Research engineer Data management

Your job

Do you want to be at the forefront of developing technologies that support significant research initiatives? Join us to shape the future of research data management and make a real impact in the scientific community. We value creativity, continuous learning, and the unique contributions of each team member. It's an exciting job as your activities will vary significantly. Keep reading, as we offer a competitive salary and an excellent work-life balance.

Our IT department, consisting of 200 employees, is responsible for providing a modern ICT environment for education and research. We work in multidisciplinary teams to tackle current challenges in the areas of digitalization, self-service, security, data management, high-performance computing, and cloud strategy. As such, there are plenty of development and career opportunities available for specialists at various levels.

We are looking for an IT specialist for one of our dynamic IT teams. This team is dedicated to enhancing and maintaining our advanced research data management platform. Their work primarily centers around iRODS, integrated with modern technologies such as Kubernetes, Docker, GitLab CI, Ansible, Python, and more. The team is committed to supporting our researchers and improving our IT infrastructure to facilitate cutting-edge research.

You will have the following tasks and responsibilities:

• develop, configure, and maintain the iRODS platform to meet organizational needs;
• write and maintain clear, concise documentation for systems and processes;
• develop code, scripts, and tests to enhance functionality and reliability;
• lead deployment efforts and manage continuous integration and deployment pipelines;
• monitor system performance using tools like Prometheus and Grafana, and optimize as necessary;
• collaborate with researchers and other IT groups within the organization to gather requirements and deliver solutions that support research activities;
• engage with third-party vendors and partners to enhance platform capabilities;
• provide training and support to end-users, improving their interaction with the platform.

Your qualities

Of course you have experience as an IT specialist and a strong understanding of research data management systems; Further more:

• you have a bachelor degree in IT;
• familiarity with data management platforms (experience with iRODS is a strong plus);
• you have at least three years of experience in scripting languages such as Python and Bash and understanding of SQL and database management;
• you have experience with configuration management tools (e.g Ansible), monitoring tools, container orchestration using Kubernetes and Docker;
• you have experience with, or interest in, AI-supported development tools (e.g. GitHub Copilot, functional testing tools).

You have excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work in a team-oriented, collaborative environment.

We offer

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 € 4,045.- and € 6,288,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 11). Additionally, For this role a contract for 32 hours per week can be discussed. We offer you a temporary contract for the duration of one year, with the intention to convert it into a permanent contract. 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.

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.

Important information

For more information about the position, please contact Diana Hoogeveen, Department manager Development, via telephone: +31 6-81182860 or via email: diana.hoogeveen@wur.nl

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Edvard Jongschaap, Sr Corporate Recruiter, via telephone: +31 317 – 489 178 or via email: Edvard.Jongschaap@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 up to and including Monday July 13, 2026. Internal candidates are preferred to apply before June 9, 2026.

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”. 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.