QC Team Lead

Msd Ireland; Carlow; Hybrid; EUR 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, seeks a QC Team Lead for its Carlow site. The role reports to the QC Manager and focuses on leading the Sample Management Team to ensure CGMP compliance and reliable product supply.

You will mentor staff, drive continuous improvement, manage data integrity (ALCOA+), and support quality systems, product release, and internal audits while maintaining a flexible hybrid work model.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in science preferred (5+ years relevant experience in lieu of degree will be considered)
• 3+ years of experience in the pharma industry
• Strong understanding of GMP, data integrity and ALCOA+ principles
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to lead a team is essential
• Strong troubleshooting experience
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills for seamless collaboration
• Ability to drive continuous improvement and manage lean projects

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor the Sample Management Team
• Lead projects, promote teamwork, resolve issues, coach and guide others
• Drive CGMP/GDP compliance in the performance of day-to-day business activities
• Ensure data integrity principles: ALCOA+ are adhered to for records and data
• Escalate any potential CGMP violations or quality concerns
• Provide expertise & quality support for new product introductions
• Report on and assist with monitoring the Quality Management Systems
• Develop cross-functional relationships to ensure compliant manufacturing and release activities
• Participate in audits and inspections with readiness across responsible areas
• Schedule tasks to align with team KPIs and support daily troubleshooting

Skills

Cross-Functional Teamwork

Data Integrity

Leadership

Pre Audit

Quality Management Systems

Sample Management

Task Allocation

Team Leadership

Technical Procedures

Troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor's Degree or higher in science discipline

Job description

Job Description

Our facility in Carlow site broke ground in 2008 and is a filling site for the launch and commercial supply of vaccines, biologics and small molecule drug product. Since its initial launch, the site has attracted significant internal investment and is now home to a number of state-of-the-art production facilities, laboratories and temperature-controlled warehousing units. The Carlow site is a significant employer in the Southeast region and attracts high performing talent through close collaborations with universities and colleges in the region.

We are seeking a QC Team Lead to join the team. Reporting to the QC Manager, the QC Team Lead will ensure that objectives are effectively achieved and consistent with company requirements to ensure compliance, safety & reliable customer supply for our Carlow site.

Bring energy, knowledge, innovation, and leadership to carry out the following:

• Lead and mentor the Sample Management Team.
• Lead projects, promote teamwork, resolve issues, coach and guide others.
• Drive CGMP/GDP compliance in the performance of day-to-day business activities.
• Ensure data integrity principles: Attributable, Legible, Contemporaneous, Original, and Accurate (Complete, Consistent, Enduring and Available) (ALCOA+) are adhered to for records and data in day-to-day business activities.
• Escalate any potential violation of CGMP and/or other concerns which may affect the safety, efficacy, quality, or purity of our products.
• Provide expertise & quality support for the introduction of new products onto site in relation to product release where required.
• Report on and assist with monitoring the Quality Management Systems. Generate reports for performance metrics and significant quality events & issues.
• Liaise with the Quality/ Business Area Specialists/QC/QP/QA Lead to resolve quality related queries where required.
• Use expanded conceptual knowledge to provide mentoring and guidance to the relevant support functions to ensure manufacturing and release activities, resolution of investigations and assessment of change controls are performed in compliance with applicable procedures, our Company’s Global Policies and Guidelines, regulatory requirements and current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP).
• Develop and maintain effective cross-functional relationships with other departments and support functions to ensure that the process for the manufacturing, testing and release of vaccine and biologic products are in compliance with cGMP and the associated regulatory requirements.
• Participate in internal and external audits and inspections, ensuring department compliance/readiness, taking the role of auditee for assigned areas of responsibility.
• Build knowledge and exposure to MPS principles to identify and support continuous improvement and knowledge management by active participation to ensure quality systems and work practices are effective, efficient and ensure compliance and overall operational efficiency for batch and material release at the site where required.
• Schedule daily and weekly tasks for the Sample Management team to ensure workload is visible and aligns with the team KPIs.
• Support the Sample Management team in daily troubleshooting.
• Take ownership of responsibilities and demonstrate initiative in identifying solutions and drive tasks through to completion.
• This is not an exhaustive list of duties*

In order to excel in this role, you will more than likely have:

• Bachelors Degree or higher in science discipline preferred (5+ years relevant experience in lieu of degree will be considered)
• 3+ years of experience in the pharma industry.
• Strong understanding of GMP, data integrity and ALCOA+ principles
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to lead a team is essential
• Strong troubleshooting experience
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills for seamless collaboration.
• Ability to drive continuous improvement and manage lean projects.

Please don't hesitate to contact the Talent Acquisition Advisor assigned to this role should you need any support during our recruitment process.

We are committed to flexible working where possible, and this is why our Company has introduced a new hybrid working model for office-based colleagues around the world.

Please feel free to speak to us about what flexibility means to you during your application.

So, If You Are Ready To

Invent solutions to meet unmet healthcare needs,

Required Skills

Cross-Functional Teamwork, Data Integrity, Leadership, Pre Audit, Quality Management Systems (QMS), Sample Management, Task Allocation, Team Leadership, Technical Procedures, Troubleshooting

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

Regular

Flexible Work Arrangements

Not Applicable

Job Posting End Date

10/19/2026

• 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: R418774