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Postdoctoral scientist (m/f) Ref° 521

Type of contract: Full-time and determined duration contract (CDD)

The Laboratoire national de santé (Institut public au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg) is recruiting a Postdoctoral scientist in analytical chemistry (PhD in Analytical Chemistry, Biochemistry or a related field) (m/f) for the Unit ‘Environmental Hygiene and Human Biological Monitoring’ (Department Health Protection) in a full time (40h/week), with a fixed-term contract of 24 months (“contrat à durée déterminée CDD”) starting at the earliest convenience.

 

About the Laboratoire national de santé (LNS) and the Unit ‘Environmental Hygiene and Human Biological Monitoring’:

The « Laboratoire national de santé » (LNS) is a public institution under the supervision of the ministry of Health in Luxembourg. Organised as a multidisciplinary institute and supported by a professional services team, the LNS includes four scientific departments in the fields of medical biology, microbiology, forensic medicine and health protection, in addition to hosting the National Center of Pathology and the National Center of Genetics.The LNS has its  premises in Dudelange, with state of the art, modern infrastructure in line with recent developments in medical sciences. Its objective is to develop scientific and analytical expertise related to the prevention, diagnosis and monitoring of human diseases. Its ultimate mission is to serve patients and citizens and offer excellence in health care.

The Unit ‘Environmental Hygiene and Human Biological Monitoring’ has strong expertise in indoor pollution occupational hygiene and human biomonitoring. The Unit mainly works for the Ministry of Health and is an active partner in the European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC). PARC is a 7-year science-policy Research &Innovation program that has been launched in May 2022 and that is co-funded by the European Union. . PARC aims to develop next-generation chemical risk assessment to protect human health and the environment and to support the EU Chemical Strategy for Sustainability and the European Green Deal`s “Zero pollution” ambition with new data, knowledge, methods and tools, expertise and networks. The programme involves 200 partners from 28 countries and the EU, including national and EU risk assessment and regulatory agencies as well as affiliated research organisations working in environmental, occupational and/or public health. As national institute, LNS is key partner in several work packages, including human biomonitoring and exposure- and human risk assessment  in the general and in occupational populations.

Job description

As a Postdoctoral scientist working in the PARC project, you report directly to the Unit Head. More specifically, you will:

  • Set-up analytical methods for organic pollutants and their metabolites in indoor environmental samples (e.g. air and dust) and in human samples (exposure and effect biomarkers in blood, urine and alternative matrices), by means of GC-MS; GC-MS/MS, GC-QTOF and/or LC-MS/MS;
  • Develop innovative sampling methods in human biomonitoring and occupational hygiene;
  • Draft standard operating procedures (SOPs) and protocols for the developed methods;
  • Validate the developed methods in line with international standards and the quality system (ISO 17025 and ISO 15189);
  • Be in charge of the different phases in risk assessment based on the results of the chemical analyses: data processing, data analyses plans and data analyses, and evaluation;
  • Publish your sampling and analytical methodology developments, validations, risk- and exposure assessments in international peer-review journals;
  • Participate in the different working groups and meetings in PARC related to your tasks, including the QA/QC working groups;
  • Be responsible for the technical reporting in PARC for your tasks and domains you are involved in.

This list of tasks should not be considered exhaustive. Missions may vary depending on the specific needs of PARC / the role of the Unit in PARC.

Job specific skills

  • A PhD in chemistry, biochemistry or a related field, with specialization in GC-MS and LC-MS for the analysis of complex organic compounds in environmental and human biological samples;
  • Knowledge and experience in chemical exposure and risk assessment based on environmental and/or human biomonitoring data is required;
  • Previous experience as post-doctoral scientist, including track record in the method development of organic compounds in a chemical laboratory, preferentially in the field of environmental and occupational health;
  • Statistical analysis skills;
  • Knowledge of European chemicals policy, regulations and risk assessment frameworks is considered an asset;
  • Knowledge of other analytical techniques (e.g. ICP-MS) is considered an asset;
  • Working experience in an accredited chemical laboratory according to the ISO 17025 or 15189 is considered an asset.

Key skills

  • Strong writing skills for scientific journals and technical reports;
  • Strong organizational skills and structured way of working;
  • Strong analytical thinking;
  • Excellent team working skills;
  • Fluent in English. French, German or Luxembourgish are considered an asset.

We offer

  • A highly competitive salary;
  • A dynamic department in full expansion and developing new activities at request of its stakeholders;
  • An international and multidisciplinary environment;
  • Continuous training possibilities.

If you meet the above profile requirements and wish to apply, please send your application (CV, letter of intent and copies of your degrees) by clicking on the application button below.

Applications will be processed in order of arrival. The utmost confidentiality will be granted to each application.

 

At the final stages of the recruitment process, the successful candidate will be asked to provide supporting documentation such as, copies of diplomas and certificates of employment. An official criminal record (bulletin no.3) will also be required for consultation purpose.