Quality Policy Officer

at  Wageningen University Research

Would you like to work as a quality policy officer in a dynamic environment where societal impact through scientific research is central? Do you enjoy challenges and variety in your work? Are you proficient in Dutch? Then this position at Wageningen Economic Research is the perfect job for you!

PLEASE NOTE: PROFICIENCY IN THE DUTCH LANGUAGE IS A REQUIREMENT FOR THIS POSITION. APPLICATIONS FROM CANDIDATES WHO DO NOT SPEAK DUTCH WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

A scientific institute stands for quality in work and results. The quality policy contributes to achieving the institute’s strategic objectives: delivering impactful products that meet the requirements of existing and new customers while addressing risks and opportunities. Wageningen Economic Research is ISO9001:2015 certified. This ISO standard is based on risk-based thinking and the development and possible implementation of improvements. To ensure the quality of research, we work according to various procedures and agreements. We continuously strive to professionalize and improve our work processes and aim for a high level of customer satisfaction.
Starting January 1, 2025, the institute will be renamed Wageningen Social and Economic Research (following the merger of Wageningen Economic Research and Wageningen Centre for Development and Innovation). This presents an exciting challenge to certify the new institute as one entity by January 1, 2026. The quality policy officer plays a central role in this process, reporting directly to the institute management, and working closely with the Operations Secretary.

As a policy officer, your tasks include:

• Checking (e.g., through internal audits), streamlining, and keeping processes and procedures within the primary process and in conjunction with the staff departments up to date;
• Actively brainstorming with management and drafting improvement proposals regarding processes and procedures;
• Actively communicating matters related to the quality policy;
• Sending external customer evaluations and internal project evaluations and processing the results;
• Drafting a concept management report;
• Preparing external audits (organizing, content preparation, ensuring follow-up).

Within this challenging role, you will also contribute to and assist in the advice and execution of various quality-related projects within operations. These projects could include housing or the implementation of new systems or procedures. Additionally, you will collaborate with colleagues from other departments across Wageningen UR on quality matters and may participate in expert groups to learn from one another.

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;
• the option to accrue additional compensation hours by working more;
• 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 December 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 €3.283,- and €4.687,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 9). This vacancy is for 24-32 hours per week. As for your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract that can be extended - if possible within (company) organizational circumstances - on good performance.
Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a multi-faceted position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere. 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, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 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 the video below to get an idea of our green campus!
We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.

We are looking for a colleague with the following qualities and competencies:

• A higher education level (HBO) of thinking and working;
• Preferably at least 3 years of work experience in a research institute or similar environment (policy organization);
• Strong communication skills;
• Preferably knowledge of and interest in quality systems (ISO9001:2015), or a willingness to train in this area;
• Maintaining the quality policy and advising management both solicited and unsolicited;
• An eye for detail and strong analytical skills for numbers and processes;
• Ability to identify risks and draft improvement plans based on findings;
• Result-oriented and able to connect with others;
• Excellent knowledge of the Dutch language and at least B2-level proficiency in English, both spoken and written.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Jouke van Oostenbrugge, Corporate recruiter, via recruitment.ssg@wur.nl.

• Checking (e.g., through internal audits), streamlining, and keeping processes and procedures within the primary process and in conjunction with the staff departments up to date;
• Actively brainstorming with management and drafting improvement proposals regarding processes and procedures;
• Actively communicating matters related to the quality policy;
• Sending external customer evaluations and internal project evaluations and processing the results;
• Drafting a concept management report;
• Preparing external audits (organizing, content preparation, ensuring follow-up)