Welcome to Next Phase Recruitment! Please see below our current jobs that match your search criteria. For a broader job search please visit the home page or call us on 01403 216216 to discuss career options in other areas of Life Science and Technology.

Welcome to Next Phase Recruitment! Please use the above link to see our current jobs that match your search criteria. For a broader job search please visit the home page or call us on 01403 216216 to discuss career options in other areas of Life Science and Technology.

Qualified Person

A Qualified Person (QP) operates within the quality assurance function of a pharmaceutical company and has a crucially important role because he or she takes legal responsibility for certifying that batches of medicines are safe prior to release. This “batch release” refers to the release of medicines to be used in either clinical trials or for sale in the commercial market.

Qualified Persons must be nominated by certain regulatory bodies, one of which is the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, to certify that they are eligible for the role. In the UK and most of Europe, nominations for QP status are subsequently approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which has the final say as to who can​​ be named a Qualified Person within pharmaceutical manufacture. In order to be nominated as a QP, applicants must have an in depth understanding of the pharmaceutical industry, combined with extensive training that covers a number of different modules.

In a recent blog (bit.ly/2syLrq) Next Phase Recruitment Specialist Julie Nicholls explains that new EU Regulations coming into force soon will mean that medical device companies will now also need to appoint a Qualified Person. This will have significant implications for the UK market, where QPs are already in short supply. An experienced Qualified Person will often prefer to work on a consultancy basis, for the variety of work, significant daily pay rates, and ability to work with a number of different clients at the same time.

Skills and Experience required to become a QP

Typically a QP will need the following skills and experience:-

-     Degree level education in a scientific discipline such as pharmacy, chemistry, biomedical science

-     Nomination as a QP by a relevant regulatory body plus MHRA approval

-     Detailed understanding of pharmaceutical law, quality management systems and the professional duties of a QP

-     Substantial experience within the pharmaceutical industry

-     Statistical and mathematical skills

-     In-depth understanding of the manufacture and supply chain

-     Leadership skills

Salary Level

Pay rates for QPs vary enormously depending on where they are based and their main areas of specialisation (e.g. IMP / commercial). A recently-registered Qualified Person may command a salary of £55k - £70k initially, but this can increase quickly to £75k - £95k once the QP has some post-qualification experience. Similarly, QP contract rates can vary a great deal. QP pay rates can be anything from £650 / day to £1,100 / day depending on the length and complexity of the contract, and this may also vary depending on what additional skills the QP can provide (such as a background in Pharmacy, for example).

Sandwich

Sandwich is a town in the east of Kent in the South East region of England.  Other towns and cities close to Sandwich include Canterbury, Ashford, Dover, Ramsgate and the revitalised resort town of Margate.  The name of the town is probably of Saxon derivation meaning a “sandy place” rather than the well-known lunchtime food item.  It is thought that the term “sandwich” came about when the 4th Earl of Sandwich asked for his lunchtime meat to be served between slices of bread so that he did not have to interrupt his gambling for lunch!  Sandwich was one of the Cinque Ports which was a confederation maritime towns and villages in Kent and East Sussex dating back 1000 years that supplied fleet, military and transport services to the Monarchy prior to the creation of the Royal Navy.   Although it was a major port in bygone days, Sandwich is now two miles from the sea and the reclaimed land is home to nature reserves and golf courses including Royal St George’s.

Pfizer, the multinational pharmaceuticals company, is a major employer in Sandwich and many well-known drugs including Viagra were developed in their laboratories in Sandwich.  In addition to Pfizer, Discovery Park in Sandwich, the leading science park in Kent, is home to numerous Life Science, Biotech, Technology and R & D companies which employ a total of 3000 staff.