Laboratory l Senior Lab l Manufacturing Labs
Sr Lab Manager, Europe
From our spirited entrepreneurial beginnings to our today’s global leadership position in the healthcare market, Nelipak has enjoyed 70 years of creating, shepherding, and leading the healthcare packaging industry – with plenty of significant milestones along the way. Nelipak Healthcare Packaging has 14 locations worldwide, and over 1,600 employees. We are exceeding industry standards and expectations; We are Quality; We are bespoke packaging solutions, no matter the challenge; and we are always at the forefront of the healthcare packaging industry.
About the Job
The Senior Manager European Lab Services is responsible for strengthening Nelipak’s laboratory capabilities. For both Venray and Clara. This includes customer relationship management, business development, collaboration with external laboratories, method development, documentation, acquisition of new laboratory instrumentation, and daily planning of validation activities. An important task is achieving the ISO 17025 accreditation for the validation lab in Venray.
What you will do:
Leadership & People Management:
- Review and approve test reports and test plans prepared by validation engineers/employees.
- Organize daily planning of validation activities and schedule customer projects in advance.
- Identify gaps in validation capacity and propose improvements.
- Guide junior validation engineers/employees and support their development.
- Identify training needs and provide continuous feedback to the department manager.
- Lead the team in resource planning, performance management, and personnel development.
- Recognize and stimulate opportunities for business development within validation.
Technical Responsibilities:
- Provide analytical support to production for resolving claims or production issues.
- Independently develop test protocols and apply known methods/techniques to solve problems.
- Perform chemical and polymer analyses to understand raw materials and competing products.
- Improve methods and reproducibility through statistical analysis.
- Contribute to writing and reviewing quality documentation.
Customer Relations & Business Development:
- Organize and conduct customer visits.
- Prepare quotations based on customer requests.
- Support the marketing department in promoting validation services.
- Attend trade fairs and strategically present the lab’s validation capabilities.
- Understand instrumentation limitations and align with customer needs and precision requirements.
Continuous Improvement:
- Collaborate with product development teams on analysis and new product development.
- Strengthen lab validation capacity by documenting proposals (scope, plan, costs, relevance).
- Evaluate and purchase new validation instrumentation.
- Develop new methods through literature research, practical experimentation, and statistical validation.
Have you...
- Degree in Materials Science, Engineering, Chemistry, or similar, with relevant experience.
- Strong knowledge of ISO 17025, ISO 11607, validation standards, and statistical tools (e.g., Gage R&R).
- Leadership experience, ideally across multiple sites.
- Excellent communication, project management, and customer-focused mindset.
- Experience with polymers, packaging materials, and SAP is an advantage.
Why Nelipak?
Working at Nelipak means being part of a community that values innovation, teamwork, and making a difference in healthcare.
We offer:
- A Supportive Environment: A culture of support, teamwork, and mutual respect, where every member is encouraged to contribute.
- Growth Opportunities: Commitment to your professional development, with opportunities to advance within the company.
- Competitive Compensation: A competitive salary that reflects your expertise and contribution.
- Impactful Work: The opportunity to play a crucial role in delivering innovative packaging solutions that truly make a difference in healthcare.
The Benefits…
- Competitive annual salary
- Paid Time-Off for Vacation and Sick Days
- Retirement Plans
- EAP (Employee Assistance Programme)
- Work/Life Balance
- Wellness Programs
- Employee Recognition
- Free onsite parking
- Death in Service
- Learning and development opportunities
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- E-Learning and Development opportunities
Closing Date
Closing date: Tuesday, 9th June 2026
Interested…?
Nelipak is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer. For a confidential discussion, or to apply, please contact [email protected]. Please note, if you apply for this role, your interest and details will remain confidential. We will not contact your current employer as part of the application. Due to the urgency of this role, candidates must be eligible to work in the jobs location to be considered for this role. The duties listed for this role are not exclusive or exhaustive, and the job holder shall perform the duties that can reasonably be expected within the scope of the position.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Benefits:
- Bike to work scheme
- Company events
- Company pension
- Employee assistance program
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
- Wellness program
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Clara, County Offaly: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Education:
Willingness to travel:
Work Location: In person
