Protein GMP production team expert

1 - Working at the VUB

For almost 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and connectedness. These values are strongly present on our campuses, in our students as well as our staff. At the VUB, you’ll find a diverse collection of personalities: pure innovators and especially people who are 100% their authentic selves. With about 3.500 employees, we are the largest Flemish-speaking employer in Brussels, an international city with which we are all too happy to be connected, and around which our four campuses are located.

2 - Position Description

MITH is an academic research group developing diagnostic and therapeutic biopharmaceuticals with a strong vision to bring innovation from bench-to-bedside. With the VDU, Vector Development Unit, located in the University Hospital of Brussels, we have established a cleanroom facility for the production of lead biomolecules to be used as active pharmaceutical ingredients in first in-human clinical studies. With this unit we aim to valorize our preclinical studies by bringing them into a GMP compliant environment for safety evaluation in the university hospital UZ Brussel. We are looking for a highly motivated professional with a passion for science and quality to join our vibrant team.

Techniques

• Under your responsibility: Upstream Production (USP)
• Microbial manipulation, cell banking, fermentation in a bioreactor up to 30L-scale (single-use technology), cell collection and extraction
• Supporting: Downstream Production (DSP)
• Protein purification via chromatography (such as IEX, HIC, SEC, RP-HPLC), TFF and filtration
• Equipment management, validation techniques and equipment, implementation of biotechnological techniques, working in a cleanroom-controlled environment, designing and writing procedures and protocols under cGMP regulation.

Tasks

• Executing activities in a cleanroom facility under cGMP manufacturing regulation.
• Taking responsibility for USP and supporting DSP activites of the VDU, planning and overviewing tasks, always in close collaboration with other production technicians, Quality
• Assurance, Quality Control and management.
• Developing and setting up procedures for fermentation activities, microbial manipulation (P. pastoris), cell banking, fermentation in a small-scale (30L) bioreactor and scaling-up studies.
• Evaluating the robustness of implemented procedures and keeping a mindset of continuous improvement of the production processes.
• Maintaining good contacts with production suppliers and negotiating on agreements.
• You write standard operating procedures, work instructions and forms in English under cGMP regulation.
• You contribute to the continuous improvement and maintenance of the quality management system in close collaboration with the Quality Assurance team.
• You ensure the operational qualification and maintenance of all production equipment and cleanroom related to the procedures according to predefined specifications
• You are in close contact with the QC team for planning and quality control on purity and composition of proteins
• You, together with the VDU team, take up the shared responsibility to deliver proteins for use in clinical studies phase I and II.
• You are open to continuous training and (self-)education.
• You can work in an interdisciplinary team and together with the MITH research group to bridge the gap from the laboratory to the patient.

For this position, the Brussels Health Campus in Jette will be your home base.

3 - Profile

Required expertise and/or diplomas: master’s degree (or equivalent through experience) in protein production related studies such us Pharmaceutical and Biological science, Biotechnology, Biomedical or Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bioengineering, Molecular Microbiology or (Bio)chemistry.

Knowledge of GMP processes and environment, either through training or work experience, or a very strong interest in GMP processes and therefore quality-minded, is a requirement.

• You have a strong quality mindset, and you want to have an impact on patient care.
• You work very conscientiously and carefully with an eye for detail.
• You have strong problem-solving skills.
• Protein production is your thing and has no secrets for you.
• You are a team player, positive and flexible, with a collaborative mindset.
• You can adapt to changing circumstances or to different people and you can stand up to a little pressure or a setback.
• You can communicate fluently with the quality team and other colleagues who carry out other tasks in the VDU, as well as maintain a close collaboration with the MITH Research group.
• You like to take initiative and are open to other opinions.
• You are willing to follow relevant training courses.
• You have good communication skills in English; Knowledge of Dutch is an advantage.
• You are fluent in computer software such as MS Office, Prism, etc.

4 - Offer

Are you going to be our new colleague? You’ll be offered a temporary full-time contract of 1 year (extendable) at a salary linked to Grade 6 or 7, depending on your competences and previous relevant work experience.

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’ll enjoy various benefits:

• Full reimbursement for your home-work commute with public transport according to VUB-policy, or compensation if you come by bike;
• Cost-free hospitalisation and group insurance with guaranteed income;
• The space to form your job content and continuously learn via VUB LRN;
• Excellent facilities for sport and exercise;
• Ecocheques;
• Delicious meals at attractive prices in our campus restaurants;
• An open, family-friendly work environment where attention is paid to work-life balance, and exceptional holiday arrangements with 35 days of leave (based on a fulltime contract).  

5 - Interested?

Is this the job you’ve been dreaming of? Apply before 13/02/2026. Send us your CV, letter of motivation and the highest degree you’ve attained (not applicable for VUB alumni).

Your application will undergo various steps as follows:

• Step 1: CV screening by one of our recruiters.
• Step 2: A Practical exam on our campus.
• Step 3: A final interview scheduled.

Do you have questions about the job content? Contact Sonja Van den Block at sonja.van.den.block@vub.be

Do you have questions about the selection procedure? Contact Natasja Amys at natasja.amys@vub.be.

Would you like to know what it’s like to work at the VUB?

Go to www.jobs.vub.be and find all there is to know about our campuses, benefits, strategic goals and your future colleagues.  

6 - For office use

Regulation: Project finance

Contract: 12 months, extendable

Head unit/faculty: Medicine and pharmacy, MITH

FTE: 1 FTE

Function: Technical expert

Pay grade group: 5-6-7

Recrutement type: