Director Veterinary Compliance & Welfare EU (F/H)

Director Veterinary Compliance & Welfare EU (F/H)

Location : Archamps (74160), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

Employment type : Permanent

Work schedule : Full-time

Start date : January 2027

With a history of over 70 years of excellence, Taconic Biosciences is a global team of the best problem solvers in the industry. We partner with our clients to develop winning research strategies that accelerate the discoveries for prevention and treatment of disease.

Founded in 2012, TransCure bioServices, a subsidiary of Taconic Biosciences, is a preclinical contract research organization (CRO) specializing in humanized mouse models. We support biotech, pharmaceutical, and academic organizations in the development of drug candidates through advanced in vivo and in vitro services, rigorous study design, and highly translatable data.

Drawing on our expertise in mice with humanized immune systems and livers, TransCure contributes to the development of innovative therapies in oncology, immuno-oncology, infectious diseases, inflammatory diseases, fibrosis, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease/steatohepatitis (MASLD/MASH).

Your role

As Director Veterinary Compliance & Welfare EU you will lead the regional veterinary oversight, animal welfare and animal-related regulatory programs across Denmark, Germany and France, setting priorities and standards and ensuring effective clinical governance, coverage and corrective-action follow-through. As Designated Veterinarian, you will play a key role in overseeing the health of our animal facility and maintaining optimal animal health and welfare. You will ensure that practices comply with regulatory requirements and internal procedures while supporting our scientific and operational teams in their work. You will also contribute to the continuous improvement of animal health practices by applying your veterinary expertise and proposing solutions tailored to on-the-ground needs. The position requires travel to Germany and Denmark for one week per month to oversee the Group’s (Taconic) animal facilities in Europe.

Key responsibilities

• Direct the regional veterinary, animal-welfare and animal-related regulatory program for Denmark, Germany and France.
• Establish and oversee veterinary program standards for preventive and clinical care, welfare assessment, anesthesia, analgesia, humane endpoints, euthanasia and model-specific or adverse-phenotype risks.
• Lead and oversee the animal facility’s health program.
• Be responsible for the management of veterinary medicines.
• Ensure that project authorization applications (Demandes d’Autorisation de Projet, or DAPs) align with the projects carried out in the animal facility.
• Contribute to the annual animal-use statistics submitted to the French Departmental Directorate for Population Protection (DDPP).
• Advise senior management on animal health strategy and improvements to animal welfare.
• Provide clinical assessments of mice and/or recommend treatment adjustments to safeguard animal welfare.
• Provide veterinary support to scientific teams, including assistance with protocol preparation.
• Ensure that procedures are properly implemented in accordance with our accreditation and regulatory approval requirements, including AAALAC and the DDPP.
• Ensure that internal standard operating procedures (SOPs) relating to animal welfare and health monitoring are reviewed and kept up to date.
• Inform and train on-site staff in best practices for animal health, clinical care, and animal welfare.
• Serve as a member of the Animal Welfare and Ethics Committee (SBEA) and contribute to continuous improvements in animal welfare.
• Maintain regular communication with the Group, particularly to harmonize practices.
• Manage one employee in France, as well as the veterinary teams in Germany and Denmark.

Qualifications

• A veterinary degree recognized in France ; ideally, additional specialized training such as a CEAV or DESV in laboratory animal science and medicine.
• At least 10 years of relevant laboratory animal veterinary experience, including at least 3 years leading professional teams and programs across sites. Demonstrate senior technical decisions, regional program design and improvement, regulatory interaction and influence through local professionals.
• Knowledge of mice, particularly their care and health monitoring.
• Level 1 training certification in animal experimentation.
• Professional proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Professional proficiency in German is a plus.
• Strong scientific analytical and synthesis skills.
• Knowledge of French legislation governing animal experimentation.
• Knowledge of health monitoring for mouse colonies.
• Strong teaching, coaching, and communication skills.
• Assertiveness and the ability to speak up and stand your ground when needed.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
• Demonstrated people-management skills.

If you are interested please upload your resume and cover letter to ADP our Applicant tracking system.