Quality Control Director

Job Title: Quality Control Director

Reporting to: Senior Quality Director

Location: Dunkirk, France

At AstraZeneca, we believe the best way to help patients is by advancing scientific progress. This is our DNA: we push the boundaries of science to deliver medicines that transform patients’ lives.

Dunkirk (Dunkerque)

Our Dunkirk manufacturing facility is a world-class site for the production of inhaled devices. Here, there are about 450 people, producing dry powder and aerosol drugs in the field of respiratory diseases for patients across the globe. This is your chance to get involved in a truly exciting mission – to ensure our products are in the hands of patients that need them, as quickly as possible.

Introduction to role:

Step into a pivotal leadership role where digital transformation meets accelerating production.

As our Quality Control Director, you will set the vision and drive excellence across Quality Control, shaping strategies that enable smooth new product introductions, effective digitalisation, and robust site performance. Leading a skilled, multidisciplinary team, you’ll oversee end‑to‑end chemical and microbiological testing—spanning raw materials, packaging components, finished products, and controlled‑atmosphere environments—to safeguard quality, compliance, and efficiency. If you’re energised by complex challenges and motivated to make a tangible impact, this opportunity could present your next career move!

Accountabilities:

As the Quality Control Director, supported by Quality Control Managers, you will:

Set the vision and drive excellence across Quality Control, ensuring operational rigour, stakeholder confidence, and continuous improvement.

You will oversee day‑to‑day QC activities and projects while planning medium‑ and long‑term priorities aligned to client needs.

With a strong grasp of risk‑based decision‑making, you will anticipate SHE, Quality, and business risks, make sound decisions under pressure—even with incomplete information—and ensure timelines are realistic and consistently met.

You will steward resources and budgets responsibly, forecasting human and material needs, shaping the annual plan, controlling spend, and delivering tangible cost savings.

You will be a clear, influential communicator—distilling sophisticated topics into concise, actionable messages, promoting regular, transparent updates to make performance visible, and building commitment across the organisation.

You will facilitate collaborative meetings and working groups that encourage listening, participation, and timely decisions, and you will escalate issues constructively.

Your feedback will be systematic and actionable, clarifying expectations and implications for individuals and the wider organisation.

A proven people leader, you will shape a calm, constructive climate where teams are united and high performance thrives.

You will set clear team and individual objectives; coach, motivate, and develop colleagues; evaluate performance objectively; and recognise achievements.

You will champion continuous improvement, creating space for questioning and innovation, and applying Lean tools—such as SMED, Pareto, and Standard Work—to deliver measurable results.

As a role model for standards and compliance, you will exemplify and enforce SHE, Quality, HR, and operational requirements, rigorously verifying the proper conduct of activities.

Bringing energy, adaptability, and curiosity, you will learn quickly from diverse experiences and lead change confidently. You will enable people to reach their full potential through smart risk‑taking and well‑designed development opportunities, foster team autonomy, evolve roles to meet future needs, and set clear priorities for training and professional growth.

Essential Skills/Experience:

• Pharmacy background (advantageous): A qualified pharmacist would bring valuable insight to this role, particularly in GMP, regulatory compliance, and product quality. However, we also welcome applications from candidates with equivalent experience in quality control, pharmaceutical manufacturing, or related life‑science fields who can demonstrate strong technical expertise and leadership in QC environments.
• Extensive experience and leadership skills: 10 years’ experience in Quality or a closely related function, complemented by people management exposure. This role will unite teams, inspire change, and embed improvements by applying robust tools and proven methodologies.
• Strategic, structured, and outcome‑focused: You will bring a methodical, rigorous approach and the judgement to prioritise what matters, directing teams and resources to deliver against ambitious quality goals.
• Confident communicator in English: Whilst fluent in French, you communicate clearly and persuasively in English, enabling effective collaboration with internal AstraZeneca stakeholders and external partners.
• Credible ambassador for Quality: You are adept at representing both the function and the site on the international stage, engaging confidently with global counterparts and authorities to uphold standards and influence outcomes.
• You are methodical, rigorous, and know how to prioritize and direct actions to achieve goals.

Desirable Skills:

• Self-motivated. Multi-tasking, excellent written and oral communication skills desired.

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

At AstraZeneca, you'll find yourself immersed in an environment where quality is paramount. Our forward-looking perspective ensures that you're always at the forefront of innovation, adding real value throughout the lifecycle of our products. With a focus on patient-centricity, you'll be empowered to make decisions that prioritize patient outcomes. Collaborate with ambitious colleagues who share your drive for excellence and innovation. Here, you'll have the opportunity to grow your career amidst constant opportunities from new products and technologies.

Ready to make an impact? Apply now to join our team and be part of our exciting journey!

Date Posted

Closing Date

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity.  We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills.  We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.  We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics.  We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.