Chief veterinarian sought for one of the country's most important control and emergency preparedness tasks

Would you like to play an important role in the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration's work to ensure healthy animal production and to support and oversee that Danish animals and products meet national and international standards and requirements?

As head of VeterinærNord you will be responsible for the Authority's veterinary control in Central and Northern Jutland. You will play a key role in the work to prevent and manage infectious livestock diseases, ensure correct use of medicines in livestock holdings, and assist the Ministry of Justice in cases concerning animal welfare. You will furthermore support Denmark's strong position in the production and export of live animals and animal products.

You are an experienced leader who can take responsibility for the managerial operations and development. You can also maintain the high veterinary professional environment in the unit while keeping an eye on proper case handling and the political aspect.

About us

VeterinærNord consists of 62 employees and is one of the agency's three regional veterinary units. The unit is responsible, among other things, for control of medicine use and biosecurity measures in livestock holdings, for control and certification prior to the export of live animals, for control of veterinarians, veterinary nurses and animal by-product companies, and for monitoring and combating infectious livestock diseases. The unit handles direct contact with farm owners, companies and practicing veterinarians and informs about veterinary matters.

The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration's veterinary mobile unit is a part of VeterinærNord. The mobile unit operates nationwide from offices in Aalborg, Herning and Vejen. The mobile unit collaborates with internal and external units, including the police, the Tax Administration and the Customs Administration, on, among other things, complicated cases with systematic, repeated or gross violations in the veterinary field.

The task

As veterinary chief you must ensure that the veterinary control professional tasks are performed in accordance with the regulations, the political settlement agreements, the agency's strategy, and the annual goals and results plans.

You as veterinary chief are responsible for the unit's operations, finances, organization and strategic development as well as quality assurance of the unit's management. The managerial tasks also include the overall personnel responsibility, including ensuring good well-being and personal and professional development for the employees. VeterinærNord has many interfaces across the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, which is why a focus on coordination and collaboration is essential.

Together with your management group, consisting of five section heads, you will lead a unit with highly specialized staff, primarily government veterinarians. Many of the inspectors drive out to their tasks from home, and a large part of the daily contact between management and employees takes place digitally. This means that a large part of the management takes place at a distance.

You join the control's executive group and report directly to the Director of Control.

About you

We are looking for a chief who

• has a relevant advanced education and documented leadership experience from a politically led organization.
• has an understanding of or experience with veterinary authority tasks, control activities or related fields.
• can balance operations and development and has a view on how the entire control task value chain can be developed – from the professional basis and planning of the control to execution, results and impact.
• is structured, can keep a cool head and maintain an overview.
• can lead through leaders and is able to set strategic direction for the development of the leadership team and employees, so that the individual and the unit are ready for tomorrow's tasks.
• has personal impact and is able to lead and motivate in a visible, results‑oriented and trust‑building manner.
• can create and develop good collaborative relationships at all levels and is keen to engage in collaboration with the other managers in the agency, stakeholders and partners.

The position requires a driver's license for a passenger car, as you will expect to travel a fair amount.

Salary and terms of employment

The position is to be filled on 1 March 2027.

The employment is on a fixed-term basis and in accordance with the "Framework Agreement on the Contractual Employment of Managers in the Civil Service" with pay in pay grade 1, corresponding to salary framework 37. In addition to the base salary, there are qualification allowances, an annual allowance and a one-off remuneration based on effort and results.

You should be aware that your employment is contingent on you being security cleared and maintaining this security clearance during your employment in the position.

If you are a civil servant in pay framework 37 or higher, the application is addressed to the King.

The area of employment depends on the form of appointment. The workplace for now is the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, Rosenholmvej 15, 7400 Herning.

Would you like to know more?

You can read more about the agency at www.fvst.dk . If you have questions about the position, you are welcome to contact the Control Director Karin Baunsgaard at tel. 72 27 60 80.

Your application

We look forward to receiving your application and CV together with your diploma and other relevant attachments online in our recruitment system no later than 19 November 2026.

Interviews will be held in Aarhus on 26 November 2026, and the second round of interviews is expected to be held on 7 December 2026.

Tests will be conducted as part of the recruitment process.

It is a condition of employment that, as part of your employment, you can

• Obtain a valid work and residence permit in Denmark before your start date or
• Obtain a valid residence document in Denmark upon employment.

The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration regards diversity as an asset and encourages everyone to apply regardless of personal background.