Biosafety Officer WBVR Lelystad

Are you passionate about biosafety and keen to work with enthusiastic colleagues? We are looking for an enterprising Biosafety Officer with a strong affinity for biosafety who will contribute to the safety of the High Containment Unit (HCU) at Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR) in Lelystad.

As a Biosafety Officer, you will play a supervisory and advisory role in monitoring, implementing and applying the correct procedures and agreements relating to biosafety in the operation of the HCU. You will identify risks and maintain the biosafety of the HCU by guiding, advising and coaching those involved. The starting point here is the correct application of national and international legislation and regulations, in particular the European regulations for FMD laboratories (“Minimum Biorisk Management Standards for foot-and-mouth disease laboratories (MBRMS)".

Your duties as Biosafety Officer will include:

• Monitoring and checking the biosafety of the HCU.
• Identifying opportunities for biosafety improvements, including by anticipating these through the performance of risk analyses.
• Participating in the biosafety committee (and acting as secretary). The management has delegated its responsibility for the operational biosafety policy to the Biosafety Officer.
• Assessing options for the safe disposal of (biological) material.
• Participating in projects and project meetings concerning, for example, renovations, the new HCU to be built or other HC-related topics.
• Providing instruction and training to (new) staff in the field of biosafety.
• On-call duty (outside office hours, 24/7) to handle containment incidents.
• Providing information on quarantine issues.
• Conducting internal audits.
• Maintaining contacts in the field of biosafety with fellow institutes within Europe.

There are two Biosafety Officers. In consultation with your fellow Biosafety Officer, a division of responsibilities will be established for the specific tasks, and an induction and training programme will be implemented to enable you to operate fully independently.

The QESH Department

Your team

You will become part of WBVR’s QESH team. The team consists of 11 people, namely: 

• QESH advisers (each responsible for a specific department or subject).
• Biosafety Officers.
• Prevention Officers.
• Biosafety Officers.

In this role as Biosafety Officer, you will report to the QESH Team Leader and Operations Manager. You will also report functionally to the Biosafety Officer.

QESH stands for Quality, Environment, Safety & Health and is responsible for:

1. Quality matters, in particular ensuring compliance with ISO9001:2015, ISO17025:2018, ISO17043:2010 and AAALAC.
2. Issuing reports and recommendations to members of the Management Team regarding the performance of the quality management system at WBVR.
3. Providing advice on the continuous improvement of the quality organisation and the quality management system, and implementing these improvements following approval by the Management Team.
4. Advising on and monitoring biosafety and biosecurity within WBVR.

Wageningen Bioveterinary Research has been designated by the government as a laboratory for diagnostics, research and crisis management in the event of outbreaks of infectious animal diseases. To this end, the institute has at its disposal a number of secure buildings equipped for full biological containment, known as High Containment (HC) facilities. Research involving infectious pathogens is carried out in these buildings, which require the highest levels of biosafety (BSL), up to human BSL-3 and veterinary BSL-4.

You are an analytical and proactive professional with strong communication skills, who works independently and is able to motivate and persuade colleagues in a dynamic environment.

You also have: 

• A higher vocational education (HBO) level of working and thinking, demonstrated by a completed degree in a relevant field or demonstrable work experience at this level.
• Preferably laboratory work experience.
• Preferably 2–3 years’ work experience working within a containment facility.
• Knowledge of biosafety and related containment measures.
• An affinity with technical installations.
• You have strong analytical skills, are able to assess risks and scenarios with a focus on results and safety, and can identify and anticipate problems and areas for improvement.
• You can motivate and persuade colleagues in a positive manner.
• You can work independently and communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, in Dutch and English.
• You enjoy carrying out your duties in a dynamic working environment.
• You possess the social skills to address people regarding their actions in the context of biosafety.
• You bring structure and a proactive attitude to your work and contribute to a positive team atmosphere.
• You can exchange knowledge and experiences with (international) colleagues worldwide in similar working environments."

In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about language level B1.

You can see that there are plenty of challenges ahead of you. These challenges can also be viewed as development opportunities. So, if you do not yet have the track record requested in the vacancy, but you do have solid work experience, we would still like to invite you to apply.

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 “orientationyear” in the Netherlands or a visa as a “knowledge migrant”.

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;
• 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 € 3,482,- and € 4,929.- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 9). Additionally, for this role a contract for 32 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. 

The role is based in Lelystad; due to the on-call rota, you may be required to travel to the site outside office hours.

We encourage development and internal mobility within our organisation. Our recruitment and selection policy sets out the conditions that apply specifically to you as a (former) employee. If you have any questions, we are happy to help.

Additional information:

Much of the work takes place in buildings subject to quarantine regulations upon departure (in accordance with EU regulations). This means that you must not own any animals susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease (such as pigs, cattle, sheep and goats). In addition, you must avoid contact with these animals and poultry farms for 72 hours after working in these buildings. If necessary, you can plan your access times yourself.

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.

For more information about the position, please contact Dina Theochari, Manager QESH, via email: dina.theochari@wur.nl. or Lucia Kaal, Business Operation manager, via email lucia.kaal@wur.nl or via phonenumber +31 6-53968524.

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Ine van ‘t Land, Corporate Recruiter, via recruitment.asg@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 May 4, 2026. Internal candidates are preferred to apply before 16 april 2026.

We review applications on a rolling basis, including before the closing date. As a result, the vacancy may close earlier than indicated.

Procedure

• A pre-employment screening forms part of the selection process.
• Upon commencement of employment, we require a Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG).

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.

Wageningen Bioveterinary Research
Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR) is part of Wageningen University & Research. Our mission is to contribute to a society in which animals and humans can live together in good health. We conduct applied and scientific research into the spread of animal diseases and the promotion of animal health. Our focus areas are resilient livestock farming, One Health, high-tech animal models and diagnostics. WBVR contributes to these themes by collaborating with the government, private sector partners, NGOs and other organisations both in the Netherlands and abroad. 

​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.

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