Technical assistant genebank

Do you enjoy hands-on work and are you interested in working with seeds of old and new crops and their wild relatives? Would you like to play an active role in conserving and sharing genetic diversity? Do you enjoy working in a small, close-knit team and are you able to work in a focused and accurate manner, even when tasks can be repetitive? Then this position at the Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands (CGN) of Wageningen University & Research could be for you!

What will you do?
As a technical assistant at the CGN genebank, you will ensure that our valuable genetic material – 25,000 accessions of agricultural and horticultural crops – is properly stored and monitored.

Your tasks and responsibilities as a technical assistant include, among others:
• Preparing, packaging and storing seeds.
• Collecting orders and preparing shipments that are sent worldwide.
• Working in our seed storage facility, including approximately one hour per day in the freezer (-20°C).
• Packaging small samples for users directly from bulk material.
• Preparing and assessing germination tests.
• Describing the diversity of more than 30 different crops.
• Assisting with the set-up, maintenance, observation and harvesting of regeneration plots.
• Recording all activities in our database.

Your contribution is essential to the safe conservation of our genetic resources, ensuring they remain available worldwide for research and use.

You are a proactive person with a positive work attitude. You work accurately, are flexible and can deal well with routine tasks.

In addition, you have:
• MBO-level working and thinking ability (secondary vocational education).
• An interest in working at a genebank and in the conservation of biodiversity.
• Basic digital skills.
• A good command of the Dutch language.

In our international working environment, communication is increasingly conducted in English. For this position, a language levelB2 level of English is required. If you do not yet meet this level, we will of course support you, and you can make use of our language centre, Wageningen in’to Language.

Due to Dutch immigration laws, candidates from outside the EU/EFTA zone, can usually not be hired for this position. More information can be found on the website of the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service.

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 € 2,824.- and € 3,567.- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 6). Additionally, For this role a contract for 32 hours can be discussed. We offer you a temporary contract for the duration of one year. Of course, we are happy to have a conversation with you if you have any questions about this.

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.

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. 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 Rik Lievers, Crop Coordinator, via +31- 634510697 or email: rik.lievers@wur.nl.

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Dax Teunissen, Corporate Recruiter, via recruitment.psg@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 March, 16th 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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