Department Leader, Operational Support

AliveDx; Penicuik; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

AliveDx is seeking a Department Leader for ALBA Operational Support near Edinburgh to drive manufacturing excellence. You will oversee Production Services, Buffer & Reagent, Label Printing and Rotational Support teams, ensuring safe, compliant and timely outputs.

You will lead with a proactive mindset, mentor teams, and coordinate with suppliers to meet schedules and quality targets. The role emphasizes continuous improvement and strong collaboration across functions.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership of large teams in a highly regulated environment.
• Strong understanding of GMP, FDA and ISO13485 manufacturing processes.
• Experience with quality systems, root cause analysis and validation principles.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for Operational Support activities and participate in leadership meetings as required.
• Lead multiple teams, supporting team leaders with priorities and manufacturing schedules.
• Work with cross-functional teams, leaders and suppliers to ensure resources meet standards.
• Manage the function in support of the business strategy and drive continuous improvement.
• Ensure teams have skills to meet current and future requirements and develop training plans.
• Achieve budget targets and plan capital expenditure to meet business needs.

Skills

Leadership

GMP

Quality systems

Cross-functional

FDA ISO13485

Communication

Job description

At AliveDx, we empower diagnostic insights, transform patient care, and innovate for life. With over 30-years in in-vitro diagnostics, we put the health of patients first by creating innovative solutions designed for faster diagnostic results. Alba–– our blood bank reagents portfolio–– and MosaiQ®–– one of the first multiplexing and multimodality automated testing platforms––are designed to make labs more efficient and clinical decision‑making more effective. Our journey started as Alba Bioscience, and later, Quotient. Today, as AliveDx, we innovate for life.

DEPARTMENT LEADER, OPERATIONAL SUPPORT

AliveDx is recruiting for a Department Leader to lead our ALBA Operational Support function based near Edinburgh (EH26 0BF). The role is a full time, permanent position working 37.5 hours per week.

In this role, you will provide leadership across Production Services, Buffer & Reagent, Label Printing and Rotational Support teams, ensuring the right people, expertise and processes are in place to support Manufacturing in delivering high-quality diagnostic products to schedule.

• Production Services: Supports Manufacturing teams by maintaining clean and organised production environments, managing stock control and preparing and delivering equipment, raw materials and consumables required to complete manufacturing activities.
• Buffer & Reagent: Prepares, filtrates and fills Buffer and Reagent products to specification for Manufacturing teams within clean room environments.
• Label Printing: Provides the labels required for scheduled manufacturing activities, ensuring they are available when needed to support the timely filling, labelling and packing of products.
• Rotational Support: A team of experienced Senior Operators trained across multiple areas to provide flexible resource where needed in support of achieving schedules, covering planned and unplanned absence and supporting the training and development of colleagues across teams.

This is an opportunity for an experienced leader to shape a function within a fast‑paced, highly regulated and growing organisation. Working collaboratively across functions, you will foster a culture of continuous improvement, empower teams to improve processes and develop high‑performing teams. You will bring a proactive, forward‑thinking approach to driving overall operational excellence.

YOUR MISSION

Your main responsibilities will include:

• Provide leadership for Operational Support activities and participate in leadership meetings as required.
• Lead multiple teams, supporting team leaders with managing priorities and ensuring consistent delivery against manufacturing schedules, safety, quality and cost objectives.
• Work with cross‑functional teams, leaders and suppliers to ensure resources are in place to achieve the MRP at the required standards.
• Manage the function in support of the business strategy, empowering others to improve processes and encouraging a culture of continuous improvement.
• Ensure teams have the correct skills to meet current and future business requirements and implement training and development plans to address skill gaps and build high‑performing teams.
• Achieve budget targets, manage appropriate capital expenditure requirements and put plans in place to meet business needs.

YOUR COMPETENCIES

• Management experience, with proven ability to lead teams and deliver operational objectives.
• Experience within a highly regulated GMP environment with extensive knowledge of FDA and ISO13485 manufacturing processes preferred.
• Working experience of quality systems, root cause analysis techniques and validation principles.
• Experience working in a rapidly growing and changing business, including leading people through growth and new ways of working.
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to create vision, motivate and empower teams and drive success.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across functions, influence stakeholders and build strong relationships with suppliers and colleagues.
• Strong organisational and prioritisation skills, with ability to anticipate challenges and plan ahead.
• Ability to role model Company values and behaviours, fostering an open, positive, collaborative and innovative culture.

WHAT WE OFFER

• A highly dynamic and growing environment.
• An opportunity to live your passion for intrapreneurial mindset, where cultivating innovation and customer centricity are at the heart of everything we do.
• A flexible working environment where applicable and a range of core and flexible benefits ranging from private medical cover, life assurance, additional annual leave, cycle to work, technology, experience days and access to marketplace discounts.

AliveDx is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all qualified individuals regardless of nationality, sex, disability, region/belief, sexual orientation or age. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on competences, performance and business needs.