At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic lab team while providing hands-on support and ensuring operational excellence.
- Company: Join GSK, a leading pharmaceutical company committed to innovation and quality.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, career development opportunities, and a vibrant work environment.
- Other info: Be part of a culture that values accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a fast-paced lab setting with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: Degree in science, experience with HPLC/GC, and strong leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 42000 £ per year.
Contract: Permanent
Type of Employment: Full Time
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Salary: £40,000 - 42,000 per annum
Location: GSK, Shewalton Road, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland, KA11 5AP
Are you an experienced laboratory professional with a passion for leadership, analytical instrumentation, and operational excellence? Do you thrive in a fast-paced pharmaceutical environment where no two days are the same? We're looking for a hands-on Laboratory Support Manager to lead a team delivering critical laboratory support services while maintaining strong technical involvement with analytical instrumentation, including HPLC, GC and associated laboratory systems.
This is not a desk-based management role. We're looking for a leader who enjoys being visible in the laboratory, supporting their team, troubleshooting technical issues, engaging with customers, and ensuring laboratories remain safe, compliant, and operationally excellent. Due to the nature of the environment anyone with a Penicillin allergy will not be considered for the role.
About the Role
As Laboratory Support Manager, you will lead a multidisciplinary team providing laboratory instrument support and technical laboratory services within a highly regulated pharmaceutical environment. You'll be responsible for ensuring laboratory operations run smoothly while maintaining the highest standards of quality, compliance, safety and customer service. You'll combine strategic leadership with practical technical expertise, helping to drive continuous improvement whilst remaining capable of providing direct laboratory support whenever required. Working closely with scientists, quality teams, engineering teams and client stakeholders, you'll play a key role in enabling successful laboratory operations and supporting critical product release activities.
What You'll Be Doing
- Leadership & Team Development
- Lead, coach and develop a high-performing laboratory support team
- Create a culture of accountability, engagement and continuous improvement
- Develop team competencies, training programmes and succession plans
- Ensure appropriate resource planning and service resilience
- Drive employee engagement and team performance
- Hands-On Laboratory Support
- Provide practical laboratory support during periods of absence, peak workload or operational demand
- Carry out analytical laboratory activities when required
- Support troubleshooting and problem solving across laboratory operations
- Act as a technical subject matter expert for laboratory support services
- Promote best practice and compliance across the team
- Instrumentation & Technical Expertise
- Maintain and support analytical instrumentation including: HPLC, GC, Laboratory support systems
- Troubleshoot instrument issues and coordinate maintenance activities
- Support preventative maintenance and qualification programmes
- Work with internal customers and specialist service providers to ensure maximum equipment uptime
- Operational Excellence
- Deliver laboratory support services in line with KPIs and service commitments
- Ensure effective workload prioritisation to support laboratory throughput
- Manage laboratory housekeeping, asset management and operational standards
- Drive efficiency improvements and service enhancements
- Compliance & Quality
- Ensure compliance with GMP, GxP and ALCOA+ data integrity requirements
- Maintain audit readiness at all times
- Support investigations, CAPAs and quality improvement activities
- Conduct management monitoring and support regulatory inspections
What We're Looking For
- Essential
- Degree in a scientific discipline or equivalent experience
- Significant practical experience working with HPLC and GC instrumentation
- Strong troubleshooting and analytical problem-solving skills
- Experience working within GMP/GxP regulated laboratories
- Previous people management and team leadership experience
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
- Experience managing operational performance, KPIs and service delivery
- Ability to balance strategic leadership with hands-on laboratory support
- Desirable
- Experience with Empower CDS
- Knowledge of laboratory equipment maintenance and qualification
- Lean, Six Sigma or continuous improvement experience
- Experience with eQMS, SAP, CAFM or digital laboratory systems
- Client-facing operational management experience
Who Will Succeed in This Role?
You'll be a natural leader who enjoys coaching and developing people, but you're equally comfortable rolling up your sleeves and supporting technical laboratory activities when required. You'll have the credibility that comes from real laboratory experience, particularly with HPLC and GC systems, and the leadership skills to inspire a team to deliver exceptional service.
Lab Support Manager in Irvine employer: Mitie Group plc.
Mitie Group plc. is an excellent employer that values its team members by providing a supportive work environment in Tutnalls, where collaboration and reliability are key. With flexible part-time hours, employees can enjoy a healthy work-life balance while benefiting from opportunities for personal growth and development within the company. Join us to be part of a dedicated team that prioritises safety, cleanliness, and exceptional service.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lab Support Manager in Irvine
✨Unlock Networking Opportunities
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Get involved with organisations such as the Royal Pharmaceutical Society or your local pharmaceutical professionals' network. Being an active member can boost your credibility and may even lead to job referrals in top organisations like Mitie Group plc..
✨Leverage Internships for Full-time Roles
If you can, consider pursuing internships in the pharmaceutical industry, especially with companies like Mitie Group plc.. These opportunities often pave the way for full-time positions and allow you to demonstrate your capabilities firsthand.
✨Tailor Your Approach
When you're applying for roles, don't rush it! Take the time to customise your applications for specific positions, showcasing relevant skills and experiences that align with what Mitie Group plc. is looking for. A tailored application can really make you stand out!
We think you need these skills to ace Lab Support Manager in Irvine
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Relevant Experience:When applying for a role in the pharmaceutical industry, it's crucial to highlight any relevant experience you have. Whether that's internships, lab work, or even related coursework, make sure to weave this into your CV and cover letter. We want to see how your background aligns with the role you're applying for at Mitie Group plc.!
Emphasise Your Understanding of Regulations:The pharmaceutical industry is heavily regulated, so it's important to indicate your familiarity with industry standards and regulations. In your cover letter, mention any training or certifications you've received that are relevant, or discuss projects where you’ve navigated compliance. This will show Mitie Group plc. that you're not just a fit for the job but also a safety-conscious candidate!
Tailor Your CV to Be Result-Driven:Craft your CV to highlight quantifiable achievements, especially if you have previous roles in pharmaceuticals or related fields. Use metrics to demonstrate your impact, such as improved processing times or successful project completions while working on trials. This analytical approach will resonate well with hiring managers at Mitie Group plc.!
Convey Your Passion for the Industry:In your cover letter, express why you are passionate about working in the pharmaceutical sector. Whether it’s your desire to contribute to groundbreaking drug research or improve patient outcomes, let it shine through! At Mitie Group plc., we value candidates who are truly enthusiastic about their work—you might just stand out from the crowd.
How to prepare for a job interview at Mitie Group plc.
✨Understand the Science
Make sure you brush up on key pharmaceutical concepts and recent developments in the industry. You might get asked some technical questions during the interview at Mitie Group plc. that show your grasp of drug development processes or regulatory requirements, so be ready to discuss them clearly.
✨Showcase Relevant Experience
If you have any hands-on experience or internships in a laboratory setting, be sure to highlight these in your responses. Think about the projects you worked on, the methodologies you used, and the impact you made. It's all about telling a story that connects your background to the role you're applying for.
✨Know Their Products
Take some time to familiarise yourself with Mitie Group plc.’s product range and recent breakthroughs. Understanding their portfolio not only shows your enthusiasm for the role but also allows you to ask insightful questions that demonstrate your interest in actively contributing to their projects.
✨Be Ready for Regulatory Scenarios
In a full-time pharmaceutical role, understanding the regulatory landscape is crucial. Prepare for situational questions that may test your problem-solving skills concerning compliance and safety standards. You could be asked how you'd handle a hypothetical issue regarding a drug’s market release, so think through your approach.
