The posting
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 works with the biggest companies in the world to ensure the products they supply are safe, their ingredients are authentic and labelling is accurate. Eurofins believes it is a global leader in food, environmental, 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 in the support of clinical studies.
In over just 30 years, Eurofins has grown from one laboratory in Nantes, France to over 65,000 staff across a network of more than 950 independent companies in over 59 countries and operating more than 800 laboratories. Eurofins offers a portfolio of over 200,000 analytical methods to evaluate the safety, identity, composition, authenticity, origin, traceability and purity of biological substances and products, as well as providing innovative clinical diagnostic testing services, as one of the leading global emerging players in specialised clinical diagnostics testing.
In 2026, Eurofins generated total revenues of EUR € 7.3 billion, and has been among the best performing stocks in Europe over the past 20 years.
Job Description
The Laboratory Supervisor, Food Microbiology leads daily operations of the microbiology laboratory, ensuring that pathogen, indicator organism, and shelf-life testing of food products and environmental samples is accurate, timely, and compliant with applicable regulatory and accreditation requirements. This role supervises and develops laboratory staff, maintains the quality system, and serves as the technical point of contact for customers, auditors, and internal stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
Laboratory Operations
- Plan and prioritize daily sample flow to meet turnaround-time commitments, including pathogen holds and release testing.
- Oversee testing of food, ingredient, and environmental samples for organisms such as Salmonella, Listeria spp. and L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7 and STEC, Staphylococcus aureus, coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae, yeast and mold, and aerobic plate counts.
- Ensure methods are performed per validated or reference procedures (e.g., USDA FSIS MLG, FDA BAM, AOAC, ISO) using culture-based, rapid, and molecular (PCR) platforms.
- Review and approve test data and reports, verifying accuracy, completeness, and traceability before release.
- Manage media preparation, reference culture maintenance, positive and negative controls, and sterilization and waste decontamination processes.
Quality System and Compliance
- Maintain compliance with ISO/IEC 17025 (or equivalent), GLP, and customer and regulatory requirements; support internal and external audits and inspections.
- Own the laboratory document system: SOPs, method verifications, training records, and data integrity controls.
- Lead investigation of out-of-specification results, positive results, contamination events, and nonconformances; drive root cause analysis and corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
- Manage proficiency testing programs, equipment calibration, verification, and preventive maintenance schedules.
- Enforce biosafety (BSL-2 practices), chemical safety, and good laboratory practices.
People Leadership
- Hire, train, schedule, coach, and evaluate laboratory personnel; maintain competency and training documentation.
- Foster a culture of accuracy, accountability, and food safety.
- Manage staffing, overtime, and weekend or holiday coverage to meet production and testing demand.
Communication and Continuous Improvement
- Communicate results, trends, and risks to plant quality, operations, and management; escalate positive pathogen findings promptly.
- Prepare periodic reports on turnaround time, positivity rates, trends, and KPIs.
- Evaluate and implement new methods, instruments, and LIMS improvements to increase efficiency and reliability.
- Manage laboratory budget, supplies, and vendor relationships.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Microbiology, Biology, Food Science, or a related life science.
- 2+ years of hands-on food or any microbiology laboratory experience.
- 1+ year of lead, supervisory, or training experience (formal or informal).
- Working knowledge of aseptic technique, pathogen testing, and GLP.
- Strong documentation skills and understanding of data integrity principles.
- Ability to work in a BSL-2 environment and handle pathogenic organisms safely.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Sound technical judgment in interpreting microbiological results and troubleshooting method failures.
- Clear written and verbal communication with technical and non-technical audiences.
- Organization and prioritization in a high-volume, deadline-driven setting.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office; comfortable with laboratory software and electronic records.
- Ability to make timely decisions under pressure and to hold others to standards respectfully.
Qualifications
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Sound technical judgment in interpreting microbiological results and troubleshooting method failures.
- Clear written and verbal communication with technical and non-technical audiences.
- Organization and prioritization in a high-volume, deadline-driven setting.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office; comfortable with laboratory software and electronic records.
- Ability to make timely decisions under pressure and to hold others to standards respectfully
Additional Information
In a fast growing group, successful leaders are frequently being offered increased areas of responsibility (subject to geographic mobility).
Eurofins offers international opportunities to strong performers.
