Job Description

We are a global healthcare leader with a diverse portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and animal health products.

Our success depends on the integrity, knowledge, imagination, skill, diversity and teamwork of individuals like you. We strive to foster an environment of mutual respect, continuous learning and collaboration. As part of our global team, you will have the opportunity to work alongside talented, dedicated colleagues while advancing and expanding your own career.

The newly formed Integrated Production Team (IPT3) stream at our Milton Keynes site incorporates Blending & Filling operations in IPT3. To support future growth, we are seeking an IPT3 Lead Technician to join our successful team.

This is an excellent opportunity to grow your leadership career, drive continuous improvement and help deliver high quality products that support global health.

As the IPT3 Lead Technician, you will be a key member of the IPT3 stream management team, responsible for leading daily operations within your assigned area. You will oversee production teams, ensure compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and safety standards, support operational excellence, set up development plan for operators and actively contribute to process improvement initiatives. Your leadership will help ensure delivery against our company's goals and ongoing readiness to meet customer demand.

Responsibilities:

Health & Safety

• Act as the Health & Safety representative for the team.
• Ensure zero overdue AssessNET and Enablon tasks.
• Manage and maintain the H&S duty rota.
• Review all accidents and incidents, implementing corrective actions where required.

Quality

• Maintain zero overdue quality actions (including deviations and CAPAs and Change Controls).
• Ensure successful completion of internal and external audits.
• Monitor quality actions at Tier 1 level.
• Promote a strong "Right First Time" culture.

People Leadership

• Lead Tiered Accountability processes and effectively manage upward communication.
• Maintain and update a visible skills matrix.
• Drive succession planning and cross‑training across the IPT3 stream.
• Conduct 1:1 meetings and manage performance.
• Complete a minimum of four 1:1s per year for operators and monthly meetings with senior members of the team.
• Set and manage work objectives in Workday.
• Plan resource allocation for daily, weekly and monthly operational needs.

Performance & Operational Delivery

• Achieve and maintain 100% schedule adherence.
• Support development of company projects to improve reliability and audit readiness.
• Drive process flow improvements across the area.
• Track metrics and identify month‑on‑month improvement opportunities.
• Champion continuous improvement ideas across the IPT3 stream.

General Responsibilities

• Lead or delegate attendance at key meetings, including:
  • Tier 1 (Chair)
  • Tier 2
  • EHS
  • Labour
  • Planning
• Maintain compliance with MyLearning requirements (no overdue training for self or team).
• Support audits and regulatory inspections.
• Promote the Company Production System and Inclusion principles in daily work.

Your Profile:

Required

• Minimum 3 years' experience in a GMP production environment, preferably within sterile or cleanroom manufacturing.
• Experience in upstream and downstream processing, aseptic techniques and sterile product handling.
• Demonstrated team leadership experience with accountability for performance, resource planning and workload management.
• Broad understanding of product transfers, stages of equipment and process validation and Technology Transfer.
• Ability to work effectively with cross‑functional teams including Quality Assurance (QA), Quality Control (QC), Validation and Engineering.
• Experience developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), training teams and reviewing new documentation to ensure compliance.
• Ability to lead or support investigations, including deviations, Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPAs) and change controls.
• Competence in conducting risk assessments, COSHH reviews and safety evaluations.
• Experience supervising and verifying cleaning operations.
• Strong understanding of world‑class supply principles and integrated business planning.

Preferred

• Degree (or equivalent) within a scientific or technical field.
• Proven change agent with a track record of leading continuous improvement initiatives.
• Experience implementing Lean or Operational Excellence methodologies.

Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.

Requisition ID:R388233