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Scientific Director of the Animalarium (ANIM) Core Facility

Category:  Academic Staff & Researchers

1 - Working at the VUB

For more than 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and solidarity, and this is very much alive on our campuses among students and staff alike. 

 

At the VUB, you will find a diverse collection of personalities: innovators pur sang, but above all people who are 100% their authentic selves. With some 4,000 employees, we are the largest Dutch-speaking employer, in the private sector, in Brussels; an international city with which we are only too happy to connect and where (around) our 4 campuses are located. 

 

Add to this our principle of free research - in which self-reflection, a critical attitude and an open, creative mind around scientific and social issues are central - and you have a university that is fundamentally groundbreaking and pioneering in education and research. In short: the VUB all over again. 

 

Moreover, the VUB is a member of EUTOPIA, an alliance of like-minded European universities, all ready to reinvent themselves.

2 - Position description

We are currently looking for a Scientific Director of the ANIM Core Facility. 

 

Context:

The Animalarium oversees the housing, care and management of animals used in research. The Animalarium provides support infrastructure and expertise for research and is also responsible for the proper administrative, regulatory and veterinary follow-up of laboratory animal use.

 

Work package: 

  • As Scientific Director, you will be in charge of the Anim Core Facility and will have ultimate responsibility for the operation of the Core Facility; 

  • You will work closely with the operational manager and veterinarian in drawing up the various aspects of the Anim Core Facility policy; 

  • You will help to set out the Core Facility's mission as well as the strategic vision in line with central policy; 

  • You will be responsible for drawing up the personnel policy within the Core Facility; 

  • You will lead the communication with both internal and external users and stakeholders of the Core Facility and will organize the visibility of the Core Facility at local, national, and international level; 

  • You are the point of contact and source of information on laboratory animal research for internal and external users; 

  • You will be responsible for the budgets (income and expenditure) of the Core Facility; 

  • You will draw up a business plan for the Core Facility Animalarium; 

  • You will draw up operating regulations and user policy for the users (internal and external) of the Core Facility, and you will also set up a steering committee and user committee of relevant stakeholders, chaired by the Dean GF or his/her delegate. You chair the meetings of the steering group and the user group; 

  • You regularly organize training courses for users and information sessions for potentially interested users; 

  • You follow the latest scientific developments for the methodologies and techniques implemented in the Core Facility, evaluate these on a regular basis, and communicate these to the users;

  • You implement new relevant techniques in the Core facility;  

  • You maintain relations with the other VUB Core Facilities and stimulate collaboration; 

  • You survey the needs of the users, write and coordinate new requests for renewal of the scientific infrastructure and you coordinate the maintenance and end-of-life replacement of existing equipment; 

  • You take the necessary steps to ensure a safe working environment within the Core Facility; 

  • You develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) together with your team and optimize routine procedures in an expert manner; 

  • You report annually to the Research Council on the policy and operation of the Core Facility regarding use, research output and budget management;

  • You are responsible for the recruitment, supervision and termination of the contract of the staff in accordance with the VUB regulations;

 

For this function, our VUB Health Campus in Jette will serve as your home base, but you will also be expected to be occasionally present at Campus Etterbeek. 

3 - Profile

What do we expect from you?

 

  • You hold a PhD-degree in (bio)medical sciences, bioengineering, veterinary sciences or equivalent.

  • You have at least 5 years of work experience as a postdoctoral researcher; 
  • You have an excellent knowledge of laboratory animal research;
  • Experience as a manager is an advantage;
  • Experience with writing funding applications and reports is a requirement;
  • You are communicative (both written and verbal) and service-oriented;
  • You are the point of contact and source of information regarding laboratory animal research for internal and external users;
  • You are fluent in Dutch and English;
  • You are enterprising and have strong organizational skills, you have experience with intellectual property in this setting and can work with confidential material;
  • You have a great sense of responsibility and you attach great importance to quality, finish, accuracy and cooperation;
  • You are proactive, you act pragmatically and you are decisive (= required experience and competencies);
  • Knowledge of the university and the animal testing center (research and operation) is an added value;

 

  • You subscribe to the university’s vision of education. The full text in relation to this is available on the university website.

 

  • Every first appointment is dependent upon the successful delivery of a teaching session.  

 

  • Language regulations:

A member of the academic staff who is entrusted with a teaching assignment must also be able to demonstrate that the language of instruction is known at ERK level C1 through a qualification certificate or through an adequate diploma. The VUB also provides courses in, for example, academic English.

 

The administrative language of the VUB is Dutch. In case of insufficient knowledge of Dutch, the VUB will provide an integration course. After a maximum of five years, a member of the academic staff must demonstrate adequate knowledge of the administrative language (ERK level B2).

 

For a complete overview, please consult the complete language regulations on https://jobs.vub.be/content/Regulations-concerning-language-proficiency/. 

 

Certificates demonstrating knowledge of the language can already be added to the application. 

 

The VUB wants to be a reflection of the society where everyone's talent is valued, regardless of gender, age, religion, skin color, migration background, disability and neurodiversity.

4 - Offer

Are you going to be our new colleague?

 

You’ll be offered an appointment as professor, for an assignment of 0.3 FTE, for 3 years (renewable, on condition of the positive evaluation of the activities), with planned starting date 01/11/2025. 

 

You’ll receive a salary linked to one of the scales set by the government.

 

At the VUB, you’re guaranteed an open, involved and diverse workplace where you are offered opportunities to (further) build on your career.

 

As well as this, you will also enjoy various other benefits:

  • Extensive homeworking options, a telework allowance of 50 euros per month OR an internet fee of 20 euros per month;
  • An open and informal working environment where attention is paid to work-life balance, and exceptional holiday arrangements with 35 days of leave (based on a fulltime contract), closure between Christmas and New Year and 3 extra leave days;
  • Cost-free hospitalisation insurance;
  • Full reimbursement of your home-to-work commute with public transport according to VUB-policy, and/or compensation if you come by bike; 
  • A wide selection of meals in our campus restaurants at attractive prices;
  • Excellent and affordable facilities for sport and exercise, a range of discounts via Benefits@Work (in  all kinds of shops, on flights, in petrol stations, amusement parks...) and Ecocheques; 
  • Nursery near campus, discount on holiday camps; 
  • The space to form your job content and to continuously learn through our VUB learning platforms and training courses;
  • And finally: great colleagues with a healthy drive.

5 - Interested?

Is this the job you’ve been dreaming of?

 

Then apply, at the latest on 20/08/2025, via jobs.vub.be, and upload the following documents:

  • your motivation letter, including your vision on education and research, and an explanation about the development of your future research;
  • your curriculum vitae, including you academic dossier; 
  • your diploma (not applicable for VUB alumni) and language certificates.

 

Our application process is as follows (subject to change):

  • step 1: an initial selection based on your application file; 
  • step 2: on the basis of a trial lesson, a presentation and a selection interview, the selection committee identifies your competences;
  • step 3: a final interview with the dean for the first ranked candidate.

 

Do you have questions about the job content? Contact Mieke Gijsemans at onderzoeksraad@vub.be or on +32 (0)2 629 21 08.

 

Would you like to know what it’s like to work at the VUB? Go to jobs.vub.be, and find all there is to know about our campuses, benefits, strategic goals and your future colleagues.

 

Would you like more information about EUTOPIA? Go to eutopia-university.eu, and read more about the role of the VUB in the development of the EUTOPIA alliance. 

DO YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS VACANCY?

You can contact the person mentioned in the job description.

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