Quality Control Operative

The candidate will be working with the Quality Assurance and Quality Control team based in the Quality Control Laboratory within the Pharmacy Production Unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary to support the Quality Assurance team.
The role will primarily involve daily assessments of unlicensed medicines received, which will involve attention to detail, documentation and IT skills. There will also be scope for assessments of other material received such as packaging components and consumables, and if the candidate has the correct skills to support scheduled tasks within the QC Laboratory.
+ Interview Date Wednesday 29 April 2026
+ 37 Hours 30 Minutes/Week
+ You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy.
NO AGENCIES PLEASE, The Senior Quality Control Operative will be responsible for undertaking a range of duties necessary to support the Quality Assurance team and the Pharmaceutical Quality Control service to operate in an efficient, safe and effective manner.
Duties will include the daily assessment of unlicensed medicines received by the Trust. This involves following approved specifications, documenting the outcome and maintaining electronic records. All deviations from the specifications must be reported as may impact of the suitability of the unlicensed medicines for use.
The candidate will support the QA team in other activities associated with the Pharmaceutical Quality System and Document Control.
The candidate will also be involved in other tasks to support the Quality Laboratory such as the assessment of packaging components, managing laboratory stock levels and ensuring orders are raised and correctly processed on receipt.
There is an in-house competency based training programme that encompasses the concepts of Quality Assurance, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Quality Control.
Suitable candidates should possess and state on their application a GCSE (Minimum Grade 4 or equivalent) in Mathematics, a Science based subject and English Language or previous relevant experience., + To carry out the full range of duties including receipt, processing, sampling and testing of raw materials, packaging materials and certain defined products, having successfully completed the in-house competency based training programme that encompasses the concepts of Quality Assurance, GMP and Quality Control.
+ To liaise with external organisations to source certification for raw materials and packaging materials.
+ Assist in the product releasing process by transferring released items from quarantine to the Production Store.
+ To send samples off site to a contract laboratory ensuring all documentation is completed. To receive completed results and file appropriately.
+ Assist in the inputting of environmental monitoring results into the database.
+ To maintain stock levels of analytical reagents and chemicals in the QC Lab.
+ To prepare orders, check all analytical reagents and chemicals on receipt and ensure they are correctly stored and documentation processes completed.
+ To ensure that used laboratory glassware is cleaned, dried, and returned to the appropriate storage thus avoiding cross contamination and the invalidation of analytical results.
+ Assist the Trust Quality Controller and other QC/QA staff by photocopying and distributing approved copies of authorised documentation.
+ Assists in the training of rotational staff assigned to the QC Laboratory.
+ Storage and organisation of reference samples and destruction when appropriate.
+ Complete the daily equipment checks.
Important note on completion of reference section of Application Form
All references from current and previous employers will be sought and must cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.
Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month's pay.
Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail. You should check your SPAM folders as well as your inbox. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume your application has been unsuccessful.

PPU Range 3
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS hospital trusts in the country. We have around 16,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.7 billion.
With strong history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation regionally, nationally and internationally, we're in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country.
As well as providing a wide range of hospital and community services, we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people's race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
With around 2 million contacts with patients every year, we deliver care from:
+ Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)
+ Freeman Hospital
+ Newcastle Dental Hospital
+ Cramlington Manor Walks
+ Urgent treatment centres
+ Newcastle Fertility Centre
+ Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria
+ Northern Genetics Service
These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.
We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.
Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under 'Documents to download' or 'Supporting documents'.
For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust