Would you like to work part-time as an executive secretary advising and supporting the WUR Council? The executive secretariat is a permanent point of contact for WUR Council members and an indispensable link in ensuring a well-functioning system of employee and student participation. You will carry out this work together with your colleague executive secretary and work closely with the Daily Board of the WUR Council.
This is where you will be working
The Central Works Council (COR) and the Student Staff Council (SSC) are central employee and student participatory councils of Wageningen University & Research (WUR). The COR and SSC work together as the WUR Council. The WUR Council, a group of approximately 28 members (staff and students), represents 7,700 employees, 2,500 PhD candidates and over 13,000 students, and is an important partner for the Executive Board in the development of policy. The working language of the WUR Council is English. Documents are in most cases drawn up in both Dutch and English.
You will form a team with your fellow executive secretary, jointly responsible for a range of tasks, including:
-
organising, preparing and taking minutes of internal WUR Council meetings, consultation meetings with the Executive Board, and meetings of the Daily Board of the WUR Council;
-
monitoring processes, (statutory) procedures and deadlines, keeping up to date with relevant developments in legislation and regulations, and safeguarding relationships and working arrangements within the WUR Council and with the Executive Board; in this role, you advise and coach the WUR Council and its members and contribute to updating the regulations of the WUR Council, the COR and the SSC;
-
handling correspondence and organising information provision, including as the proactively management of the WUR Council’s SharePoint, and coordinating and co-drafting the annual report;
-
co-organising the annual PhD elections and the triennial general employee participation elections; supporting the onboarding of new WUR Council members; initiating and organising training for WUR Council members; and managing the budget of the COR and the SSC.
You will work closely with your fellow executive secretary. There is a clear division of responsibilities, with your focus on administrative processes. In this role, you support both the WUR Council and your colleague. Your fellow executive secretary focusses primarily on coaching and advising WUR Council members and on keeping track of relevant legislation and regulations.
Additionally, you will have regular contact with the executive secretary of the Student Council. Together, you form a team of three executive secretaries who facilitate WUR’s central participatory councils.
You are administratively strong and able to work independently, while also functioning well in a team. Together with your fellow executive secretary, you establish a clear division of responsibilities and are willing to take on other tasks within the team when needed. Collectively, you ensure optimal support for the WUR Council. You work in a structured and efficient manner, thrive in a dynamic environment, and are accurate and results oriented.
In addition, you have:
-
an affinity with management and process support;
-
insight into organisational interests and sensitivities, and the ability to respond to these effectively;
-
the ability to maintain an overview in complex situations and to operate effectively within the triangle of employee and student participation, the Executive Board and Corporate Directors;
-
an excellent command of both Dutch and English, written and spoken;
-
a proactive, service-oriented approach and strong communication skills.
It is also an advantage if you:
-
have demonstrable knowledge of and experience with employee and student participation, or are willing to undertake training in this area;
-
have experience as an executive secretary within a complex organisation.
You will see that there are plenty of challenges in this role, which can also be viewed as development opportunities. If you do not yet fully meet all the requirements of the vacancy but do have solid work experience, we would still very much encourage you to apply.
Corporate Governance & Legal Services
The role is part of the Corporate Governance & Legal Services department, one of the seven departments within the Corporate Staff of Wageningen University & Research.
Your line manager will be the employee and student participation relationship manager within this department. Your functional manager will be the elected Chair of the WUR Council.
When it comes to terms of employment, you’re in good hands at Wageningen University & Research. Highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:
-
working hours that can be agreed upon, enabling an optimal work-life balance; This position can be carried out on a hybrid basis, but please note that regular meetings are scheduled on Wednesdays, during which you are required to be present on site (Wageningen Campus);
-
sabbatical leave, study leave and partially paid parental leave;
-
a strong focus on wellbeing, and you can use the sports facilities on campus at an attractive rate;
-
a fixed end-of-year bonus of 8.3%;
-
an excellent pension scheme via ABP.
These excellent fringe benefits naturally go hand in hand with a competitive salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a salary ranging from a minimum of € 3.231 to a maximum of € 4.374 for a full 36-hour working week in accordance with the Wageningen Research Collective Labour Agreement (scale 8).
This is a position for 18 hours per week, where you must be present on campus on Wednesdays. Regarding your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract with the intention of converting it to a contract for an indefinite period.
We encourage development and mobility within our organisation. Our recruitment and selection policy sets out the specific conditions that apply to you as a current or former employee. If you have any questions about this, we’ll be happy to help.
You will be working on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment.
For further information about this role, please contact Sabine Huard, executive secretary to the WUR Council, on 0317 489202 or via email: [email protected].
For more information about the application process, please contact Edvard Jongschaap, Senior Corporate Recruiter, Group Staff & Facilities, tel: 0317 – 489 178 or via email: [email protected].
Interested in applying?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted via our website will be considered.
Applications can be submitted up and until Monday the 13th of July 2026. Internal candidates are requested to apply before 21 June 2026. Applications are reviewed regularly. It is therefore possible that the vacancy may be filled before the stated closing date.
Welcome, safe and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) places great value on diversity and inclusion. This is because we believe that different perspectives lead to innovative solutions. We therefore create a working environment where everyone feels welcome, safe and valued, regardless of background, identity or experience. Together, we are building a culture in which everyone’s unique contribution helps to ensure the success of our organization.
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.
