Operations Manager Food Microbiology Testing Belgium

Eurofins is an international network of independent life sciences companies, providing a unique range of analytical testing services to clients across multiple industries, to make life and our environment safer, healthier and more sustainable. From the food you eat, to the water you drink, to the medicines you rely on, Eurofins laboratories work with the biggest companies in the world to ensure the products they supply are safe, their ingredients are authentic, and labelling is accurate. The Eurofins network is dedicated to delivering testing services that contribute to the health and safety of society and the planet, and to its corporate responsibility to protect the environment and ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion across its companies around the world. Eurofins Food, Feed, Water Benelux makes an important contribution to ensuring food and water safety. The Eurofins network of companies sees this as one of its most important tasks. More than ever we want to know what we eat. We want to know how our food is produced, whether farmers are fairly rewarded and whether the information on the label matches the contents of the packaging. For producers and retailers, among others, it is important to obtain reliable information about the origin of their raw materials and products. Eurofins Food Testing Belgium offers a total solution in the field of microbiological and chemical analyses of food, feed and products intended for human and animal consumption. We ensure that the quality of water and food is guaranteed at all times. Our focus is on customer focus, quality, competence, team spirit and integrity. Services: Routine microbiological parameters on food and feed for industry and retail, diversity of methods (ISO, PCR), food and water sampling under accreditation, label accuracy checking. In a nutshell : Are you a passionate leader with experience in  operational excellence  within the food microbiology industry? Do you excel at driving  productivity ,  quality ,  continuous improvement  and  managing teams ? Are you motivated by the challenge of leading a food microbiology laboratory? If so, this might be the role for you! We are looking for an  Operations Manager  to oversee daily operations in Belgium. This role will report to the Managing Director Food, Feed & Water Testing Belgium and will be responsible for leading a team of 50 employees, implementing operational excellence strategies and supporting business growth. What team will I be part of? You will be part of the  leadership team  at  Food Testing Belgium , reporting directly to the  Managing Director . You will lead the operations of key departments, ensuring high standards of  efficiency ,  compliance  and  continuous improvement  while managing day-to-day laboratory functions. As an Operations Manager, you will: Lead the Food Microbiology departments , ensuring efficient daily operations and adherence to regulatory standards. Drive initiatives around  productivity,   cost reduction and optimisation  and  improving turnaround times  to enhance service offerings and client loyalty. Oversee the  bottom line  for the business. Foster a  team-oriented environment , encouraging open communication, creativity, and collaboration in problem-solving. Lead l ean management  and  continuous improvement  efforts to optimise laboratory workflows and increase efficiency. Develop and monitor  Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)  to ensure that operational goals are achieved. Ensure  cross-selling synergies  with other Eurofins laboratories across Europe, leveraging expertise and resources. Maintain compliance with all relevant  legal ,  contractual , and  quality standards , ensuring that the lab remains fully accredited and in line with industry best practices. Are you our kind of extraordinary? You are a leader with strong people management and operations management skills, capable of driving operational excellence in a fast-paced, regulated environment. You thrive on optimising processes, leading teams, and ensuring the highest standards of service delivery. Background : You bring at least 5 years of experience in an operations/production/manufacturing role, within a food production environment. You have successfully led continuous improvement projects and managed budgets, showing a proven ability to increase productivity and profitability. Education : Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant scientific field (microbiology).  Skills : Excellent people management skills with the ability to manage, motivate, and develop teams.  Experience in Lean management and driving continuous improvement initiatives. Experience working within a highly regulated laboratory environment.  Strong scientific and organisational skills with a focus on process optimisation and operational efficiency. Knowledge of English is a must, and French and Dutch is a plus. Strong communication skills (oral and written), with attention to detail and the ability to work closely with cross-functional teams and external stakeholders. We support your development! Do you feel like you don’t match 100% of the requirements? Don’t hesitate to apply anyway! Eurofins companies are committed to supporting your career development. We embrace diversity!  As an Equal Opportunity Employer, the Eurofins network of companies believes in strength and innovation through diversity. We prohibit discrimination against employees or applications based on gender identity and/or expression, race, nationality, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and everything else that makes employees of Eurofins companies unique. Find out more on our Careers page: https://careers.eurofins.com/ Company description: Eurofins Scientific is an international network of independent life sciences companies, providing a unique range of analytical testing services to clients across multiple industries, to make life and our environment safer, healthier and more sustainable. From the food you eat, to the water you drink, to the medicines you rely on, Eurofins laboratories work with the biggest companies in the world to ensure the products they supply are safe, their ingredients are authentic and labelling is accurate. The Eurofins network of companies believes that it is a global leader in food, environment, pharmaceutical and cosmetic product testing and in discovery pharmacology, forensics, advanced material sciences and agroscience contract research services. It is also one of the market leaders in certain testing and laboratory services for genomics, and in the support of clinical studies, as well as in biopharma contract development and manufacturing. It also has a rapidly developing presence in highly specialised and molecular clinical diagnostic testing and in-vitro diagnostic products.