Operations Manager Forensics Testing in Bruges, Belgium

Eurofins Scientific is an international life sciences company, 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.

Eurofins 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 the entire network of Eurofins companies.

Forensics Belgium is a multidisciplinary lab utilising many different analytical techniques. While the forensic team is usually involved in work for the police, the coroner and magistrates, the counter analyses of biopharmaceuticals or control of agricultural products and environmental waste are also aspects of the portfolio.

Our team consists of specialists who are the best in their field and always up to date on national and European regulations. At Eurofins Forensics integrity and customer focus is at the heart of everything we do.

Services:

Analytical toxicology in body fluids and tissues (gases, solvents, medicines and drugs, pesticides, heavy metals, toxins), toxicokinetic, DNA genotyping (STR and sequencing), kinship and paternity testing, arson analysis, drugs of abuse, drowning analysis, PFAS analysis, risk analysis (REACH), and expert witness testimony.

In a nutshell: Are you a passionate leader with experience in laboratory operations? Do you excel at driving Lean management practices, leading continuous improvement projects, and managing teams? Are you motivated by the challenge of leading a multidisciplinary forensic laboratory? If so, this might be the role for you!

We are looking for an Operations Manager to oversee daily operations at Forensics Belgium, focusing on Toxicology, DNA, and PFAS departments. This role will report to the Managing Director of Eurofins Forensic Services Benelux and will be responsible for leading a team of approximately 25-30 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 Forensics 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 Toxicology, DNA, and PFAS departments, ensuring efficient daily operations and adherence to forensic and regulatory standards.

• Develop and implement a strategic plan to grow the business unit through organic growth and potential acquisitions.

• Drive initiatives around testing automation, cost reduction, and customer experience digitalization to enhance service offerings and client loyalty.

• Oversee the P&L for the business.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key decision-makers in both public and private sectors.

• Foster a team-oriented environment, encouraging open communication, creativity, and collaboration in problem-solving.

• Lead Lean management and continuous improvement efforts to optimize 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 an experienced leader with strong people management and scientific skills, capable of driving operational excellence in a fast-paced, regulated environment. You thrive on optimizing processes, leading teams, and ensuring the highest standards of service delivery.

Background: You bring at least 6 years of experience in laboratory management or operations, preferably in a forensic, pharmaceutical, or scientific environment. You have successfully led continuous improvement projects and managed P&L responsibilities, showing a proven ability to increase profitability.

Education:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant scientific field (e.g., Chemistry, Forensic Science, Toxicology, or Biology).

Skills:

• Excellent people management skills with the ability to manage, motivate, and develop teams of 25-30 employees.

• Experience in Lean management and driving continuous improvement initiatives.

• Strong scientific and organizational skills with a focus on process optimization and operational efficiency.

• Knowledge of Dutch is a strong advantage, and French 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.

• Experience or knowledge in the forensic sector and quality assurance standards (ISO 17025, ISO 15189) is preferred.

• Ability to work in a high-throughput, highly regulated environment with changing priorities.

• A certificate of good conduct and clean criminal record is required. Security clearance can be part of this role.

Location: You are based in Brugge, Belgium, or willing to relocate, and are comfortable working from our laboratory site.

We support your development! Do you feel 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 believe 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.

Sustainability matters to us!  We are well on our way to achieving our objective of carbon neutrality by 2025, through a combination of emission reduction and compensation initiatives. We encourage our laboratory leaders to make sustainable changes at their local level, and in addition to their initiatives we count on our dedicated carbon reduction team to help us to achieve this goal!

Find out more in our career page: https://careers.eurofins.com/

Company description: Eurofins Scientific is an international life sciences company, 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.

In over 35 years, Eurofins has grown from one laboratory in Nantes, France to ca. 62,000 staff across a decentralised and entrepreneurial network of more than 900 laboratories in 62 countries. Eurofins companies offer a portfolio of over 200,000 analytical methods to evaluate the safety, identity, composition, authenticity, origin, traceability and purity of biological substances and products.

In 2023, Eurofins generated total revenues of EUR 6,515 million, and has been among the best performing stocks in Europe over the past 20 years.