The Role: Head of R&D / Process development (small molecule API development) The purpose of the position is to manage the department for the following performance mandate: Responsible management of the department (several process chemists and technicians) Development / scale-up of safe and economic processes and their realisation on a pilot / production scale Flexible and efficient solution of customer problems Production of qualification samples for new customer projects Project management and customer communication Integration of new and continuous improvement development for existing processes Establishment and maintenance of the required cGMP standard Reduction of upscaling risks for new projects through continuous improvement of process development in the R&D laboratory Main tasks: Process development Implementation / organisation / delegation of Process development Initiation of process optimisation Responsibility for the synthesis strategy Responsibility for ensuring that the jointly agreed deadlines and costs are met In the event of deviations from the agreed targets (quality, deadlines, costs, effort), he/she is responsible for informing decision-makers in due time Responsibility for ensuring proper technical communication with the client Organisation & Communication Coordination of tasks with the internal departments involved in the project work Coordination of tasks with customers Coordination of tasks with external productions, pilots and service contracts Use of KPIs to define measures and monitor their implementation/performance Documentation and planning Capacity planning of the department Effort and time planning of projects Collection of appropriate operational KPIs Project reporting (protocols, reports, recording) Occupational safety & maintenance (housekeeping) Responsibility for ensuring that work in the department is carried out safely and responsibly in compliance with instructions Responsibility for ensuring that process instructions are followed in process developments Responsibility for ensuring that the infrastructure, equipment and resources within its scope are in good working order Regular safety inspections and/or delegation of this task GMP / ISO compliance Responsibility that the process instructions, guidelines and SOP's are correctly implemented and used in the department Responsibility that the employees are appropriately trained and instructed for tasks Participate and support customer and health authority inspection Ensure CAPA plans are drawn up and implemented as required Leadership of employees Leadership tasks (target setting, training, staff meetings) Personnel Development of staff Ensuring that staff have the necessary skills for the task at hand Optimal use of resources (material, labor capacity, services) Essential Skills / Qualifications: Degree in chemistry (Dipl.-Chem.Read all the information about this opportunity carefully, then use the application button below to send your CV and application.or Master), preferably PhD At least 5 years of professional experience in a management position in research and development, preferably Custom manufacturing (for Pharma) Excellent knowledge of small molecule API R&D Bias for Action and Achieving Results Strong problem solving and analytical skills Excellent planning and organisational skills Confident, clear and effective communicator Project management/ cost control Change Leadership Desirable Skills / Qualifications: Continuous Improvement training Project management About Fircroft: Fircroft has been placing people in specialist technical industries for over 50 years, focusing on mid to senior level engineers for contract and permanent roles worldwide.By applying for this job you give consent for Fircroft to contact you, via email & telephone, to discuss your application along with future positions and Fircroft's services.Fircroft is registered as a Data Controller with the Information Commissioner as required under the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679.Fircroft will only process your personal data for the specific purposes of managing your application.