Researcher Transition Economics

Do you want to contribute through economic research to the major transitions in Dutch and European agriculture? Are you driven to test and develop new economic models that help farmers, society, and nature move forward? Then this is your next step.

As a Transition Economics Researcher, you work on applied research for governments and companies. You investigate how new forms of income generation in the agrifood domain—such as community economies and other innovative models—can contribute to a future-proof agricultural sector. You translate new economic paradigms into practice, analyse the governance challenges they raise, and feed insights back to policymakers. You connect real-world cases to economic questions at the meso and macro level. You work in interdisciplinary teams and have plenty of room to take initiative, develop new research lines, and grow into a senior researcher or project leader.

Examples of projects

Commons as a transition pathway: you investigate the economic and institutional challenges of commons in rural areas, such as their revenue models and governance, and translate these into actionable perspectives.

Understanding the undercurrent: you map alternative forms of agriculture and nature conservation, analyse shared bottlenecks, and develop strategies together with the national government to strengthen these initiatives.

Your tasks and responsibilities

• Translating practical questions into sharp research questions and solid research designs.
• Conducting economic research on new models of income generation and their scaling potential at regional, sectoral, or national level.
• Delivering clear reports and presenting results to clients; where possible, publishing these in scientific journals.
• Facilitating reflection and learning processes with initiatives, governments, and other partners.
• Initiating new projects, maintaining (inter)national networks, and contributing to acquisition and business development.

Your team

Wageningen Social & Economic Research is part of Wageningen University & Research and focuses on applied social and economic research. You will join the expertise group Transition, Risk and Innovation Governance, a team of around 30 dedicated researchers. We combine in-depth knowledge of agricultural sectors, value chains, transition management, entrepreneurship, and behavioural change. Within projects, you collaborate with colleagues from other WUR units and with external knowledge partners. It is an ambitious, professional environment where collaboration and substantive quality are central.

You are an entrepreneurial researcher who effortlessly switches between policy, practice, and science. You know how to translate complex issues into sound research and deliver high-quality work within the agreed timeframe. You enjoy working in project teams and actively build relationships with external partners.

In addition, you bring:

• A completed Master’s degree or PhD in economics or a related field with substantial economic components.
• At least five years of relevant work experience, preferably in applied research and/or in the agrifood or nature domain.
• Demonstrable knowledge of doughnut economics, community economies, post-growth, or comparable paradigms, and their practical application.
• Excellent communication skills in both Dutch and English.

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

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 €4,045.- and €6,228.- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale <>).If you do not yet have the desired track record, an entry-level salary scale (scale 10) applies. For this role, an appointment starting from 28 hours per week is negotiable. 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 Anne Oudes, Teamlead Transition, Risk and Innovation Governance, via e-mail: anne.oudes@wur.nl
Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Jeanine van ’t Veer, 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 up to and including 4 May 2026. The first interviews are scheduled for 8 or 11 May 2026. Internal candidates are preferred to apply before 13 April2026.

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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