Researcher Lecturer in food microbiology

Are you passionate about educating our future scientists? And do you want to combine this with your ambition to do research in the field of safety of plant-based foods? We are looking for a passionate Researcher/Lecturer in the chair Food Microbiology! Will you join our team?

We are looking for a passionate researcher with a strong research background and great interest in microbial ecology of plant-based foods and quantitative microbiology and who would like to combine this with teaching activities. 

As researcher, you will be part of the project GRASP – Genomic-driven Risk Assessment of Plant-based foods. This project, funded by Plant2Food (Novo Nordisk Foundation), aims to predict behaviour of microbial sporeforming contaminants in plant-based foods to contribute to more sustainable food chains. The sporeforming pathogens Bacillus cereus and Clostridium botulinum harbor genetically different subgroups with very distinct growth behavior and heat resistance. Critical knowledge gaps exist on the behavior of these subgroups in plant-based foods, while this is key to develop strategies to control these pathogenic contaminants. Hereby GRASP aims to investigate prevalence, genetic diversity and behaviour of these sporeforming pathogens in plant-based foods. This knowledge will be used to develop a genomic-driven risk assessment that will be integrated into a validated user-friendly model tool. The GRASP project is a collaboration with the Danish Technical University (DTU). The project at Wageningen focusses on Bacillus cereus and the DTU project partner focusses on the sporeformer Clostridium botulinum. 

In your role as researcher (60% of your time) you will:

• quantify the heat resistance, germination and outgrowth kinetics of Bacillus cereus. You will closely work together with the DTU regarding experimental work on germination kinetics;
• use experimental and literature data to develop predictive models for inactivation, germination and outgrowth of Bacillus cereus’ subgroups in different plant-based dairy analogues;
• evaluate strategies for control of microbiological risks based on quantitative microbiological risk assessments;
• publish results and findings in peer reviewed journals.

In your role as lecturer (40% of your time), you will have various teaching roles. Think of:

• development of educational materials on food safety and food fermentation;
• supervision of lab classes in food microbiology;
• supervise group work on food safety management;
• supervise BSc and MSc thesis research projects;
• supervise internships.

Your team

The position is available at the laboratory of Food Microbiology. Our mission is to generate and disseminate knowledge of food associated microbes to assure quality and safety of food – check out this video. 

In order to control food safety and quality from primary production to consumption, solid knowledge of food microbiology is necessary, and both positive (fermentation) and negative aspects (spoilage, disease) of micro-organisms are studied. Quality and safety of food are relevant for public health, sustainability and also for enjoying life. This is what we teach and research. We do this in a dynamic, international group of people with state of the art infrastructure and many national and international cooperation's.

You possess:

• you are an ambitious and highly motivated scientist and experience with teaching in the field of food microbiology is considered an advantage;
• you have an excellent academic (preferably PhD) record in food microbiology or food sciences, including experimental experience;
• you are a creative researcher, being independent yet at the same time being a team player;
• you have excellent oral and written communication skills in English:
• you have intrinsic motivation for continuous improvement of education.

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 €3546,-. and €5538,-. 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 with 6 months - 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 Heidy den Besten, Professor, via email: heidy.denbesten@wur.nl. 
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 May 25 2026. Internal candidates are preferred to apply before May 2 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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