We are looking for strong leadership profiles for the Animal Welfare Control – is that you?

Note : The Animal Welfare Control is part of the Ministry of Justice's area. The position is advertised and administered via the Danish Food Authority's recruitment system.

As a leader in the Animal Welfare Control you will have a unique opportunity to help establish a new agency under the Ministry of Justice. You will play a central role in ensuring stable operations and developing a control area with strong political focus, where we work closely with companies and citizens. You will have a large space for leadership, strong sparring and the opportunity to influence an important societal task with animal welfare control.

We are looking for several new leadership colleagues. First, we are seeking a new section head for our ExportControlCenter (EKC), where among other things we ensure animal welfare in connection with the export of live animals, through pre-validation of transports and subsequent control of driven routes. Second, we are seeking section heads for the field control, as we as a new agency must expand the number of employees. These are newly established positions. Since we have several vacancies, it gives you and us a unique opportunity to compose the tasks that best fit your competencies and wishes.

We are facing development of a new organization, consolidation of a control area across the country, large political expectations and many changes in Danish agriculture. We therefore seek colleagues who are strong team players, as success depends on close collaboration within the management team.

Your tasks

As a leader in EKC your main task will be to ensure stable and efficient operations. This includes that you have the overall responsibility for personnel management, prioritization of tasks and ongoing follow-up to ensure that the operation functions as it should. You create direction, coherence and good frameworks for the employees so they can succeed with the unit's common goals. In EKC there are 35 employees, the majority of whom are office clerks and in addition several lawyers and one veterinarian.

You share leadership with one leadership colleague. Depending on your preferences there is also the possibility of taking on leadership responsibility in the field control.

In EKC you will coordinate daily operations and support the employees in their task solving as well as contribute to the ongoing digital transformation by translating data into insights and developing effective solutions that strengthen animal welfare.

As a leader in the field control your main task will be personnel management in relation to a number of inspectors who carry out controls in herds or at transport companies, ensuring quality of the control, ensuring goal attainment and at the same time helping to develop the animal welfare control. There is primarily distance management of inspectors, including veterinarians.

As a leader in the field control you will need to help develop the control of animal welfare in cooperation with the head office and support the employees with a view to ensuring goal attainment.

About you

You are a visible and operations-oriented leader who creates direction, well-being and momentum through clear communication and strong relationships. You are motivated to develop both employees and task solving and thrive in an environment where collaboration, prioritization and efficiency go hand in hand.

We are looking for a leader who

• Can set clear goals, ensure stable operations and create good frameworks for the employees
• Has strong relational skills and communicates professionally and trustfully – also with external actors
• Can motivate and involve employees across disciplines while preserving high well-being
• Has a mindset to streamline task solving and develop the team
• Prioritizes and delegates naturally and thrives on leading both upwards and downwards in the organization
• Is visible, open and proactive in your leadership style

We would also like you to

• Have experience with personnel leadership, team leadership and remote leadership
• Have legal understanding in relation to interpreting and applying legislation
• Have knowledge of working in a politically governed organization
• Work analytically

About the Animal Welfare Control

Your section is part of the executing control, which is led by unit head Majbritt Birkmose, who will thus be your nearest supervisor. The Animal Welfare Control will be established on January 1, 2027 as an independent agency under the Ministry of Justice. The Animal Welfare Control consists of about 130 employees, and we expect to be about twice as many.

The employees in the field control have different educational backgrounds, but mainly veterinarians, ACs and technologists with a base in agricultural production. The unit handles animal welfare control in herds with production animals, assistance to the police in relation to animal welfare cases, and the EKC task in connection with transports of live animals out of Denmark.

We are a nationwide unit and monitor compliance with the rules on animal welfare in herds and in connection with the transport of animals.

The field control is located in Korsør, Aalborg, Herning and Vejen, so you as a leader should expect to regularly move between our locations to meet the employees and hold team meetings.

EKC is located in Vejen and works with pre-validation of exports of live animals, and when the transports have been driven, we also handle the "after-control", which includes a check of the driven routes. Here there is particular focus on whether the transporter has complied with the conditions of the transport so that the animals have not suffered undue burden. Work is also done on issuing authorizations. There is strong political focus on animal welfare in Denmark, and especially the export of live animals.

We offer

You will be part of the leadership team in the executing control, which consists of a unit head and four section heads. Here you get a lot of managerial space, a broad collaboration surface both internally and externally and ongoing sparring in an experienced and engaged leadership community.

As a new leader you get a solid foundation through an onboarding program, the possibility of an optional mentoring scheme.

We offer a high degree of flexibility including options for home working. In addition we also have employee benefits such as a gym, fruit scheme and free parking.

Salary and terms of employment

There is a need for you as soon as possible and preferably no later than February 1, 2027.

Employment is done under the current collective agreement between the Ministry of Finance and a number of AC organizations.

You are hired as Chief Consultant with personnel responsibility. Salary and any allowances are determined based on qualifications.

The leadership position in EKC has duty station in Vejen. The leadership position in the field control has duty station in Herning or Vejen.

Your application

We look forward to receiving your application together with CV, copies of degree certificates and other relevant attachments via our online recruitment system no later than 24 November 2026.

We would like you to describe in your application

• How you work as a leader, including how you create direction, well-being and good results in an operations-oriented daily life.
• Your experiences with personnel leadership, cross-functional collaboration and possibly leadership at a distance.

Hiring interviews are expected to be held on 2 and 11 December 2026.

Tests will be part of the recruitment process.

Want to know more?

You are welcome to contact unit head Majbritt Birkmose at phone 7227 5313 and hear more about the position.

The Animal Welfare Control regards diversity as an asset and encourages all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.