MHRA Laboratory Manager

About the MHRA Laboratories at LGC

Under contract to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), LGC hosts and operates the UK's combined Official Medicines Control Laboratory (OMCL) and the British Pharmacopoeia (BP) Commission Laboratory. Our laboratories play a vital role in protecting public health by ensuring medicines and healthcare products are safe for use.

The facilities operate under a Government Owned, Contractor Operated (GOCO) model at our Guildford site.

Job Purpose

Collaborating closely with the MHRA Team Leader, the Laboratory Manager offers clear operational leadership for the MHRA Laboratories. They ensure the laboratory environment, equipment, systems, personnel, and procedures are safe, compliant, and resilient. This role supports efficient, high-quality scientific work. It is key to keeping the operations ready for inspection and enhancing laboratory skills. The manager promotes ongoing improvements and makes sure that infrastructure, resources, and processes support effective delivery to customers, partners, and regulatory requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead operational activities for MHRA laboratories, managing infrastructure, equipment, software, systems, and working methods. Ensure the lab stays safe, compliant, ready for inspections, and supports scientific work.
• Monitor laboratory operational performance, anticipating risks and constraints that may affect efficiency, compliance, safety, or continuity of laboratory operations.
• Coordinate laboratory rotas for assigned responsibilities and maintain operational standards to ensure the laboratory remains organized, resilient, inspection-ready, and able to respond effectively to changing priorities.
• Provide operational cover and support for infrastructure, equipment, safety, facilities, and continuity matters, including assisting with business continuity arrangements when needed, especially in cases of blocking issues.
• Build effective working relationships with a range of internal collaborators including Site Operations, Procurement, IT, and external engineers to resolve complex operational issues and strengthen service continuity.
• Foster a high-performing laboratory culture by establishing clear standards, maintaining effective communication, ensuring strong housekeeping, demonstrating visible accountability, and consistently following agreed methods of working.
• Provide line management, coaching, and mentoring for a small team, including Principal Analytical Scientists, supporting capability development, performance, wellbeing, accountability, and alignment with LGC values.
• Lead the operational readiness of laboratory equipment and systems, including oversight of maintenance, performance checks, service visits, internal checks, calibration, and asset lifecycle controls.
• Maintain strategic oversight of the Laboratory Asset Register, ensuring equipment status, location, ownership, service history and calibration records provide accurate information.
• Coordinate capital expenditure planning and the development of a case for purchasing new laboratory instruments. Ensure investment decisions are based on evidence, meet scientific capability needs, and follow proper procurement and governance processes.
• Lead the introduction of new equipment, software, laboratory processes, and working practices, ensuring change is brought about in a controlled, compliant, and balanced way.
• Champion a strong safety culture by collaborating with the Area Safety Manager. Ensure laboratory safety arrangements, risk assessments, CoSHH assessments, waste controls, and hazardous material practices are robust, current, and consistently applied.
• Assist in the development and upkeep of the team quality management system and health and safety standards, making certain laboratory operations adhere to relevant LGC, MHRA, ISO 17025, ISO 9001, and safety regulations.
• Provide leadership in operational input to investigations, audits, inspections, and quality improvement activities, contributing evidence, insight, and practical solutions relating to laboratory systems, equipment, safety, and infrastructure.
• Coordinate the team’s validation and verification programme, ensuring activities are planned, detailed, and progressed in line with quality, regulatory, and operational requirements.
• Partner with the MHRA Team Leader and Service Delivery Lead to recognize capability gaps, operational constraints, and areas for improvement throughout training, equipment readiness, laboratory processes, and technical delivery.
• Drive a proactive and new way of continuous improvement, spotting opportunities for investment in equipment, methods, and working approaches that increase efficiency, productivity, resilience, and customer value.

Knowledge & Experience

Person Specification

• Degree-qualified, or with equivalent senior-level experience, in chemistry, pharmaceutical science, analytical science, or a closely related field.
• Considerable expertise offering operational oversight within a regulated scientific laboratory, with duties involving infrastructure, equipment readiness, safety protocols, quality systems, and regulatory controls.
• Proven ability to lead, develop, and influence multidisciplinary laboratory teams, combining direct line management with mentoring, performance support, and effective coordination of operational responsibilities.
• Strong working knowledge of ISO 17025 and/or ISO 9001 quality management systems is essential.
• Demonstrable experience setting direction for training, proficiency, change implementation, equipment introduction, and continuous improvement activities across a complex laboratory environment.
• Track record of anticipating and managing operational risks, resolving complex constraints, and implementing controlled improvements that strengthen laboratory performance, compliance, quality, safety, and business continuity.
• Confident communicator with the ability to engage collaborators, influence standards, challenge constructively, and translate operational priorities into clear, practical action.
• The job holder will be able to showcase the following behaviours that align with LGC’s values: Passion, Curiosity, Integrity, Brilliance, Respect.

Why You’ll Love Working Here

At our company, we care about your growth and well-being. When you join us, you’ll find:

• A supportive team that values your ideas and encourages innovation.
• Opportunities to make a difference.
• A culture that celebrates learning, collaboration, and diversity.