At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team ensuring quality raw materials and testing in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Company: Join Dechra, a global leader in veterinary pharmaceuticals with a supportive culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, healthcare cash plan, gym discounts, and every other Friday off.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on animal welfare while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in leading teams in regulated environments and strong problem-solving skills required.
- Other info: Dynamic workplace with excellent career growth and a focus on employee wellbeing.
The predicted salary is between 39000 - 51000 £ per year.
If you’re passionate about quality, love leading a team, and enjoy being right at the heart of a fast-moving manufacturing environment, this could be the perfect next step for you. Reporting to our QC Manager, you’ll play a key role in making sure every raw material and packaging component that enters our site meets the highest standards - keeping our production lines running smoothly and our products safe, compliant and ready for customers.
A little about us: Dechra is a growing, global specialist in veterinary pharmaceuticals. Our expertise is in the development, manufacture, marketing and sales of high-quality products exclusively for veterinarians worldwide. It’s a great time to join our modern Skipton facility, and further investment for the Skipton site means that we’re in an exciting period of positive change for the business.
Here at Dechra, our values are embedded within our culture and thrive within our family of almost 2000 colleagues globally. From manufacturing to marketing, (D)edication, (E)njoyment, (C)ourage, (H)onesty, (R)elationships and (A)mbition are at the heart of our everyday operations and the way we do business.
What you’ll be doing: In this varied and rewarding role, you’ll lead our Raw Materials & Sampling team, making sure all sampling, testing and reporting is completed accurately, on time and in full. You’ll help keep production flowing by ensuring materials are available when needed, and you’ll work closely with manufacturing, packaging and third-party laboratories to keep everything aligned. You’ll take ownership of the sampling booth and equipment, support investigations and deviations, and make sure your team is fully trained and confident in their work. You’ll also play an active part in our safety culture - carrying out inspections, supporting CAPA activity and helping us maintain a safe, well-run laboratory environment. As a key communicator, you’ll chair Tier 1 meetings, escalate issues when needed, and help drive continuous improvement across the department. Your leadership will help us deliver Right First-Time results, meet our KPIs and maintain strong compliance with GMP and regulatory standards.
What success looks like:
- Smooth, timely sampling and testing with no delays to production
- Strong Right First Time performance and adherence to schedules
- Confident, well-trained team members who feel supported and empowered
- Effective issue resolution and clear communication across departments
- Positive audit outcomes and robust GMP compliance
What you’ll bring: We’re looking for someone enthusiastic, committed and ready to lead by example. You’ll thrive in a regulated environment and enjoy using your expertise to guide others. You’ll bring:
- Essential:
- Experience leading analytical or testing teams in GMP, pharmaceutical, food, automotive, aeronautical or similar regulated environments
- Strong hands-on experience with raw material testing (wet chemistry, chromatography, spectroscopy)
- A degree in a relevant scientific discipline
- Great problem-solving skills, strong communication and the ability to manage workload effectively
- Experience with continuous improvement
- Confidence influencing others and driving positive change
Why you’ll love it here: We provide veterinary professionals with the tools to support the welfare of animals worldwide. A true career with real purpose, that’s something you can proudly shout about. We work across a 9-day fortnight at our Skipton site. This means every second Friday will be your day off, allowing for those longer weekends so you can spend more time with family and friends, offering a great work-life balance. We also care deeply about our employees, you’ll have full access to our Employee Assistance programme (EAP) which ensures you have confidential emotional, physical and financial wellbeing support 24/7 365. This ensures that you are well-equipped to deal with life’s many challenges. In addition to this, we also offer:
- Healthcare Cash plan (covers the cost of dental, prescriptions, therapies)
- Headspace App (positive mental wellbeing app, up to 5 users per account)
- Discounted Gym Membership
- Cycle to work scheme
- Discount on pet food
- Free fruit on Mondays
- Free on-site parking (including free electric charging)
- 22.5 days annual leave + Bank Holidays
- Option to buy a week’s holiday each year
- 8% Employer pension contribution
What’s next? We’ll take care of you from here on. Firstly, thank you for taking the time to express interest in this opportunity and Dechra. If you’re interested, please apply in the first instance. We take pride in ensuring you have a positive experience with Dechra and the recruitment process. Our team are friendly and approachable. We won’t ghost you..we’ll always provide updates and feedback regardless of the outcome, even if the update is, ‘there’s no update’.
What’s the interview process? Typically, you’ll receive an initial phone call from the recruitment team to understand more about you and your current work situation. Most of our roles have a two-stage interview process (MS Teams and a face-to-face interview). We may ask you to complete a personality questionnaire ahead of time so that we can learn a little more about you before the interview. Our interview style is conversational and friendly. In addition to this, we always look for competency-based, structured answers to our questions, so feel free to prepare ahead of the interview.
QC Team Leader in Skipton employer: Dechra Pharmaceuticals Limited
Contact Detail:
Dechra Pharmaceuticals Limited Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land QC Team Leader in Skipton
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company inside out! Research Dechra's values and recent developments. This will help you connect your experience with what they’re looking for, making you stand out in interviews.
✨Tip Number 2
Practice your leadership stories! Think of specific examples where you've led a team or solved problems in a regulated environment. This will show them you’re ready to take charge as a QC Team Leader.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t forget to prepare questions for your interviewers! Asking about their safety culture or continuous improvement initiatives shows you're genuinely interested and engaged.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining the Dechra family right from the start.
We think you need these skills to ace QC Team Leader in Skipton
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that match the QC Team Leader role. Highlight your leadership experience and any relevant technical skills, especially in GMP environments.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Use your cover letter to tell us why you're passionate about quality and leading teams. Share specific examples of how you've driven improvements or resolved issues in previous roles.
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills: In your application, give us a taste of your problem-solving abilities. Mention situations where you’ve successfully tackled challenges, particularly in regulated environments.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any updates from us!
How to prepare for a job interview at Dechra Pharmaceuticals Limited
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of raw material testing and GMP standards. Be ready to discuss your hands-on experience with techniques like wet chemistry, chromatography, and spectroscopy. This will show that you’re not just a leader but also someone who understands the nitty-gritty of the role.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully led teams in regulated environments. Think about times when you’ve motivated your team or resolved conflicts. Dechra values strong leadership, so demonstrating your ability to guide and support others will set you apart.
✨Communicate Clearly
Since effective communication is key for this role, practice articulating your thoughts clearly. Be ready to explain how you would chair meetings and escalate issues. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers, especially for competency-based questions.
✨Emphasise Continuous Improvement
Dechra is all about driving positive change, so come prepared with ideas on how you can contribute to continuous improvement in the QC process. Share specific examples from your past experiences where you’ve implemented changes that led to better outcomes.