Postdoctoral Fellowship: Expert in Infectious Pig Diseases

About the role

Wageningen University & Research (WUR) is seeking an expert in infectious pig diseases to join the Department of Viral Infections and Pathology (VIP) at Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR) in Lelystad. Working at the interface of animal health, diagnostics, research, and policy, you will help protect the Dutch livestock sector against outbreaks of viral swine diseases such as African swine fever.

As a national expert, you will collaborate with government authorities and international partners on prevention, early detection, and control. During outbreaks, you will advise the government and provide scientific expertise to support media communication. This position is part of the Statutory Research Tasks Program for Contagious Animal Diseases (WOT-BD).

Key responsibilities

• Focus on notifiable and legally controlled swine diseases, including African swine fever (ASF), classical swine fever (CSF), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), and Aujeszky’s disease.
• Serve as project leader and Head of the National Reference Laboratory for these diseases, overseeing surveillance, monitoring, and control.
• Act as the primary point of contact for the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN).
• Provide strategic direction for diagnostics, diagnostic strategies, and scientific development.
• Ensure compliance with national and international animal health legislation and regulations.

On-call duties

You will participate in the on-call standby service, being available 24/7 for 5 to 7 weeks per year to respond to suspected disease outbreaks. In such events, you will work with a small specialised team to perform required diagnostic tests. You will also play an important role within WBVR’s crisis organisation, contributing to early detection and control of notifiable animal diseases.

Your team and context

Within the VIP department, you will join a multidisciplinary team with expertise in viral pathogens, animal models, immunology, and pathology, working closely with experienced researchers, laboratory technicians, and biotechnicians, as well as with the Head of the WOT-BD programme. The WOT-BD supports the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature on issues related to infectious animal diseases, zoonoses, and antimicrobial resistance through statutory research tasks assigned by the Dutch government and the European Union.

Who we are looking for

Key competencies for this position include customer orientation, proactivity, scenario thinking, project leadership, problem-solving ability, quality awareness, flexibility, and resilience.

Important requirements

• You must be willing to work in facilities subject to an additional quarantine restriction after leaving the premises, in accordance with EU regulations. This means you are not permitted to keep cloven-hoofed animals, and for 72 hours after carrying out these activities, you may not have contact with such animals or visit poultry production farms.
• We kindly ask you to briefly address whether and how you used AI in preparing your application, in your motivation letter.

What we offer

• A competitive gross salary between €4,045 and €6,228 per month for a full-time working week of 36 hours, depending on experience (CLA Wageningen Research, scale 11).
• An excellent pension scheme and other favourable employee benefits.
• An initial one-year contract, extendable upon good performance and organisational circumstances.
• Support for international employees, including visa application assistance, a dual career group programme for partners, and practical advice on housing, banking, and schooling. Certain international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

How to apply

Applications can only be submitted through the WUR website. The application deadline is 17 August 2026; internal candidates are preferred to apply before 23 July 2026. Upon commencement of employment, a Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) is required. For more information about the position, contact Dr. Nadia Oreshkova by phone at +31 6 340 304 31 or via email at [email protected]. For procedural questions, contact corporate recruiter Ine van’t Land at [email protected].

Original vacancy