Coordinating Project Leader

Would you like to play a crucial role in veterinary diagnostics and in the national crisis response to animal disease outbreaks? Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR) is looking for a Coordinating Project Leader for the Diagnostics and Crisis Organisation (DCO) department. Will you join our team in Lelystad?

The DCO is responsible for the delivery of veterinary diagnostics, including diagnostics for suspected notifiable animal diseases, export diagnostics, and routine diagnostics for a range of animal health programmes. The department plays a central role in national preparedness and crisis management during animal disease outbreaks.

As a Coordinating Project Leader, you will make a direct contribution to animal health, help to strengthen a safe food chain, and support the prevention of the spread of zoonotic diseases.

The team jointly coordinates diagnostic activities across the disciplines of virology, parasitology and bacteriology.

You are the key point of reference within your area of expertise and an important contact during animal disease crises, thereby fulfilling a crucial role in safeguarding animal and public health in the Netherlands and across Europe.

What will you do?

As a Coordinating Project Leader, you will have two main areas of responsibility:

Diagnostics and coordination

• Providing expert advice within the DCO to government bodies and industry on animal disease diagnostics.
• Providing substantive leadership in the execution of diagnostic testing (serology and agent detection) by a team of analysts, within a matrix organisation and in accordance with ISO 17025.
• Implementing and optimising new tests and techniques, in collaboration with, among others, researchers and animal disease experts.
• Steering validations and troubleshooting of diagnostic processes.
• Initiating and managing new internal projects.
• Being responsible for tasks within the National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) for notifiable animal diseases.
• Actively contributing to the crisis organisation and on-call services, including outside regular working hours.

Acquisition and customer relations

• Acquiring new projects for the DCO and maintaining relationships with clients, including the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), other partners and private clients.
• Acting as a bridge between researchers within WBVR, internal assignments and business development.
• Actively sourcing and leading your own external projects within the field of bacteriology.
• Being involved as a subject-matter expert and researcher in projects.

Who are you?

You are a connecting and proactive leader who knows how to motivate teams and deliver results in a complex, dynamic environment. You combine strong subject-matter expertise with excellent communication skills, decisiveness, and a keen eye for quality and safety.

• A completed degree in veterinary medicine or experience in microbiology, molecular biology, assay development, or diagnostics within the life sciences, particularly related to infectious diseases of animals or humans.
• Quality-oriented, with experience in ISO 17025 or comparable quality management systems.
• Experience in managing staff within a complex matrix organisation and laboratory environment.
• Strong in building and maintaining collaborations, both within and outside the organisation.
• Proactive, customer-focused, creative, and a true team player.
• Resilient under pressure and communicatively strong.
• Proficiency in the Dutch language at a minimum of B2 level (required).

Where will you work?

You will join a close-knit team of two other project leaders, working within a clear One Health context. The team jointly coordinates diagnostic activities across the disciplines of virology, parasitology and bacteriology.

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 of € 4,045.- to a maximum of € 6,228.- for a full 36-hour working week in accordance with the Wageningen Research CAO (scale 11). Regarding your contract, we initially offer a one-year appointment, which may be extended upon good performance. Of course, we are happy to discuss any questions you may have.

Work location: Lelystad, the Netherlands

The work will take place in facilities that require an additional quarantine restriction after leaving the premises (based on EU regulations). This means that it is not permitted to keep cloven-hoofed animals. In addition, for 72 hours after carrying out the work, you are not allowed to have contact with these animals or visit poultry production farms.

Wageningen University & Research offers ample opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training options.

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 this position, please contact Carola Jüstel, Diagnostics & Crisis Organization WBVR, via email: carola.juestel@wur.nl.
Questions about the procedure? Please contact Ine van’t Land, corporate recruiter, via email: Ine.vantland@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.

We aim to fill this vacancy as soon as possible and will therefore review incoming applications on a rolling basis. When we see a potential match, we will invite you for an interview. It is therefore advantageous to apply quickly.

Procedure
Upon employment, we will request a Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG). An assessment or pre-employment screening may also be part of the selection 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.

​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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