Head of Analytical Operations & Excellence

Make your mark for patients 

We are looking for a Head of Analytical Operations & Excellence who is strategic, collaborative, and results-driven to join our Patient Supply Quality Control (QC) Leadership Team, based at our UCB campus located in Braine-l’Alleud, Belgium.

About the role

As Head of Analytical Operations & Excellence, you will lead a global organization responsible for stability and critical material operations, Analytical processes, compliance, operational excellence, risk management, and business transformation programs, across the Patient Supply QC network. You will shape the future by driving sustainable performance, simplifying complexity, strengthening compliance and data integrity, and ensuring the successful delivery of strategic initiatives. Through your leadership, you will help ensure reliable analytical support and continued value delivery for patients worldwide.

Who you will work with

As a member of the Patient Supply QC Leadership Team, you will lead a team of approximately 28 professionals and partner closely with QC sites in Braine and Bulle, Analytical Lifecycle Expertise & Integration, QC Digital & Data, Quality Assurance, Analytical Development, Operational Excellence, Technical Leads, external laboratories, and CMOs. Across functions and geographies, you will drive alignment, innovation, and continuous improvement throughout the UCB analytical network.

What you will do

Lead and develop analytical operations, ensuring excellence in Stability, Critical Materials across the analytical network.

Drive operational excellence and business performance, establishing performance frameworks, KPIs, continuous improvement strategies and cross-site optimization initiatives.

Shape and execute the QC transformation roadmap, leading strategic programs, organizational change and the implementation of innovative operating models.

Ensure inspection readiness and compliance excellence, maintaining robust quality systems, audit preparedness and harmonized QC processes across the organization.

Own Data Integrity governance, ensuring compliance, risk management and integration of Data Integrity principles into analytical systems and business processes.

Sponsor analytical process harmonization and standardization, driving consistency, simplification and efficiency across sites, partners and laboratories.

Strengthen organizational resilience and global capabilities, leading risk management, business continuity programs while fostering best-practice sharing worldwide.

Interested? For this role, we are looking for the following education, experience, and skills:

Master’s degree in Analytical Sciences, Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biotechnology, or equivalent.

Significant experience in Quality Control, Analytical Operations, or pharmaceutical quality organizations.

Proven success leading multidisciplinary teams in complex global environments.

Strong expertise in GMP compliance, audits, inspections, and quality governance.

Demonstrated experience in operational excellence, transformation, and performance management.

Strong leadership, stakeholder management, decision-making, and change management capabilities.

Fluent in both English and French (written and spoken).

Internal applicants should be in their current job for at least 12 months, must meet performance standards and are not on formal corrective/disciplinary process (PIP), warning, final warning, or compliance warning letters within the last 12 months. Please inform your Manager or your Talent Partner before applying to any internal job opportunities.

At UCB, we’ve embraced a hybrid-first approach to work, bringing teams together in local hubs to foster collaborative curiosity. Unless expressly stated in the description, this role is hybrid with 40% of your time spent in the office, irrespective of your current contractual agreement. Should your current working arrangements differ, please contact your Talent Partner to discuss, before submitting your application.

UCB is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions will be made without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable laws.

Should you require any adjustments to our process to assist you in demonstrating your strengths and capabilities contact us on [email protected] . Please note should your enquiry not relate to adjustments; we will not be able to support you through this channel.

 

Requisition ID: 93770

Recruiter: Aude Remue

Hiring Manager: Anne-Catherine Schlaeppi

Talent Partner: Lucy Ardelaen

Job Level: SM II

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