Laboratory Manager in Cambridge

The Opportunity

In this position, the successful candidate will oversee and guide the day-to-day lab management and act as SPOC for lab scientists and external visitors. With a strong sense of customer focus and service, the Laboratory Manager facilitates communication across disciplines. This is a 1-year, fixed term assignment in a dynamic research facility.

Key Tasks

• Operational day to day Laboratory management providing a ‘single point of contact’ for laboratory scientists and external visitors.
• Ensures the laboratory maintains its operational efficiency by liaising with all FM suppliers – planning preventative and scheduled maintenance regimes with minimal impact to daily operations, ensuring any FM helpdesk requests are completed.
• Assists with organised visits from internal/external partners and regulatory bodies.
• Maintains and organises laboratory consumable inventories and provides reports to the Dept leadership team as requested.
• Performs laboratory inductions for internal/external and temporary lab users working in the area to familiarise them with lab policies and procedures.
• Provide operational support on projects to build understanding of business needs and identify opportunities for process improvements.
• Co-ordinate laboratory scientists to ensure 6-monthly laboratory cleans are completed effectively.
• Maintain and update the orientation plan for new starters.
• Knowledge or experience of equipment IQ/OQ/PQ.
• Serves as a committee member on several cross-functional teams including: SHE Safety Committee, Operations Lab Rep meetings. Ensure relevant actions are implemented with Research labs.
• Manages good working relationships with internal research groups, contractors, suppliers, and inspectors.

Equipment

• Works with IT/other service providers to ensure equipment is running effectively, scientists have what they need and that AZ/MedImmune assets (especially high-cost equipment) are fully utilised.
• May perform specialist equipment user performance checks and acts as the super-user of defined instruments as agreed with Dept leadership.
• Manage and co-ordinate lab instrumentation maintenance, installation and repair through service providers.
• Knowledge or experience of equipment IQ/OQ/PQ.

Health and Safety compliance (SHE)

• Supports the Dept leadership team with health and safety compliance and identification/delivery of improvements.
• Participates in SHE or service audits and leads the implementation of actions.

Additional responsibilities – where applicable

• Monitors and tracks spend aligned to capital investments and laboratory consumables; provides inventories and spreadsheets for tracking depreciation liaising with other service providers where required.
• Supports new equipment demand by liaising with the Capital Demand Manager and works with the scientists to identify future requirements and new innovations in technology to further enhance scientific capability within the function.
• Liaison with external suppliers and industry specialists to arrange demo kit/training to support new equipment demand.
• Management of change control processes where required.
• Looks for cost savings and cost avoidance and reports back to AZ/MedImmune FM and procurement.

Skills, knowledge & competencies

• A Bachelor’s degree in a scientific discipline, preferably Biochemistry, or equivalent laboratory experience.
• Proven excellent customer service focus and ability to work collaboratively.
• Clear and concise written and spoken communication skills.
• Ability to influence people at all levels to deliver improvements and cost savings to the customer.
• Some knowledge and experience of lean sigma processes is an advantage.
• Able to partner with other teams and suppliers and deliver results in a matrix environment, managing multiple internal and external partners/stakeholders.
• Excellent problem-solving capabilities and confidence to make clear decisions sometimes with limited information.
• Exceptional planning, organisational, analytical and networking skills.
• Project management skills, ability to be flexible and handle multiple responsibilities and tasks on a regular basis.
• Proficient in data capture, analysis and reporting utilising various IT systems particularly Microsoft Excel.
• Multiple years of experience working in a laboratory environment managing a busy laboratory with a large number of users.
• Knowledge of SHE requirements in a laboratory environment.
• Knowledge of GLS, and GxP regulations, audit requirements and CAPAs.
• Be a good team worker demonstrating loyalty and commitment to the organisation and team members.
• To be flexible with working hours when required to deliver the service required to our customers.
• Self-motivated, energetic, dependable, a clear attention to detail.
• Meticulous focus on quality.
• Willing to work at the new R&D facility in central Cambridge.

Offer

This opportunity not only offers the chance to work in a dynamic growing R&D team but also in a company that is looking to expand in an exciting area of science. The position also offers a competitive salary and benefits package, with a flexible approach to work in line with your qualifications and experience. This is a 1-year fixed term assignment.