Director of Operations

You contribute to world-class research and innovation at King's through the provision of high level strategic and operational support to GTVF.

Working closely with the Director of Research Platforms and the Director of GTVF to oversee a complex GMP manufacturing facility that successfully supports research delivery at King's: The role holder will build a strong culture of service delivery, ensuring operational efficiency and sustainability.

You will need to build strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders (researchers, technical staff and administration units) to ensure the smooth running of GTVF.

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

• Directly relevant biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry experience



• Good understanding of viral vector and cell biology



• Demonstrable experience and knowledge of manufacturing within a GMP environment



• Good understanding of the biomedical research environment



• Excellent verbal and written communication skills



• Strong project management experience, demonstrated in the biotechnology/pharmaceutical environment.



• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills



• Experience of Strategy and Policy development



• Ability to manage through influence and negotiation in a complex environment.



• Resilience, determination and diplomacy



• Experience of representing institutions externally


Desirable criteria

• Prior experience with biopharmaceutical processes, quality compliance, process development/qualification, control strategy and regulatory submissions



• Understanding of and familiarity with regulatory guidance governing cell-based and biopharmaceutical development



• Familiar with a range of biopharmaceutical and cell-based processes and techniques
  
  The King's College London Gene Therapy Vector Facility (GTVF) provides comprehensive GMP-grade viral vector manufacturing services. This includes Lentiviral Vector (LV), Retroviral Vector (RV) and Adeno-Associated Viral Vector (AAV) production for early-phase clinical trials, alongside substantial programmes in process innovation, knowledge transfer and training to address critical skills shortages.


In partnership with the Network of Innovation Hubs, our vision is to ensure that the UK capitalises on its outstanding academic medical research to deliver novel gene therapies to patients, providing transformative treatments for currently intractable conditions, and generating a vibrant economic landscape.

The GTVF is run by a large, industry-leading team of >50 people who have extensive experience in delivering end-to-end viral vector manufacture for both academic and commercial clients, with a focus on early-stage clinical trials.