Head of Manufacturing

Job details

Posted Wednesday 22 April 2026
Salary £90,000 - £100,000 + Car + Bonus + Equity
Location England
Job type Permanent
Reference 46
Recruiter Name Andrew Davis

Head of Manufacturing

North of England | Sterile Manufacturing | Aseptic Processing | Annex 1 | Pharmaceutical Operations

Allerton Bishop is retained to appoint a Head of Manufacturing for a highly regarded pharmaceutical organisation operating within a highly regulated sterile aseptic manufacturing environment.

This is a senior leadership appointment for an experienced pharmaceutical manufacturing professional to lead a critical GMP operation producing patient-essential products within cleanroom and controlled environments.

The successful candidate will take ownership of manufacturing performance, regulatory compliance, Annex 1 standards, people leadership, capacity planning, and continuous improvement across a strategically important operation.

The Opportunity

Reporting to senior leadership, responsibilities will include:

  • Full leadership of sterile manufacturing and aseptic production operations
  • Named Production Manager responsibility on MHRA manufacturing licence
  • Ensuring compliance with EU GMP Annex 1 for manufacture of sterile medicinal products
  • Oversight of contamination control strategy (CCS), cleanroom behaviours and environmental standards
  • Media fills, aseptic process simulation and ongoing sterility assurance
  • Production planning, scheduling, capacity and labour optimisation
  • Batch documentation review and right-first-time manufacturing performance
  • Validation, qualification and equipment readiness
  • Deviations, investigations, CAPA and change control ownership
  • Budget management, forecasting and cost efficiency programmes
  • Leadership of MHRA, customer and regulatory inspections
  • Development of high-performing manufacturing teams and succession plans

Candidate Profile

We are seeking an accomplished sterile manufacturing leader from one or more of the following sectors:

  • Injectable manufacturing
  • Aseptic fill finish
  • Sterile compounding
  • Ophthalmics
  • Biopharmaceutical manufacturing
  • Specials manufacturing
  • Hospital manufacturing units
  • CDMO sterile operations

You will likely bring:

  • Significant leadership experience within aseptic or sterile GMP manufacturing
  • Strong working knowledge of Annex 1 requirements and contamination control principles
  • Proven experience leading cleanroom teams in Grade A/B/C/D environments
  • Expertise in aseptic behaviours, gowning, EM trends, and sterility assurance
  • Experience hosting MHRA / FDA / client inspections
  • Strong understanding of validation, HVAC, utilities and manufacturing support systems
  • Budget ownership and operational improvement experience
  • Credible leadership style with strong coaching and accountability standards

Location

North of England
Relocation support will be considered.

Confidential Search

For a discreet discussion, please contact Andrew Davis at Allerton Bishop.


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