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Noorien Abbas, Corporate Recruiter, via 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 till June 1 2026. The first interviews are scheduled for 11 and 12 June. 

Preferred startdate is 1 September 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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