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.