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.

In 2020, Eurofins generated 5.4 billion Euro proforma turnover in 800 laboratories across 50 countries, employing about 50.000 staff.

Overview: 

Within each of its Business Lines, Eurofins strives to further standardise, streamline and optimise its operations to facilitate intercompany business, improve its overall competitive advantage, develop its ability to serve international key accounts, and leverage network scale effects. Eurofins has launched the “Operational Best Practices” (OBP) programme, as a key pillar of its drive towards the “Ideal BU” through standardisation and optimisation of laboratories. This includes (but is not limited to) identification, documentation, and deployment of best practice in terms of processes, methods, equipment, consumables, quality, layout, KPIs, standard operating times, etc. Another key focus of the OBP programme is to benchmark laboratories, identify gaps to best practice and support & ensure the closing of such gaps to meet the overall objective of operational excellence.

The OBP programme is organised by Business Line (Environment Testing and, Food and Feed Testing) and is sponsored by senior and executive vice-presidents.

As part of the programme, the OBP Technical Specialist uses her/his expertise carrying out analyses in her/his Operation Segment. She/He identifies documents and then implements operational best practice for different topics such as methods, equipment, consumables, etc. She/he provides laboratories with standard times for the production of each activity/step of each test and agreed upon benchmarks, and performs laboratory visits to help laboratories assess their gaps to best practice, propose general improvement opportunities and together with each laboratories’ leadership derive clear and concrete action plans to develop the laboratories towards the ideal state. She/he plays a strong role in the industrialisation of the laboratories active in her/his Operation Segment; she/he provides recommendations on laboratory network development and evolution based on the collective experience of all laboratories of the Operation Segment.

It is critically important that the candidate be trained to and aligned with Eurofins contemporary practices and philosophies with respect to method harmonisation, Best Practice instrumentation, Eurofins productivity performance measurement methodologies, KGDs and any other group initiatives.

Position and Objective:

The Operation Segment Technical & Industrial Manager has objectives along the three following dimensions:

1. Technical & Operation Segment testing methods excellence;
2. Operations excellence;
3. Laboratory industrialisation.

The OBP Technical Specialist gets support from internal consultants from the programme management office, and reports functionally to the programme leadership (Industrial Director Food Testing Business Line, OBP leader).

1. Technical & Operation Segment testing methods excellence

The OBP Technical Specialist has to builds on her/his strong method expertise, authority and leadership to drive the expert group, govern and project-manage it. She/he organises the documentation and spreading of operational best practices in terms of (but not limited to) methods, equipment, processes, consumables, quality, standard operating times, KPIs, etc.

The OBP Technical Specialist drives innovation in her/his field, by ensuring that new technologies, including but not limited to automation, are systematically evaluated, considered and specified, interacting closely with Eurofins Technologies and purchasing colleagues.

2. Operations Excellence

The OBP Technical Specialist uses her/his laboratory and technical experience to set-up Operation Segment specific metrics and benchmarks, in close collaboration with the Group Permanent Improvement Programmes’ team. She/he performs group-wide benchmarking within her/his Operation Segment and supports laboratories in analysing and improving their performance in terms of TAT, quality and costs. Through her/his expertise and experience, the OBP Technical Specialist ensures the local implementation of Group tools to monitor and improve performance, in line with Group tools and guidelines.

3. Laboratory industrialisation

The OBP Technical Specialist plays a strong role in recommending the rationalisation of laboratories’ portfolio at continental level. She/he coordinates the decision making process in terms of tests to produce (based on Customer requests), tests currently outsourced to competition and that should be insourced in the group, or even new services / methods that should be offered. The OBP Technical Specialist uses her/his laboratories expertise and knowledge of the network to recommend options and support fact-based decision making for the Eurofins senior/executive vice presidents in terms of network optimisation, consolidation and competence and/or production centre development.

Job Requirement:

• A Degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology or any other degree that is relevant for the expert working group.
• Recognised expertise and experience in the Operation Segment.
• At least 3 years’ experience in relevant academic or business area, with specific expertise on testing methods, equipment, consumables and processes, being able to identify and describe best practice and implement it.
• Process analysis and reengineering in laboratory context, project management, six sigma experience, lean methods, performance measurement, best practices management are a plus.
• Experience in leading teams, preferably remote and decentralised teams that are not under direct formal responsibility is a clear plus.
• Excellent English oral and written is a must. German / French are considered a plus.
• Personal skills:
  • Very strong interpersonal skills (e.g. interview skills, oral and written communication skills, presentation skills) as this role will interface a lot with local resources and experts to understand and document processes.
  • Proven change management and influencing skills.
  • Ability to define concepts, align them with key stakeholders in different countries and describe them clearly and concisely.
  • Structured, analytical and driven personality, able to own and drive a working group with limited governance and guidance from programme leadership.
  • Strong problem-solver with “can-do” mentality, able to both pragmatically define solutions and capture and understand all relevant details when necessary.
• Technical knowledge IT: MS Office products, Access DB a plus.

What we offer: As an employer, we’re keen to look after our people with as much dedication as they look after our patients. That’s why we offer competitive salaries, excellent training and exceptional career prospects. We’re a growing and ambitious company, so there is huge potential here to develop with us and enjoy fantastic rewards in your career.

Your data: 
As part of any recruitment process, the company collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants. The company is committed to being transparent about how it collects and uses that data and to meeting its data protection obligations.

Eurofins Mechem is an Equal Opportunities Company.