Teamleader for our team Authenticity, Additives and Nutrients

Are you an experienced leader with strong communication and organizational skills, even in situations where quick and sound decision-making is required? You combine connecting leadership with clarity: you inspire and dare to set direction. Do you also have a passion for healthy and safe food and an affinity with working in a chemical laboratory? Then you might be our new colleague.

We, Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR), are looking for a new Team Leader for the Authenticity, Additives and Nutrients team.
Please note; fluency in Dutch is a must have for this position. We can’t take applications into procedure which are not in Dutch.

What will you do?
As team leader, you focus on the optimal performance of your team and on developing the team as a whole. You ensure that your team members can carry out their work well in a pleasant and safe working environment. As team leader, you are integrally responsible for your team of about 18 professionals. This means that you not only focus on your own tasks but also share responsibility for the entire process together with your colleagues. You think along, keep an overview, and act in the interest of the collective result. In this way, we build a strong, cohesive approach in which quality and collaboration are central.

Your tasks and responsibilities as team leader include:

• safeguarding the scientific and technical quality of the chemical analyses delivered by your team. You organize the work processes in such a way that the team can deliver optimal results with everyone taking their own responsibility;
• effectively deploying team members in projects and other tasks that are important for achieving the team’s results;
• supporting the personal development, effectiveness, well-being, and job satisfaction of your team members;
• monitoring the quality of project execution: keeping oversight of all projects in your team, tracking progress, identifying bottlenecks, and adjusting where necessary;
• responsibility for the financial results.

In addition, together with your fellow team leaders, you will be part of the management team of the business unit. You contribute substantively to translating the WFSR vision and strategy into an annual activity plan and a strategic personnel 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. Within the Authenticity, Additives and Nutrients team, various (raw materials for) food products, animal feed, and fertilizers are analyzed for nutrients, additives, and composition profiles. We work with classical wet-chemical analyses and a wide range of instrumental techniques including LC-MS/MS, LC-DAD, GC-FID, CFA, etc. Profiling techniques are combined with statistical analyses (chemometrics) in the context of authenticity research. In addition to scheduled analysis and research work, we occasionally handle urgent samples. This demands a high level of flexibility from the team members.

The Authenticity, Additives and Nutrients team is part of the business unit Authenticity & Veterinary Drugs, which, in addition to research and routine analyses of food, feed, and fertilizers, also conducts analytical-chemical research and develops new chemical analysis methods.

You are a true people manager: you recognize the individual needs and motivations of your team members, while also keeping in mind the needs of the team and the organization. You are quality- and customer-oriented, skilled in managing processes, and capable of handling strict deadlines effectively. You hold a degree at bachelor’s or master’s level, preferably related to the team’s field of work (life sciences or chemistry).

You also bring:

• experience in leading professionals, preferably in a laboratory environment;
• strong command of both Dutch and English;
• experience with project management;
• knowledge of quality systems (e.g. ISO 17025), occupational health and safety, environment, and security.

In addition, you have experience with acquisition: you can identify market opportunities, leverage your network, and expand collaborations with new clients.

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 programs.

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.

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is ‘To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’.

We pursue this mission through a synergistic approach between Wageningen University and Wageningen Research Foundation (applied research). Our research focuses on questions within the domains of food, living environment, and society. With approximately 30 locations, 7,700 staff members, 2,500 PhD candidates, and over 13,000 students, Wageningen University & Research is among the world’s leading knowledge institutions in its domain. The integral approach to challenges and the collaboration across various disciplines form the core of the unique Wageningen approach.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR.

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves and do not appreciate unasked for services from recruitment agencies. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.

For more information about the position, please contact Eric van der Made, Business Unit Manager, via phone: +31 317 486307 or email: eric.vandermade@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 in Dutch through our website will be considered.

You can apply until November 10th, 2025. Don’t wait with your application. As soon as we receive suitable applications, we will initiate the first 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.