Chemical Analyst additives

You hear and see more and more E-numbers in the news and on labels.

• are you curious about these substances?
• do you want to contribute to food safety?
• do you want to work with advanced chemical techniques?
• do you want to combine routine analyses with specific research in your work?
• do you want the flexibility to organize your workweek?
• do you want to be part of a diverse and friendly team where many activities are organized?
• are you fluent in Dutch?

Then the position of Chemical Analyst Additives might be just right for you!
At Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR), we conduct research into food safety, for both human food and animal feed. We primarily work for the Dutch government and are an official control laboratory. This means it is also our task to carry out risk analyses, monitor trends in the food production chain, identify emerging risks, verify food authenticity, and conduct forensic investigations. We advise governments and offer a wide range of training activities. WFSR is also a national and European reference laboratory (EURL). Since this year, WFSR has officially been designated the Dutch National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for additives, flavorings, and enzymes in food.

Additives are also known as the various E-numbers you see on packaging, such as colorants, flavor enhancers, and preservatives. These are allowed to be added to food products as ingredients to improve them. These additives must be thoroughly and regularly tested to ensure they comply with legislation and do not exceed legal limits.

What will you do?
As a Chemical Analyst Additives, you will perform analytical methods following standard protocols and contribute to the development and validation of methods for detecting additives in various types of food. The focus is on a broad range of instrumental analyses using measurement systems such as LC-MS/MS, LC-DAD, GC-FID, CFA, etc. The results of your analyses and research are reported to the project leader. You will work in a team responsible for efficiently performing and reporting the analyses. In this way, you and your team contribute to the safety of the food chain and a healthy living environment.

Your tasks and responsibilities as a Chemical Analyst Additives include:

• performing LC- and GC-based analyses in various projects;
• data analysis and reporting to the project leader;
• method improvements and validations;
• drafting Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Of course, you will not be doing this alone but together with colleagues within the Authenticity, Additives, and Nutrients (AAN) team.

You are a team player with a hands-on mentality and the following core competencies: accurate, flexible, results-oriented, quality-conscious, well-organized, with an open attitude and eagerness to learn. You are able to work independently as well as in a team.

Additionally, you have:

• a completed education in analytical chemistry at higher vocational (HBO) level or demonstrable HBO working and thinking level;
• preferably, experience with LC and/or GC-based systems and sample preparation techniques;
• experience working in an ISO17025-accredited laboratory is a plus;
• preferably, experience with project-based work;
• fluency in Dutch, due to our work for the NRL.

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

PLEASE NOTE:
Due to Dutch immigration laws, candidates from outside the EU/EFTA zone, can usually not be hired for this position. More information can be found on the website of the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service.

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 €2671,-. and €4190,-. for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the CLA Wageningen Research (scale 6 - 8).

As for your contract, we initially offer a two-year contract that can be extended. 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.

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.