Collection Manager

As Collection Manager, you will contribute to maintaining the Special Collections of Wageningen University & Research (WUR). Do you love arranging, organizing, people and heritage objects? Then you might be our new Collection Manager: a colleague with a passion for the heritage collection and for the diverse visitors to our reading room and warehouse in the Library on the WUR campus.

As a Collection Manager, you will contribute to the management and preservation of our Special Collections, which consist of various sub-collections. These include historical books, photographs and (design) drawings. WUR's heritage collection also falls under this department.

Your duties and responsibilities as Collection Manager will include:

• Registration and collection management; climate control, preparing collections for loans;
• Inventorying collections; keeping the reading room tidy;
• Searching for material for researchers and other Special Collections customers;
• Tidying and optimally organizing the warehouse;
• Assisting with the design of exhibitions;
• Communicating with visitors (answering questions by email, giving guided tours, supporting researchers, preparing reproductions).

Your team
You will be working with a small team of professionals, including a curator and an assistant curator. Within the team, there is plenty of inspiration to tackle new issues and identify opportunities.

You will work here
The Library department is part of the Facilities Organisation at Wageningen University & Research (WUR). With 65 dedicated staff members spread across three specialised departments, the Library offers innovative support to both researchers and students. You will help us optimise the use of our collections, systems and support services from the perspective of our users. Ease of use, high-quality infrastructure, good information and support are central to this. A comprehensive overview of our services can be found at https://www.wur.eu/library. 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 €3.231,- and €4.929,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 8 or 9). Additionally, For this role a contract for 18 hours can be discussed. 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 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.

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 Welcome Center. 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 International Community 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. 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 and do not appreciate unasked for services from recruitment agencies. However, sharing in your network is appreciated. You are practical, enjoy working neatly and like to get things done. You think in terms of solutions and like to organize things properly. You are good at planning and organizing, work independently and remain calm under pressure. You communicate clearly, both verbally and in writing, and know how to connect people. You are curious, eager to learn and dare to do things a little differently. Thanks to your empathy and networking skills, you easily build bridges between different parties.

You also preferably have:

• A completed degree from the Reinwardt Academy (or an equivalent degree);
• At least 3 years of experience working in a similar environment with art/heritage collections;
• Knowledge of the preservation and management of heritage collections;
• Experience working in a research environment such as a university;
• An excellent command of the Dutch and English languages.

In our international working environment, communication is increasingly taking place in English. For this position, language level B2 is required. If you do not yet have this level, we will of course help you and you can contact our language centre Wageningen in'to Language.

WUR welcomes applications from international candidates. However, for applicants for this specific position from outside the EU/EFTA zone, immigration restrictions may apply based on Dutch and EU immigration laws. Such candidates may be eligible for an “orientation year” in the Netherlands or a visa as a “knowledge migrant”. For more information about the position, please contact Andrea Damen - Bolhuis, Interim Head of Department Collections & Backoffice, via andrea.bolhuis@wur.nl

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Conny Scholtens, HR Business Partner, via conny.scholtens@wur.nl.

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 1 November 2025. The first interviews are in consultation.

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.