Cell Journey Operations Specialist in Colchester, Essex

12-month contract

Remote, UK £37/hr - Inside IR35

Schedule: 6am-3pm (32 hours/week) Sunday-Wednesday OR Wednesday-Saturday

About our Client: Our client is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation, programmed T cell therapies for the treatment of cancer. Using a broad suite of proprietary and modular T cell programming technologies, the company is engineering precisely targeted, controlled and highly active T cell therapies that are designed to better recognize cancer cells, break down their defense mechanisms and eliminate these cells.

Role Summary: The Cell Journey Operations Specialist will execute the transportation and logistics throughout the cell journey for both clinical and commercial treatments. Responsibilities include managing third-party couriers and engagement with the manufacturing site(s). Success in this role will require considerable initiative, proactive planning, real-time logistics problem-solving, and a focus on exceptional customer service to ensure smooth operations and agility in maintaining dynamic cell journeys. Meeting these responsibilities will require close collaboration between authorized treatment centers and internal functions, including Manufacturing Scheduling and Supply Chain Logistics, to ensure that each patient visit and their CAR T-cells are coordinated seamlessly and effectively through their cell journey. The specialist will collaborate with department members and key stakeholders across regions to meet department priorities. Patient Scheduling and Logistics (PSL) is part of Patient Cell and Logistics Management (PCLM). The Cell Journey Operations team within PSL will operate 7 Days/Week through a varied shift structure. PSL provides 24/7/365 support through standard shift structures and on-call coverage.

Key Responsibilities:

• Execute the Patient Scheduling and Logistics strategy to achieve the client's clinical and commercial goals.
• Directly manage and indirectly oversee the transportation and logistics required for cell journeys in both clinical trials and commercial settings.
• Serve as point of contact for third-party logistics couriers, and routinely seek ways to improve courier performance.
• Act as a Subject Matter Expert in departmental projects or cross-functional efforts, which may include Commercial and Clinical teams, Treatment Centers, Manufacturing, Quality, or other partner organizations.
• Identify and resolve issues or barriers impacting scheduling, logistics, and coordination execution.
• Act as a functional expert for the cell orchestration platform (Ocellos), providing real-time support for internal and external users.
• Deliver exceptional customer service in every interaction, whether via phone or written communication.
• Highlight industry practice or legislative changes and reviewing company procedures to maintain operational quality and delivery.
• Ensure compliance with GxP processes and requirements, maintain patient confidentiality, and adhere to Data Protection requirements.
• Participate in and/or lead the development, review, and implementation of departmental SOPs and processes, as well as documentation for formal discrepancies and deviations.
• Lead and attend internal and external team meetings, as scheduled and necessary.

Demonstrated skills and competencies

E – Essential P – Preferred

Experience:

• Experience in clinical/commercial/healthcare logistics, supply chain, or customer service (E).
• Experience in collaborating with stakeholders to achieve results (E).
• Experience working in Patient Scheduling and Logistics or CAR-T (P).
• Experience working with Ocellos, Salesforce CRM, Oracle/SAP/D365 ERP, or other planning/scheduling tools (E).

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in healthcare operations, Manufacturing, Quality Assurance and/or supply chain (E).
• Bachelor's degree in natural sciences, supply chain management, operations management, business, or other related fields, or equivalent experience (P).
• Experience in healthcare operations or supply chain (P).
• APICS, PMP, or other relevant certifications (P).

Skills/Specialist knowledge:

• Strong organization, planning, and leadership skills with the ability to coach, motivate, and prioritize (E).
• Ability to manage tough conversations and de-escalate situations (P).
• Clear and concise verbal and written communication (E).
• Ability to draw superior performance from third-party logistics providers through effective and sustainable vendor management strategies (E).
• Highly proficient in written and spoken English (E).
• Adept analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills (E).