Head of Research And Development

Our client

A well-established organization operating within a highly regulated, process-driven environment. The business is currently strengthening its quality and compliance framework as part of a broader transformation agenda. It maintains high standards of safety, governance, and international best practices.

Your Role

You will lead the R&D and process development function within a complex manufacturing environment, driving innovation, process optimization, and scale-up initiatives while ensuring strong alignment with production, regulatory, and quality standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead research and process development initiatives focused on improving yield, efficiency, and cost optimization within a fermentation-driven manufacturing setup.
• Drive scale-up activities from pilot to commercial production, ensuring seamless technology transfer and process robustness.
• Oversee pilot plant operations, including experimental design, validation, and process optimization trials.
• Collaborate closely with production, quality, and regulatory teams to ensure product integrity and compliance with global standards.
• Identify and implement new technologies and methodologies to enhance process performance and sustainability.
• Troubleshoot process inefficiencies and deviations, driving continuous improvement across manufacturing operations.
• Build and lead a high-performing technical team across R&D, process engineering, and pilot operations.
• Ensure adherence to environmental, safety, and regulatory requirements within a highly controlled production environment.

Must Have

• Master’s or PhD in Biotechnology, Microbiology, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
• 12–15 years of experience within pharmaceutical or API manufacturing, with strong exposure to fermentation-based processes.
• Proven expertise in process development, scale-up, and technology transfer within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of regulatory frameworks such as GMP, FDA, EMA, or equivalent.
• Hands-on experience working closely with production and cross-functional teams in a plant setting.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing technical teams and driving performance.
• Exposure to environmental and sustainability aspects within industrial operations is preferred.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities with a structured, data-driven approach.

Next Steps

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted within 5–7 working days for a detailed discussion about the role. Due to high application volumes, we will only respond to shortlisted profiles.