Head of Department Terrestrial Ecology - NIOO-KNAW - Wageningen

Join Our Team as the Head of the Department of Terrestrial Ecology

The department of Terrestrial Ecology investigates interactions between plants, microbes, and (in)vertebrates to understand, predict, and mitigate effects of climate change, biodiversity loss, and land use change. Our approach is both conceptual and experimental, ranging from evolutionary adaptation to community interactions and ecosystem processes. Our aim is to enhance the fundamental understanding of interactions and processes in nature to promote sustainability on Planet Earth.

The department has a strong national and international position with diverse research lines and systems. We remain flexible and involved in new research developments, consisting of senior scientists, research assistants, post-docs, PhD candidates, temporary technicians, and students. We have access to excellent facilities ranging from biochemical and molecular laboratories to high-quality indoor and outdoor growth facilities, soil ecotrons, long-term databases, and experimental field sites.

NIOO aims for equal representation of women and men within each functional group. We particularly encourage women to apply.

What You Will Be Doing

As the new head, you will lead the department of Terrestrial Ecology within NIOO and have your own line of research. You will join an enthusiastic team looking for a leader who brings people together transparently, inclusively, and inspiringly. You will also be part of the NIOO Management team, requiring a broad view of all aspects of NIOO’s activities. At NIOO, all heads of department hold a special professorship at a Dutch university.

For your research, you will further develop your experimental-fundamental research line in connection with the departmental and NIOO’s research themes. This includes initiating, conducting, and coordinating independent research, acquiring funding, publishing in scientific journals, and reaching out to a broader audience. You will focus on making scientific and societal impacts with your work.

Within the Terrestrial Ecology department, we strive for research diversity, collaboration, and knowledge sharing within the team, NIOO, and in the national and international research landscape. You will actively foster this working culture.

What You Will Be Contributing

With your strong social skills and ability to lead and inspire, you will contribute to the development of the department. Your dedication to a safe and inclusive working environment will result in positive collaborations. We expect you to identify with NIOO's core values: collaborative, impactful, innovative, responsible, and inclusive.

You are an internationally acknowledged scientist in Terrestrial Ecology with a strong scientific track record and a vision for the future. Your research in the Netherlands, with an international perspective, will contribute to long-term research lines and activities. You have a proven track record of raising research funding and are embedded in the Dutch research field of ecology. We expect you to learn Dutch within two years.

What Do We Offer?

We offer a permanent position after a one-year temporary contract. The Netherlands Institute of Ecology, established in 1954, has over 250 staff and guest researchers and is located in Wageningen.

Applications Procedure

To apply, submit a CV and a covering letter summarizing your motivation and experience. We will ask for two professional referees. The closing date for applications is 6 October 2024. The first round of interviews is planned for 16 October. An external assessment might be part of the procedure.

For more information, please contact Professor Dr M.E. Visser, chair of the search committee via tel.: +31 6-51392453.

About NIOO
The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO) is a national research institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). NIOO performs leading ecological research on biodiversity, climate change and sustainable use of land and water, stimulates ecological research of the Netherlands and shares its ecological knowledge with society. Based on our core values, NIOO strives to be a collaborative, inclusive, innovative, impactful, and responsible organization.

The KNAW offers its staff an excellent package of secondary benefits. For example, by working an extra two hours a week, it is possible to increase the number of days off from 29 to 41 days a year (with full-time employment).

Diversity & Inclusion
The KNAW considers a working environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated of great importance. Together we strive for an inclusive culture in which we embrace differences. We would therefore like to invite candidates who want to contribute to this through their background and experience. In the event of equal suitability, preference will be given to the candidate who enhances diversity within the Academy.