Team leader for the Natural Toxins team

Are you an experienced leader with strong communication and organizational skills, even in situations where quick and sound decisions are required? Do you combine connective leadership with clarity; inspiring others while confidently providing direction? And do you have a passion for healthy and safe food, along with an affinity for working in a chemical-analytical laboratory? If so, you might be the colleague we’re looking for.
Due to the retirement of one of our colleagues, Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR) is seeking a new Team Leader for the Natural Toxins Team.

What will you do?

As a team leader, your focus will be on ensuring the optimal functioning and development of both individual team members and the team as a whole. You’ll create the conditions for your team to perform their work effectively in a pleasant and safe working environment. You will lead a team of about 25 professionals, overseeing recruitment, development, retention, absenteeism, and well-being.

This means that you not only focus on your own team and tasks but also share responsibility with fellow team leaders for the overall processes and quality of WFSR’s output. You think strategically, maintain oversight, and act in the interest of shared results. Together, we build a strong, cohesive organization where quality and collaboration are central.

Your key tasks and responsibilities as team leader include:

• Ensuring the scientific and technical quality of the chemical analyses and research delivered by your team. You organize work processes in such a way that the team achieves optimal results, with everyone taking ownership of their responsibilities;
• Discussing and monitoring the personal development, effectiveness, well-being, and job satisfaction of your team members;
• Overseeing project quality and execution. You maintain an overview of all projects and team activities, monitor progress, identify bottlenecks, and make adjustments where necessary;
• Effectively deploying team members across projects and other activities to achieve optimal team results.

Additionally, you will be part of the management team of the business unit, together with other team leaders. You will contribute to translating WFSR’s vision and strategy into an annual activity plan and a strategic workforce plan for your team. You will also represent the business unit in one or more internal working groups.

Where will you be working?

Wageningen Food Safety Research conducts research into safe and reliable food. We are specialists in (forensic) measurement and develop analytical methods to detect undesirable substances in food. We have access to state-of-the-art LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/MS, and HRMS facilities.

Within the Natural Toxins Team, we specialize in detecting toxins found in food and animal feed — specifically toxins produced by fungi, algae, and plants that may pose risks to human and animal health.

Using chemical-analytical techniques, we measure whether these toxins are present in food and feed. When toxins are detected, we determine whether their concentrations exceed legal limits.
We also conduct research to improve analytical methods, enabling increasingly reliable measurements. Beyond regulated toxins, our advanced instrumentation allows us to detect and identify new, emerging substances.

The Natural Toxins Team serves as both the National and European Reference Laboratory for the analysis of mycotoxins and plant toxins, and the National Reference Laboratory for phycotoxins.

You inspire people through both subject-matter expertise and genuine attention to the needs and motivations of your team members. You can link organizational and team objectives to individual development, and you have a strong focus on quality, customer orientation, process management, and meeting deadlines.

You have demonstrable academic working and thinking level (MSc or equivalent), preferably in a field related to the team’s work (life sciences or chemistry).

In addition, you have:

• Proven experience in leading professionals, preferably in a laboratory environment;
• A good command of the English language.
• If you don’t speak Dutch, we expect the willingness to learn Dutch;
• Experience with project management;
• Knowledge of quality systems (e.g. ISO 17025), and of Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) regulations.

In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about language level B2.

You will work here

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 €5294,- and €7905,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 13). Additionally, For this role a contract for 32 hours a week can be discussed. As for your contract, we initially offer a two-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.

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 Charon Zondervan, Business Unit Manager, via +31 6 51 41 15 52 or by e-mail: charon.zondervan@wur.nl.

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Rutger Voorrips, Corporate Recruiter, via email; rutger.voorrips@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 the 19^th of January 2026. Don’t wait with your application. As soon as we have suitable applicants we will initiate the first round of interviews.

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.

​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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