Department Head Viral Safety and Cell Banking

Discover Your Next Challenge at Eurofins MicroSafe Laboratories

Company Description

Eurofins MicroSafe Laboratories in Leiden is a GMP certified contract laboratory for the (bio)pharmaceutical industry. Eurofins MicroSafe has approximately 70 employees and is part of the internationally operating Eurofins Scientific. We have a professional team consisting of a mix of young and experienced people with different backgrounds and experiences.

Eurofins MicroSafe Laboratories offers unique tests that allow us to investigate the safety, effectiveness and quality of a biological medicine, including cell and gene therapies, vaccines and monoclonal antibodies. For example, we can demonstrate whether a medicine is free of microbial, viral or production process-related contamination. In addition to carrying out standard tests, we also set up product-specific tests in close collaboration with the client.

Job Description

The virology department of Microsafe carries out analytical studies in the field of molecular biology, cell-biology, virology and cell banking. The department consists of a team of study managers and several teams of analysts, in total approximately 30 FTE’s.

Requests from clients are translated into study plans and analytical protocols, which are subsequently carried out in the laboratory. The majority of the work is not routine. The analytical studies which often take months can be challenging from a project management perspective, and require substantial coordination with the client. Timelines as well as science, quality and costs have to be actively managed. Furthermore, close coordination with the sales team is required to ensure capacity and client demand is aligned as much as possible. There is considerable scope for development of the services and technology.

The responsibilities consist of:

• Leading the department of Viral Safety and Cell Banking;
• Monitor and control the progress of all projects regarding viral safety and cell banking;
• Support the development of methodologies and opportunities for future work in collaboration with business unit manager and business development;
• Setting up projects in collaboration with business development and other business units;
• Arrange technical input for new quotations;
• Managing the budget and project pipeline of the department;
• Approval of protocols, reports, exceptions and deviations;
• First point of contact for the department in case of issues.

Qualifications

The Successful Applicant:

• Has good understanding of a complex laboratory operation and project management;
• Is someone who does not (only) lead based on his/her scientific expertise but (also) leads based on his/her natural or acquired leadership or organizational skills;
• Is goal oriented;
• Is able to develop a team, set goals and create a roadmap towards these goals;
• Is able to see the bigger picture and differentiate between priorities;
• Is able to work with other departments and contribute in bridging gaps;
• Is a self-starter;
• Is fluent in Dutch & English;
• Has a Master of Science or PhD, preferably in virology, cell-biology or molecular biology or a related field;
• Preference for someone with several years of experience in the pharma industry/GMP;
• Located in the Netherlands with a valid work permit.

MicroSafe and Eurofins: A world of possibilities

This position is based at Eurofins MicroSafe (part of Eurofins PROXY Laboratories B.V.) on the Bio Science Park in Leiden. We have a close-knit team where collegiality and collaboration come first. We offer a responsible and challenging position within the team with room for your own ideas and input. Eurofins MicroSafe also offers:

• A competitive salary;
• Flexible working hours;
• 25 days of vacation (with the option to purchase 7 additional days);
• Travel allowance of 23 cents net per kilometer. Are you traveling by public transport? Then your travel expenses will be fully reimbursed via NS Business Card;
• Participation in a pension scheme with 50% contribution by Eurofins;
• Each month, you accumulate a choice budget balance of 8.5% of your gross salary. This includes, among other things, holiday pay and a year-end bonus. You can choose to have this amount paid out, or you can use it to buy extra days off, for example. You choose what suits you best;
• Discount on additional health insurance;
• Tax benefit via FiscFree when purchasing various products and services via your gross salary, such as a bicycle, sports contribution, fitness, mobile telephony, computers & tablets or a weekend away;
• Professional training and opportunities for training and development;
• Training options via the online learning platform Good Habitz.

Working at Eurofins MicroSafe offers you the flexibility and personal touch of working in a medium sized and dynamic company, whilst also allowing you to benefit from having Eurofins as a parent company. Our ambitious growth plans provide ample opportunities for our employees:

• Diverse developmental opportunities within the organization;
• A large client portfolio ensures a lot of diversity in your work.

More about Eurofins Scientific

Eurofins Scientific is an international life sciences company, which provides a unique range of analytical testing services to clients across multiple industries. The Group believes it is the world leader in food, environment, pharmaceutical and cosmetics products testing and in agroscience CRO services. It is also one of the global independent market leaders in certain testing and laboratory services for genomics, discovery pharmacology, forensics, CDMO, advanced material sciences and for supporting clinical studies. In addition, Eurofins is one of the leading global emerging players in specialty clinical diagnostic testing.

Eurofins employs approximately 63,000 people worldwide, spread across 950 state-of-the-art laboratories, and is active in 60 countries with a pro-forma turnover of €6.95 million in 2024.