Senior Team Lead Visual Inspection and Packaging

AstraZeneca plc; Nijmegen; On-site; EUR 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 vacation days + option to buy 10 |

1 paid volunteering day

€230 annual sports allowance

8% holiday allowance

9% target bonus

Job summary

AstraZeneca plc in Nijmegen is seeking a Team Lead Visual Inspection & Packaging to guide a hands-on shift-focused team in a GMP biologics setting. The role splits between performing inspection/pack tasks and coaching colleagues, with close collaboration to the Manager SCO.

You will coordinate daily schedules, ensure compliance, support QA and engineering, and drive continuous improvements using Lean methods.

Qualifications

• Hands-on, operational role on the floor with Visual Inspection and Packaging tasks.
• Coaching and coordinating a shift team in a GMP environment.
• Strong English, Dutch is a plus, and ability to work within regulated documentation.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate daily floor operations and shift planning.
• Coach and train Visual Inspection Technicians and support qualification.
• Ensure compliance with SOPs, batch records and logbooks.

Skills

Hands-on

Coaching

Team leadership

GMP knowledge

Education

MBO level 4

Bachelor’s degree (advantage)

Job description

Precision on the floor. Leadership in the room.

Team Lead Visual Inspection & Packaging

Nijmegen, full time

Shifts: 7.00 - 15.30 or 13.30 - 18.00 (Mo – Fri)

Our Visual Inspection and Packaging team in Nijmegen inspects and packages biological medicines that reach patients worldwide. It is a highly regulated, GMP driven environment where precision, documentation and safety aren’t optional and where the people on the floor are the last line of quality assurance before a product goes out.

Due to growth and expansion, we are looking for a team lead who leads by working alongside the team. This is a hands‑on operational role split between performing Visual Inspection and Packaging work yourself and coaching, coordinating and supporting your team. You will be the “go to” person for the team’s day to day questions on inspection and pack matters. Over time we see this role as an opportunity to take on more responsibility within the department.

This Is not a people management position. Formal line manager responsibility falls under our Manager Supply Chain Operations, who you will work closely with.

What will you be doing?

On the floor:

• Perform hands-on Visual Inspection and Packaging tasks, including high-complexity work
• Operate equipment per SOPs and complete activities per Batch Records, with full cGMP adherence
• Model excellent cleanroom behavior, gowning, sanitation and compliance standards
• Act as Subject Matter Expert (SME) and administrator for key inspection and packaging equipment, including passwords and recipes
• Ensure cleaning, environmental checks, logbooks, worksheets and checklists are completed and reviewed on time
• Maintain the Lot Data file and carry out SAP tasks including POs and TRs

Leading & Coaching

• Organise the day-to-day operation during your shift and translate the production schedule into daily work allocation and shift planning
• Direct and coordinate the team on the floor, confirming staffing, skills and qualification coverage before assigning work
• Monitor progress against schedule and adjust resources or priorities as needed
• Run and own shift handovers and elevate unresolved constraints
• Be the first point of contact for safety, quality, equipment, material, staffing and schedule issues
• Take immediate containment action within your authority, and make clear stop / continue / elevate decisions where safety, quality or GMP compliance could be affected
• Record and communicate downtime, deviations, missed targets and recovery actions

Quality, improvement and support

• Coach and train colleagues, including onboarding newly hired Visual Inspection Technicians through training, skills verification and qualification
• Perform first-line review of batch records, pre-reviews and logbook checks on the floor, and support deviation investigations and root-cause analysis
• Lead and support problem solving, kaizens and practical departmental improvements; apply Lean practices including Gemba walks, Layered Audits, Tier and 5S, and lead Tier 1
• Drive procedural updates through DCR, AZDoc and Just Do It, and flag outdated procedures for revision
• Coordinate support from QA, Engineering, Facilities and Supply Chain
• Support operational, validation and new product introduction projects with ME and MS&T
• When qualified and formally delegated in writing, act as operational back-up to the Manager SCO

What do you bring?

You bring a naturally calm presence, you are decisive, you have a hands‑on mentality, and you are reliable. You are a genuine coach and motivator, and it gives you energy to develop the people around you instead of fixing their problems for them. You are a great planner, and you have excellent organisational skills, with a keen eye for where improvements are needed. You set high standards when it comes to quality and you are comfortable and experienced with working within strict procedures and documentation requirements. You are action driven and proactive.

In addition:

• (Technical) education at a minimum of MBO level 4 (a bachelor’s degree is an advantage)
• 3–5 years' experience in a similar role in the pharmaceutical or related industry, ncluding cGMP and technical skills
• Experience in a heavily regulated environment — we're happy to consider backgrounds from pharmaceutical, food, medical devices, or semiconductor industries
• Strong verbal and written skills in English, it is an advantage if you bring some understanding of Dutch.
• Ability to work within operational timeframes and deadlines

What we offer

At AstraZeneca we support continuous learning and provide room to grow, both professionally and personally. In addition, we offer: 27 vacation days + option to buy 10 additional days, 1 paid volunteering day, €230 annual sports allowance, 8% holiday allowance, 9% target bonus.

Please note

• A VOG (Certificate of Conduct) will be required as part of the hiring process for the successful candidate.
• A colour vision test will be required as part of the hiring process for the successful candidate (you can not be colour blind to carry out this role)
• The successful candidate will already be living and working in the Netherlands. We are unable to offer relocation support or sponsorship at this site.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca works to improve quality of life for patients with serious diseases. We develop medicines in oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases, respiratory and immune disorders, and vaccines.

Globally, 75,000 colleagues work across six continents. In Nijmegen, around 100 colleagues produce, test, and package biologics for early clinical development. Our site plays a crucial role in bringing new medicines into first-in-human and early-phase studies.

We follow science, put patients first, and strive to do the right thing. We value curiosity, collaboration, and continuous improvement - creating an environment where people can grow and thrive.

A great opportunity to help shape the future of our site and contribute to meaningful work.

We don’t work with a fixed closing date; we will commence our screening process immediately - the vacancy will close as soon as we’ve found the right candidate.

Date Posted

15-Oct-2026

Closing Date

03-Nov-2026

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.