Full Professor and Chair of Water Technology and Metropolitan Solutions

Wageningen University & Research

Wageningen, Netherlands 🇳🇱

We are looking for

We are looking for two innovative, dynamic and inspiring scholars and leaders in the field of Environmental Technology to join Wageningen University & Research (0.8 – 1.0 fte). ETE has two chair positions available, one chair focuses on Water Technology and Metropolitan Solutions, and one chair focuses on (Bio)recovery Technology for Circular Economy. Both chairs are jointly responsible for the ETE group, which includes the group finances, the lab facilities and staff, and other facilities. This advertisement is for the chair of Water Technology and Metropolitan Solutions. You can find the advertisement for the other vacancy here.

Mission and Focus
The mission of the Environmental Technology (ETE) is to develop and evaluate innovative environmental technologies and concepts based on processes from nature, to recover and reuse essential components and to maintain and create a viable environment. We create impact by innovation through excellent science and focus on applicability. To this end, ETE focuses on technological and system engineering innovations that contribute to sustainability and circular economy goals. ETE performs fundamental and applied research in close collaboration with various end-users from public and private sector covering a variety of industries both within The Netherlands and abroad. 

Leadership and Management
As ETE chair holder, you will jointly lead the ETE group. You will support the group’s research ambitions by further strengthening its position in national and international scientific and industrial networks, by managing its internal processes and relations in a constructive and cooperative way, and by strengthening established research lines and bringing in novel ideas. You will ensure  that the group provides a supportive working environment to academics at a range of career levels. Strengthening the acquisition of external funding for research, and attracting PhD candidates are key elements.

Education
ETE is involved in several BSc and MSc educational programmes, covering biological resource recovery technologies, biorefinery, water treatment, electrochemical engineering, and resource recovery in the circular economy. These courses are embedded in programmes including BSc and MSc in Environmental Sciences, and the MSc programs of Urban Environmental Management, Biotechnology, Biosystems Engineering, and Biobased Sciences (WUR) and Water Technology (Wetsus). An important task for the new chair is to give new impulses to further develop the contents of ETE’s courses, its teaching methods, and the coherence of the education programmes in which it takes part.

Chair of Water Technology and Metropolitan Solutions
The “Water Technology and Metropolitan Solutions” chair strives for sustainable, robust and fit-for-purpose water systems. Future research should focus on developing technologies for water treatment that can remove specific emerging and recalcitrant contaminants from water and organic waste streams in order to produce clean resources that facilitate circular water and circular economy goals. The chair is expected to capitalize on the strong potential of ETE research for societal impact. To achieve this, the chair is expected to work with many societal stakeholders, like technology providers, water authorities, industrial end-users and spin-offs. Futher information on the group’s research vision, structure, and embedding of the new chairs can be obtained from the secretary of the appointment committee (johan.feenstra@wur.nl).

We ask

  • a doctorate (PhD degree) in environmental technology, chemical engineering or biotechnology
  • an outstanding scientific track record and international research profile in the physical-chemical treatment of water to make it fit for different purposes;
  • the ability to manage professionals and with proven track record in leadership, with an inspiring, collegial, and unifying leadership style characterized by a passion to develop people, to build teams, and to create synergy;
  • an excellent team player;
  • an inspiring long-term vision regarding the development of the scientific field, the research agenda and the teaching profile of the ETE group;
  • a broad international network in science and industry and associated acquisition potential
  • a keen interest to work in an interdisciplinary environment and to bridge technological and system engineering research;
  • a proven record in acquisition of research funds from international and preferably also national agencies;
  • an outstanding record in teaching, mentoring and course development, at both undergraduate and graduate levels, with an ability to work with students from a wide range of backgrounds;
  • excellent command of English and – for international applicants – willingness to learn Dutch.

We offer

You will be working for an inspiring international organisation with a large number of interdisciplinary projects all over the world. The scientific quality of Wageningen University is affirmed by the prominent position we occupy in international rankings and citation indexes. We offer you a challenging position as full professor of the Chair of Environmental Technology. Besides a competitive salary, 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.

Coming from abroad
We are a globally leading university in the 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. The university’s highly qualified team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family. Finally a specialized organization will assist your partner one on one in finding a job or starting a business in the Netherlands, and besides that WUR offers a dual career program that helps partners through a group based program. Furthermore, we can assist you in finding schools for your kids and assist you with finding accommodation in the region or elsewhere in the Netherlands.

The Wageningen University & Research’s International Community page contains further practical information about what we do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen.

Equal opportunity employer
We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age. We believe that a diverse and inclusive work environment makes us a more relevant, more competitive, and more resilient organization. We believe that a diverse and inclusive working environment makes us a more relevant, competitive and resilient organization. 

More information

Further information about the position can be obtained from professor Harry Bitter, Chair of the Appointment Advisory Committee (Email: harry.bitter@wur.nl).

Application deadline 9 January 2023
You are invited to upload your complete application via the vacancy on our website and address it to Mr. Johan Feenstra, secretary of the Appointment Advisory Committee.

Your application should include:
• An application letter with curriculum vitae
• A separate list of publications
• Your vision on research and education in the domain of the Chair (Max 2 pages).

Please note that the Appointment Advisory Committee will interview selected candidates for this position on Monday 13 March 2023. The Committee will thereafter invite short-listed candidates for a second interview and a public trial lecture on Friday 21 April 2023.

We are

Wageningen University & Research
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, 7,200 employees (6,400 fte) and 13,200 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 this video to get an idea of our green campus!

Current ETE group
The present ETE group is a vibrant team of young and mid-career researchers who work in the field of environmental technology (see www.wageningenur.nl/ete). The ETE group currently consists of 20 faculty staff: 2 special professors, 4 associate professor, 8 assistant professors and 6 lecturers / other tenured staff. In addition, more than 60 PhD candidates are supervised by current staff. The ETE staff works closely together with staff of other chair groups on interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary topics for which the connection of disciplines is essential. At national level, the close collaboration with the European centre of excellence for sustainable water technology (Wetsus) is important. The ETE group is part of the Biobased Cluster within the Agriculture and Food Sciences Group. ETE has a unique research infrastructure with the laboratory consisting of Modutech to support research on new technologies and the Analytical laboratory, with 9 supporting staff members (technicians and analysts).
The group is efficiently organised and supported by dedicated secretarial, financial and HR advisors. The group and student community is largely international and all courses are taught in English.

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.


POSITION TYPE

ORGANIZATION TYPE

EXPERIENCE-LEVEL

DEGREE REQUIRED

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