Health & Safety Manager (Preventieadviseur Niveau 1)

VIB is a leading, internationally recognized life sciences research institute working closely together with Belgian universities, with research centers in Ghent, Leuven, Antwerp, and Brussels. With a community of more than 2,000 researchers and staff members, we are dedicated to advancing groundbreaking research in biotech that improves the health of both people and planet. Our entrepreneurial mindset and strong drive for innovation ensures that scientific breakthroughs extend beyond the lab and are translated into real-world applications with meaningful societal impact.

To further strengthen and mature its internal prevention approach, VIB is looking for a Health & Safety Manager (Prevention Advisor Level 1).

In this role, you act as a key advisor, coordinator and expert partner, supporting management in building a safe and healthy work environment. You will form a small team together with the current prevention advisor, that is further supported by the biosafety coordinator.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

As Health & Safety Manager you

• Advise and support management on all wellbeing domains (safety, biosafety, occupational health, ergonomics, industrial hygiene resp. psychosocial wellbeing), in line with Belgian legislation and in close collaboration with facilities resp. HR.
• Prepare, coordinate and monitor the global prevention plan and annual action plans, ensuring follow-up and continuous improvement
• Lead and further develop the internal prevention service, strengthening its structure, way of working and organizational impact
• Translate legislation into practice, supporting risk-based decision-making
• Coordinate collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, including HR, facility management, research centers, partner universities and the external prevention service, ensuring alignment across a complex ecosystem and balancing VIB-wide policies with local implementation needs while avoiding duplication of efforts.
• Monitor incidents, risks and prevention data, using insights to guide priorities and drive continuous improvement
• Support and coach managers, researchers and employees, fostering shared ownership of prevention across the organization
• Advise on and contribute to budget planning and resource allocation for health and safety initiatives
• Drive awareness and engagement, contributing to a strong and visible prevention culture

• Certified Prevention Advisor Level 1 (or close to achieving certification)
• Master’s degree or equivalent level of thinking, preferably in life sciences, biomedical sciences, engineering or a related field
• Extensive relevant experience in prevention and wellbeing, ideally in a complex, multi-site or matrix organization
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills; ability to operate in an environment with multiple partners (e.g. universities, external services)
• Team-oriented mindset, with the ability to provide clear direction and support individual team members, while collaborating and driving impact across the organization
• Strong experience with risk assessment approaches and prevention methodologies, with the ability to translate these into organization-wide practices
• Able to combine strategic thinking with hands-on pragmatism
• Analytical mindset with affinity for data-driven work
• Excellent communication skills in Dutch and English
• Willingness to regularly travel across VIB sites in Flanders
• Affinity with life sciences, laboratory or research environments, including knowledge of chemical, biological, technical and/or GMO related risks is as a strong asset