Senior life cycle assessment (LCA) researcher and project manager Wageningen • Wageningen University & Research

Are you an LCA expert eager to drive sustainability in the agri-food sector? Join a dynamic team committed to transforming food chains by developing and harmonizing LCA methods. Collaborate with high-level decision-makers and lead projects that set new sustainability standards. Enjoy flexible working hours, sabbaticals, and campus sports facilities. With a competitive salary and excellent pension scheme, this role offers a chance to make a real impact in a supportive and innovative environment. Read on to discover why we could be your next step.

Your job

Are you an experienced LCA researcher with a track record in supporting public and private clients in the agricultural and food sector in sustainability measurement and LCA?  Would you like to support businesses, policymakers and NGOs in measuring environmental impacts of (agri-food) products, and designing pathways to reduce those?

We are looking for an experienced colleague with a market- and customer-oriented attitude and a great affinity with applied scientific research. A track record in executing life cycle assessments is a must. You should have excellent project management skills in that field.

Your most important activities in this position will be:

• Developing, improving and harmonising LCA methods, databases and tools to measure environmental impacts in projects in which clients are supported with recommendations on how to best improve their sustainability achievements;
• Leading and working in project teams that vary in size and complexity. These may vary from about five colleagues at Wageningen Social & Economic Research to larger teams consisting of researchers from different organisations and subcontractors. These could be from WUR divisions, such as Wageningen Plant or Livestock Research, but also international consortia;
• Maintaining regular contact with your clients, whereby you proactively manage the relation to ensure that recommendations are relevant and actionable, whilst being evidence-based. Clients include private and public sector parties as well as NGOs;
• Leading the acquisition of new applied research projects based on your active network in agricultural development and sustainable value chains settings.

In this position you can really have an impact on making food chains more sustainable by working together with high level decision makers from the public and private sectors and leading multi-stakeholder groups to develop and implementing European or global sustainability standards. You will be working in the expertise group Sustainable Value Chains, one of twelve expertise groups at Wageningen Social & Economic Research. The Sustainable Value Chains group is committed to contributing to more sustainable value chains by doing applied socio-economic research for food businesses, governments and NGOs. For example, the group works together with public and private sector on developing a harmonized standard to put an environmental score on every food product in Europe. The group consists of a multidisciplinary and multinational team of value chain and (environmental, and social) sustainability experts. The group is specialised not only in LCA, but also in true cost accounting, developing new and fair business models and markets, and  research on various agricultural value chains (e.g. livestock, horticulture and floriculture).
Your qualities

• a Master’s degree with a strong emphasis on measuring sustainability using LCA (e.g. industrial ecology, environmental sciences, agricultural sciences, sustainable energy), a PhD is a plus;
• 6+ years of research experience (scientific, applied or consultancy), of which a minimum of 3 years of project management experience;
• extensive knowledge of LCA methods (e.g. PEF), life cycle inventory databases (e.g., ecoinvent, agri-footprint), emission models (e.g. IPCC, EMEP/EEA) and tools (e.g. Simapro);
• experience in programming languages (e.g. Python) to develop methods, models and tools is considered a strong plus.
• excellent spoken and written communication skills in English and (preferably) Dutch, including experience in presenting and publishing research results in reports for public and private sector clients and NGOs; experience in preparing dashboards for clients or a publication record in refereed academic journals is considered a plus;
• knowledge of the agri-food sector is considered a strong plus;
• Knowledge of LCA-based ecorating labels (e.g. Ecoscore, Inoqo, Mondra, Carbon Cloud etc.) is a plus.

Even if you do not meet all the listed requirements, we encourage you to apply. Your skills and experience may still be a valuable fit for this position
We offer you

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 € 3.868,- and € 6.831,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 11-12). As for your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract that can be extended  if possible within (company) organizational circumstances and on good performance. 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. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.
Do you want more information?

For more information about this position, please contact Tinka Koster, via de button "Solliciteer nu" op deze pagina.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Jouke van Oostenbrugge, Corporate recruiter via via de button "Solliciteer nu" op deze pagina..

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 until September 1, 2025. But don't wait to apply, we might start interviews sooner once good applications come in. 

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.

We are

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is ‘To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’.

We pursue this mission through a synergistic approach between Wageningen University and Wageningen Research Foundation (applied research). Our research focuses on questions within the domains of food, living environment, and society. With approximately 30 locations, 7,700 staff members, 2,500 PhD candidates, and over 13,000 students, Wageningen University & Research is among the world’s leading knowledge institutions in its domain. The integral approach to challenges and the collaboration across various disciplines form the core of the unique Wageningen approach.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR.

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