"Full Professor and Chair Nutritional Biology"

Due to the upcoming retirement of our current chair holder, a vacancy has arisen for a Full Professor in the Nutritional Biology chair group, part of the Division of Human Nutrition and Health of Wageningen University & Research (WUR). The Division has an outstanding international reputation in research and education in the fields of nutrition and health and consists of five dedicated chair groups.

The mission of the Nutritional Biology group is to unravel the interplay between nutrition and human biology in relation to health, with the aim to maintain or improve a person’s physical and cognitive performance during ageing, acute or chronic disease, and rehabilitation. This translates into a focus on the (patho)physiology of musculoskeletal system, the brain, and the gastro-intestinal tract, with a specific interest in dietary protein. The work spans from human intervention, observational and biomarker studies, to (human) in vitro work, to animal and animal-replacing experiments, using state-of-the-art models and technologies.

The position of chair of the Nutritional Biology group offers you the opportunity to shape and expand your own research lines in synergy with the group’s scientific focus, while also developing your academic leadership profile. In this role, you will share responsibility for the academic and operational management of the group. Your responsibilities will include setting the research strategy, guiding a diverse team of scientists, lecturers, and support staff, and further strengthening the group’s national and international standing. In addition, you will contribute to high-quality education at the BSc, MSc, and PhD levels and help drive innovation in teaching, supporting WUR’s strong reputation in higher education.

The Nutritional Biology group consists of: 1 Chair Holder and Full Professor, 1 Personal and Full Professor and 1 Endowed (part-time) Professor, 1 Associate Professor, 9 Assistant Professors and Researchers, 4 Postdoctoral Researchers, and approximately 15 PhD candidates. The group is supported by a shared team of professionals including technicians, dieticians, nurses, and administrative staff.

The Division of Human Nutrition and Health comprises around 240 employees (part-time and full-time), including 125 PhD candidates and 20 postdocs. It includes five chair groups: 1) Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics; 2) Global Nutrition; 3) Sensory Science and Eating Behaviour; 4) Nutrition and Disease; and 5) Nutritional Biology. The Division integrates expertise in nutrition across cellular, individual, and population levels, supported by state-of-the-art research infrastructure such as a dedicated human research unit, a research kitchen, and advanced laboratories for in vitro experimentation and analytical work.

Requirements

As a successful candidate, you will bring the following qualities and experience:

• you hold a PhD degree and have an internationally recognized scientific track record in the field of nutrition and metabolism. Your academic background is in human nutrition, nutrient metabolism, human biology, (bio)medical science or a closely related discipline;
• you have a clear long-term plan for research, teaching, and group development that aligns with or complements the existing strengths of the Nutritional Biology group;
• you have experience in building and maintaining a broad (inter)national network across various sectors, including academic institutions, societal organizations, policy makers, and industry partners;
• You have a successful track record in securing research funding from a variety of sources.
• you are an experienced and inspiring teacher who enjoys engaging students in learning. You have supervised students from diverse backgrounds and contributed to curriculum innovation and the development of courses at Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD levels including the use of innovative teaching methods;
• you have proven experience in leading multidisciplinary teams. Your leadership style is empathic and inclusive – you actively listen, value the perspectives of others and foster a culture in which everyone feels heard and appreciated. You focus on professional development, team building and creating synergy within the group.

Conditions of employment

You will be working for an inspiring international organisation actively engaged in a large number of interdisciplinary projects all over the world. The scientific quality of Wageningen University & Research is affirmed by the prominent position we occupy in international rankings and citation indices.

We offer you a position as Full Professor and Chair of Nutritional Biology. Besides a competitive salary (maximum gross salary for starting chair holders is scale H2 step 13 € 10.441,- per month), we offer a number of additional benefits, such as an end-of-year extra month’s salary, a holiday allowance and a pension plan with the Dutch pension fund for government and education. International candidates moving to the Netherlands may benefit from a special tax relief, by which a part of their salary is exempt from tax for several years.

Working hours can be discussed to optimize the work-life balance (32-38 hours per week).