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Quality Control Scientist - Senior Physical Tester

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
This job is closed to applications

Location
Salary
£37,338 - £44,962 per annum
Profession
Health science services
Grade
Band 6
Deadline
24 Jun 2025
Contract Type
Permanent
Posted Date
13 Jun 2025

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a proactive and passionate QC Senior Physical Tester to join the Medicines Manufacturing Centre (MMC)—a cutting-edge NHS pharmaceutical production facility based in Seaton Delaval, Northumberland. The MMC is in its final design stages, with facility construction planned through to September 2025. This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a pioneering NHS manufacturing facility, supporting a leadership team committed to quality, innovation, and patient care. Please note we reserve the right to close this vacancy prior to the closing date once the required number of suitable applications have been received.

All employees of the Medicine Manufacturing Centre (MMC) are currently employed by Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, under Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions. Should the service be transferred into alternative ownership, those employees with start dates prior to the transfer date, will be protected under Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE). Therefore, employees will transfer to the new employer on the same terms and conditions, which are protected and the employees’ continuity of employment is preserved

Main duties of the job

The postholder will be responsible for leading environmental monitoring activities across cleanroom and controlled environments, ensuring compliance with GMP and ISO standards. The role includes managing testing programmes, maintaining environmental monitoring equipment, producing documentation, and leading a small team of testers. The individual will also contribute to core pharmaceutical quality systems, demonstrate inclusive leadership, and act as a technical expert in cleanroom environmental testing.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

  • Manage environmental monitoring equipment, including validation, calibration, planned preventative maintenance (PPM), and service contracts.
  • Conduct physical and microbiological environmental testing within cleanroom facilities and associated outer areas, following a defined schedule.
  • Perform environmental testing and qualification of clean air devices, including isolators.
  • Produce and maintain documentation such as Quality Control (QC) worksheets and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), ensuring compliance with data integrity standards.
  • Support core Pharmaceutical Quality Systems (PQS) by contributing to deviation management, change control impact assessments, and Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) relevant to environmental monitoring.
  • Operate and interpret data from the Building Management System as applicable.
  • Act as the technical adviser on physical testing, with specific expertise in ISO and GMP standards for clean air classification.
  • Perform additional testing where required, such as compressed air and nitrogen gas testing.
  • Conduct temperature mapping of all temperature-controlled areas (e.g. fridges, freezers, cold rooms, stability chambers, incubators, and storage spaces) in accordance with EU GMP guidelines.
  • Manage the team of physical testers, ensuring training, development, and adequate contingency or capacity planning aligned with departmental needs.
  • Role model compassionate and inclusive leadership, fostering a collective leadership culture that: Engages, enables, and empowers others. Uses coaching techniques to promote ownership of learning and quality improvement. Encourages collaboration and teamwork within and across organisational boundaries.
  • Engages, enables, and empowers others.
  • Uses coaching techniques to promote ownership of learning and quality improvement.
  • Encourages collaboration and teamwork within and across organisational boundaries.