Managing Director GALAB Laboratories
If you take on the role of Managing Director GALAB Laboratories, you will be responsible for the operations, the strategic policy of the laboratory and the P&L, as well as managing the 215 employees working at Hamburg-Bergedorf and supervising 4 sales offices abroad. As the ultimate responsible, you ensure that everything runs smoothly and that the different departments are well aligned. While the organization operates largely independently, in this role you will also collaborate regularly with Business Unit Managers from other Normec entities and in close exchange with the corporate team.
In this position, you will make a significant contribution to process improvements and, together with your team, prepare the organization for a successful future. Within this vision of investment and growth, you will have the opportunity to leave your own mark. Together with the full team, you will work on the goals and improvement projects you define. This could mean developing a brilliant solution for a client need or using team input to drive capacity improvements.
Your responsibilities in this role include a wide range of tasks, such as:
Daily coaching and management of the GALAB’s leadership team and employees
Promoting the laboratory’s policies and vision, both internally and externally, and ensuring buy-in throughout the organization
Identify and implement innovations, new services, technological developments and client-oriented solutions
Contributing to joint initiatives for growth and organizational effectiveness improvements
Drive the success of the sales team through monitoring and following up on sales related KPIs.
Maintaining contact with clients and suppliers, following up on their satisfaction and requirements in collaboration with the sales department
Drafting and executing the strategic business plan to achieve agreed results within the set cost framework
Facilitating employee development and supporting their growth within the organization
Initiating and implementing process improvements that enable employees to perform at their best, focusing on all levels and departments within the Business Unit
Defining short- and long-term improvement objectives for growth (strategic vision) and translating them into concrete, SMART-formulated goals
Ensuring the quality of services and processes in line with ISO 17025 and other relevant quality standards
Organizing weekly meetings, analysing financial data, and assisting in the laboratory when and where needed
Preparing the annual budget together with the finance team
Your profile
You feel comfortable working in a dynamic and fast environment and can switch quickly without compromising the accuracy of your work. You are a true entrepreneur, hands-on, and gain energy from ensuring that laboratory processes run as optimally and efficiently as possible. Innovation is part of your daily work, and you are proud to be first in the market with new client-oriented solutions. Driving progress and growth is what motivates you, and you do this by fostering pleasant and constructive collaboration with your team. As a leader, you are approachable and easy to work with.
What we are looking for in this role:
Several years of experience in a similar position and industry, for example as a Managing Director within a food or consumer goods laboratory environment
Experience with pesticide and contaminant testing preferred
Experience as GmbH Geschäftsführer in Germany and full P&L responsibility is required, exposure to a corporate or international environment is an advantage
Experience working with strategic policies and KPIs focussed on revenue and EBITDA growth
A completed bachelor’s or master’s degree, preferably in a laboratory discipline (microbiology, analytical chemistry, etc.), food technology, or a related field
Familiarity with quality standards such as ISO 17025 is an advantage preferred
Strong stakeholder and communication skills, with a focus on coaching and leadership, combined with a flexible and stress-resistant attitude
This position requires presence on site and in the laboratories and a fluent German speaking level
Willing to travel on a regular basis within Germany and Europe
What we offer
Normec Foodcare offers an exciting opportunity for an experienced leader with strong interpersonal skills and entrepreneurial mindset. In this role, you will report directly to the Managing Director Normec Foodcare Laboratories Germany. You will join a close-knit team at GALAB in Hamburg-Bergedorf, including close connections and collaboration with the foreign laboratories within a growing and profitable (international) organization.
As a learning organization, Normec Foodcare provides a continuous development program, encouraging you to further develop your talents. This includes access to the Online Academy, offering over 250 courses that you can take for free, tailored to your personal interests.
You will have the autonomy to work independently, with the flexibility and responsibility to make a significant contribution to the organization’s
About Normec
With impressive growth over the years, Normec has become one of Europe’s leading specialists in quality and safety, employing more than 6,500 people across 60 locations. Normec supports organizations in innovating safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively. In doing so, Normec ensures that every project contributes to a shared, sustainable future. Working at Normec means contributing to this mission while developing your career in a dynamic, fast-changing environment where you create impactful solutions for clients and for a sustainable world of tomorrow.
To date, the company has completed more than 75 acquisitions in 9 countries and operates within 4 divisions. One of these business lines is Normec Foodcare, with nearly 2000 employees. Normec Foodcare is the knowledge partner in the field of food safety, product quality, and taste. We provide comprehensive support throughout the entire food chain, from raw materials to consumers.
We are looking for a managing director of GALAB Laboratories GmbH. GALAB is an internationally active analytical laboratory in Hamburg-Bergedorf, Germany, which has been performing high-quality chemical and microbiological analyses of food, food packaging, consumer goods and hygiene products and their raw materials to detect substances and contaminants since 1992 and is part of Normec since 2025. GALAB is recognized as innovation leader in pesticide and contaminant testing for organic food, baby food and sensitive consumer goods and stands for upmost quality and service level.
Interested?
Please apply via the apply now button. If you have any questions about the role or the recruitment process, feel free to contact our Recruitment Manager, Maureen Ensink, at maureen.ensink@normecgroup.com.