Design lead for Life Science Projects

Location: Hybrid, HQ in Niel, Belgium

Company: VILS Belgium (Part of MASCO Group)

Industry: Biopharmaceutical Engineering & Construction

Contract Type: Full-time employee or consultant

At VILS, we design, lead and supervise investment projects from process analysis to fully functional labs and cleanrooms - ensuring every facility is perfectly aligned with the production processes. We work closely with our clients to bring their cutting-edge discoveries in ATMPs, biologicals, vaccines and novel foods to people’s lives. Fast.

The role

We're searching for a vibrant Design Lead to oversee technical coordination and ensure the success of our Fast Track projects in the life science industry.

You’ll concentrate on flawlessly finalizing design integration packages for each project phase, acting as the primary point of contact for any design changes' impact and overseeing the integration of all engineering disciplines during design.

Key responsibilities

What you’ll be doing:

• seamlessly coordinating all engineering disciplines and managing interfaces between stakeholders;
• driving design coordination meetings, maintaining critical technical files and layouts meticulously;
• inspiring the project team to strive for excellence;
• ensuring compliance with cGxP standards into our processes;
• sharing your project knowledge with our managers to smooth execution;
• providing technical support to our customers’ team for integrating customer equipment throughout their project journey.

Requirements

What we're looking for in a Design Lead:

• a strong problem-solver with excellent communication skills and a proactive mindset;
• extensive experience in technical coordination within complex engineering or design environments;
• a good understanding of cGxP requirements and technical design packages;
• a degree in Architecture, Engineering, or a related field;
• Confident and communicative, able to engage effectively with both colleagues and clients;
• Fluent in English, with Dutch and/or French considered a strong asset.

What We Offer

• Competitive remuneration package and benefits.
• A collaborative and innovative work environment.
• Flexibility to work from home or in our new spacious office in Niel.
• A key role in a growing international company with a strong reputation in the biopharma industry.
• Our values revolve around continual growth, fostering fresh perspectives, and owning the final outcome. We believe in building bridges, sharing insights, and contributing to our collective improvement.
• Freelancers can expect a market-based hourly rate.

About VILS

Whether designing a cleanroom, laboratory or other facility, our project teams include process architects, project managers, clean utilities experts, HVAC engineers, electrical engineers, and civil and structural engineers who work seamlessly together to shape the optimal solution around your process.

When we build your facility, our end-to-end process secures scope, schedule and quality. We complete projects fast through a combination of in-house expertise and trusted, expert partners, with process-driven, business-oriented, lean design as our starting point.

We offer our design and engineering services worldwide, and construction in the Benelux countries, plus Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Our headquarters are in Belgium, where we were founded, and we also have local presence in the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany.

As Design Lead, you will turn complex engineering challenges into coordinated, compliant, and future-ready designs.