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QC Microbiology Manager
Location: Within the EU (Relocation necessary)
Overview
Take ownership of a newly established microbiology laboratory within a large-scale biologics manufacturing facility, where you’ll have the opportunity to build and develop your team, shape how the department operates and play an important role in bringing a new manufacturing site into operation.
This is a fairly rare opportunity to be part of a greenfield project, rather than simply maintaining an established laboratory. You’ll lead a team of around 11 people, combining your microbiology expertise with people management, technical coaching and operational development.
The site is still developing, with new projects and manufacturing activities being introduced over the coming years. So, if you’re someone who enjoys building things up, improving processes and working in an environment where priorities can change, this could be an interesting opportunity.
This is a permanent position within an international pharmaceutical organisation. Whilst we cannot reveal the full location here, an entire ecosystem covering drug substance through to drug product manufacturing is being developed, offering both long-term stability and opportunities for career progression.
A comprehensive relocation package is available, including support with accommodation, moving costs and family relocation.
What you’ll do
You’ll take responsibility for the QC Microbiology Laboratory, overseeing microbiological testing, environmental monitoring and laboratory operations while ensuring compliance with GMP and international regulatory requirements.
Leading and developing your team will be a central part of the position. You’ll be working with a mix of junior and more experienced employees, helping them develop their technical capabilities while establishing effective ways of working as the facility moves towards full operation.
You’ll also be involved in preparing the laboratory for new manufacturing activities, supporting project transfers and organising the team as operations expand, including the introduction of shift-based working.
This isn’t a position where you’ll need to spend your days performing laboratory testing yourself. However, you’ll need to understand the technical side well enough to coach your team, solve problems and act as a point of reference for others within the wider QC organisation.
You’ll work closely with manufacturing, quality and regulatory teams, supporting investigations, audits, inspections and continuous improvement initiatives.
What you’ll need
- Around 5–10+ years of experience within pharmaceutical microbiology, ideally in a large-scale GMP manufacturing environment, including a couple of years leadership experience.
- Experience with biologics or large-molecule manufacturing, preferably within a low-bioburden environment.
- Strong technical understanding of QC Microbiology, including laboratory testing and environmental monitoring.
- Degree in a relevant field such as Microbiology, Biotechnology, Pharmacy or similar.
- Fluency in English.
Curious to know more?
Please click the ‘Apply’ button. Don’t worry if your CV isn’t up to date. Just send what you have and we’ll deal with that later.
The responsible recruiter for this process is Anders Sandberg at Black Swans Exist..
