Postdoctoral researcher Food Material Processing and Characterization

Job title:

Postdoctoral researcher Food Material Processing and Characterization

Company:

Wageningen University and Research Centre

Job description

Job description Are you a talented doctoral graduate who has a passion for doing interdisciplinary research related to material processing and characterization? Do you want to perform exciting research on novel applications of food materials? Do you want to understand materials’ behavior during drying by using our in-house developed droplet drying platform? We invite you to apply for a postdoc position in the Laboratory of Food Process Engineering!As a postdoctoral researcher, we expect you to contribute to the research as well as education of our chair group. A detailed description on the work activities regarding research and education can be found below.Research: You will contribute to two ongoing research projects in our group. The first one is the ROBOFOOD project. In this EU project, we explore the futuristic application of making edible robots and robotic food for humans and animals. Currently, two PhD candidates are working on the ROBOFOOD project, focusing 1) on developing new ways to process and assemble edible materials for robotic applications and 2) on characterizing properties of edible materials for robotic applications, respectively. We have developed methods relying on 3D printing and freeze drying to process edible materials into composites which fulfil the requirements to be used in robotic applications, i.e. lightweight yet strong starch-based cryogels for edible airfoil.The second project is the DRAGONS Egg project, which aims at increasing energy efficiency by steering droplet agglomeration in spray dryers. One PhD candidate is working on this project at WUR, who uses a unique in-house developed single droplet drying device to perform collision and drying studies. We would also like to facilitate independent research from you, if time and resources allow.Education: You will contribute to educational activities to strengthen her/his skills in teaching/coaching students, examples are Product and Process Design, Automation in Food Manufacturing (online), etc. You will also be given the opportunity to supervise BSc/MSc thesis students on topics related to the two research projects as described above.Strengthening your competences: As a postdoctoral researcher, further development of your competences will be supported via following courses. For example, Wageningen Graduate Schools (WGS) offers competences, skills and career-oriented courses for postdoctoral researchers.Your duties and responsibilities include:

• conducting scientific research on two research projects mentioned above;
• contributing to the education of the group;
• supervising MSc/BSc thesis students and internships.

You will work with Prof. Maarten Schutyser, Dr. Lu Zhang and other colleagues who are involved in the research projects.Requirements

• you have a completed doctoral degree (PhD) in chemical engineering, food engineering, mechanical engineering, material science or related field;
• you have research experience in or have affinity with additive manufacturing, drying and material characterization;
• you are a creative, enthusiastic, independent researcher with team spirit, good communication skills, and lab skills;
• you are motivated to coach and inspire PhD candidates, and BSc/MSc thesis students, and work together with internal/external partners from different backgrounds;
• you have excellent English language proficiency (a minimum of CEFR C2 level). You have both excellent writing and oral communication skills. For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our special language page.

You can see that there are plenty of challenges ahead of you. These challenges can also be seen as development opportunities. So if you do not yet have the track-record required in the vacancy, but do have solid work experience, we would also like to invite you to apply.You will work here
We are , a group of about 15-20 staff (scientific and technical), 35 – 45 PhD students and postdocs, and typically 50 – 80 BSc and MSc students doing their theses in our group per year. The group is large and growing, is strongly internationally oriented and recognised and works together with scientific groups and industries from all over the world. We work as team on finding new ways to prepare foods in much more sustainable ways, keeping them fresher and tastier, and healthier for the consumers. As foods are very complex products, we need to obtain deeper insight of their response to treatment, to understand how we could keep them in a fresher state, and how we could help people having a healthier diet. We aim for this at truly new principles for processing, not at improving existing processes. We therefore have the ambition to grow further scientifically by investing in better understanding in ‘multi-scale’ phenomena, combining phenomena from (supra)molecular properties, mesoscale interactions, towards the prediction of macro-scale properties of foods or food components, under conditions of processing.Conditions of employment Wageningen University & Research offers excellent . A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• 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. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between €3378,- and €5331,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the (scale 10). As for your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract that can be extended – if possible within (company) organizational circumstances – on good performance. Of course, we are happy to have a conversation with you if you have any questions about this.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 unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “ ” in the Netherlands for the 20th consecutive time.Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for 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.Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family. If you come with a partner, we offer a Dual Career group program organized by our . This program helps your partner to get familiar with the Dutch culture, labour market and assists your partner to find a job.Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research’s page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.EmployerWageningen 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, 7,700 employees (7,000 fte), 2,500 PhD and EngD candidates, 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 why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR.We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves and do not appreciate unasked for services from recruitment agencies. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.Additional information For more information about this position, please contact Prof. Maarten Schutyser, full professor, by e-mail: and/or dr. Lu Zhang, assistant professor, by e-mail: .For more information about the procedure, please contact Rutger Voorrips, corporate recruiter by e-mail: .Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.This vacancy will be listed up to and including the 10th of February 2025. We hope to schedule the first job interviews shortly after the closing date.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.Application procedure For more information about this position, please contact Prof. Maarten Schutyser, full professor, by e-mail: and/or dr. Lu Zhang, assistant professor, by e-mail: .For more information about the procedure, please contact Rutger Voorrips, corporate recruiter by e-mail: .Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.This vacancy will be listed up to and including the 10th of February 2025. We hope to schedule the first job interviews shortly after the closing date.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.

Expected salary

€3378 – 5331 per month

Location

Nederland

Job date

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 23:16:24 GMT

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