Pfizer opens the position of Team Leader Lab Operations for the purpose of Job Shadowing, offering PhD candidates (≥ 3rd year of the PhD trajectory) / postdocs affiliated with 1 of the 5 Flemish universities the possibility to see for themselves what tasks and responsibilities come with this particular job function. 

The Team Leader Lab Operations (Process Labs) is responsible for a team of Project and/or Quality Engineers within the QC Department. The team holds expertise in chemical and physical analyses and is responsible for providing technical support (including responses to regulatory queries, laboratory methods/equipment) as well as managing quality deviations.

In the production departments in Puurs, raw materials are transformed into filled medicinal products. The product passes through multiple production steps (material preparation, weighing, formulation, filling into containers, freeze-drying, capping, inspection, storage, and transport). Later in the production process, the medication is labeled and packaged, and then distributed through the supply chain to reach the patient.

This Team Leader role is situated within the Chemical Laboratory, the department responsible for the quality control of components, raw materials, active ingredients, intermediates, and (semi-)finished products from the Pfizer production process. A wide range of bioanalytical techniques is used here, including HPLC, UPLC, GC, SDS, CE, IEF, Karl Fischer, AAS, Slot Blot, and ICP-OES.

The Team Leader leads the operational activities of the team. This includes: 1. guiding the team to optimally support lab operations; 2. anticipating workload to ensure tasks are completed within the required timeframe, while prioritizing urgent matters and removing bottlenecks; 3. providing input for the team’s personnel budget; 4. acting as a bridge between your team and other departments, both within and outside Pfizer Puurs.

The Team Leader is a people coach who leads by example, supports the team on the floor, and guides team members toward successful results. He/she oversees all people-related activities, including: Interviewing, selecting and onboarding new team members; defining training needs and monitoring the effectiveness of training and development programs; motivating and regularly evaluating team members’ performance, and taking action when necessary; and fostering a positive and respectful work culture while coaching your team to follow rules, procedures, and agreements.

> Open to PhD candidates / postdocs with a background in Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or Bioscience Engineering. Preference is given to candidates with a firm knowledge of Dutch. 

Pfizer offers a 1-day Job Shadowing experience. The date for Job Shadowing will de decided upon in close consultation with the selected candidate.