Senior Researcher Sustainable Plastics

Your job

Are you a researcher with a proven track record in acquiring, developing, and executing applied scientific research projects? Do you have experience with sustainable (biobased) plastics and an established R&D network within industry? At Wageningen Food & Biobased Research (WFBR), we are looking for an experienced researcher/project leader to strengthen our Sustainable Plastics team.

What will you do?

As a Senior Researcher / Project Leader, you will be responsible for the further development of the Sustainable Plastics research domain within WFBR.

This includes:

• working from a clear vision and guiding colleagues in the execution of applied scientific research in the field of biobased and circular plastics;
• leading multidisciplinary, multi-partner research projects, managing internal teams of researchers while maintaining close contact with external project partners and clients;
• analysing research results and translating them into reports, presentations, scientific publications, and conference contributions;
• continuously keeping up to date with the latest developments in the processing and product properties of biobased and circular plastic products, as well as their relationship with intended end-of-life scenarios. You are able to translate this knowledge into practical applications (e.g. packaging, agricultural plastics, textiles), while taking relevant legislation and regulations into account;
• building and maintaining an effective national and international network and leveraging this network to acquire new research projects and collaborations;
• contributing to the external visibility of Wageningen Food & Biobased Research in the field of circular and biobased materials, for example through publications in trade journals and participation in societal debates.

The position consists of approximately two-thirds research and one-third project leadership and business development. You act as a sparring partner and source of expertise for colleagues and actively contribute to the joint development of research and innovation.

Your workplace

Your qualities

You have:

• an academic degree (MSc or PhD) in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field, with domain expertise in biobased polymer processing and product development. Broader knowledge of the sustainable plastics field (e.g. recycling, relevant legislation and regulations) is considered an advantage;
• a proven track record in an industrial or applied R&D environment;
• experience in initiating, acquiring, executing, and managing complex applied scientific research projects.

As a person, you demonstrate leadership, credibility, and persuasiveness. You are committed to quality and enjoy working collaboratively within a team. Looking ahead, you have the ambition to become a leading scientist in the field of circular and biobased plastics technology.

In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about language level C2. If you don’t speak Dutch, we expect the willingness to learn Dutch. Of course we will help you with this.

We offer

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 €4929,- and €7068,- for a full-t