Head of Analytical Operations & Excellence

UCB; Wallonië; Hybrid; EUR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

UCB is seeking a Head of Analytical Operations & Excellence to lead a global team within Patient Supply QC. You will steer stability operations, analytical processes, and compliance, driving transformation programs and data integrity across sites.

In this role, you will shape performance, simplify processes, and collaborate with QC sites, Analytical Lifecycle Expertise, Data & Digital teams, and external partners to deliver value for patients worldwide.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in analytical sciences or related field required.
• 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.

Responsibilities

• Lead analytical operations, ensuring excellence in Stability and Critical Materials across the network.
• Drive operational excellence and business performance with KPIs and continuous improvement strategies.
• Shape and execute the QC transformation roadmap and implement innovative operating models.
• Ensure inspection readiness and compliance excellence with robust quality systems.
• Own Data Integrity governance and risk management across analytical systems.
• Sponsor analytical process harmonization and standardization across sites and labs.
• Strengthen resilience and global capabilities with risk management and business continuity programs.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Decision-making

Change management

GMP compliance

Audits & inspections

Quality governance

Operational excellence

Cross-functional leadership

Education

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

Job description

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.

About Us

UCB is a global biopharmaceutical company, focusing on neurology and immunology. We are over 9.000 people in all four corners of the globe, inspired by patients and driven by science.

Why work with us?

At UCB, we don’t just complete tasks, we create value. We aren’t afraid to push forward, collaborate, and innovate to make our mark for patients. We have a caring, supportive culture where everyone feels included, respected, and has equal opportunities to do their best work. We ‘go beyond’ to create value for our patients, and always with a human focus, whether that’s on our patients, our employees, or our planet. Working for us, you will discover a place where you can grow, and have the freedom to carve your own career path to achieve your full potential.

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 or precluded by the nature of the position, roles are hybrid with 40% of your time spent in the office.

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 [e-mail]. Please note should your enquiry not relate to adjustments; we will not be able to support you through this channel.