Operations Manager

Job summary

About the VMD

The VMD is the regulatory and policy lead responsible for issues concerning the authorisation, use, and manufacture of veterinary medicines in the UK.

Our aim is to protect public health, animal health, and the environment, and promote animal welfare by assuring the safety, quality and effectiveness of veterinary medicines.

Find out more at: About us - Veterinary Medicines Directorate - GOV.UK

About the Job

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is the UK regulatory body responsible for ensuring the quality, safety, and efficacy of veterinary medicines, and for overseeing regulatory compliance across the sector.

The role will sit within the Regulatory Operations Team in the Regulatory Affairs Section, forming part of the Authorisations Division, which is led by the deputy CEO.

As a Higher Executive Officer, you will be responsible for leading key operational areas, including Product Defects and Borderline Products. You will also be responsible for the planning, management, and co-ordination of VMD’s annual veterinary medicines test exercise.

This is a fast-paced role that requires strong organisation skills, attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities. You will be expected to work proactively, solve problems, and adapt quickly to changing demands, while ensuring continuity of delivery.

The role requires effective communication and collaboration across internal teams and stakeholders, as well as the ability to take ownership of workstreams.

Job description

Your main responsibilities include:

Management and Coordination of Product Defects:

• Managing the Rapid Alert mailbox
• Tracking defects from start to finish
• Supporting assessors to complete their actions on time and facilitate resolution discussion
• Liaising with pharmaceutical companies, providing advice and guidance
• Ensuring information is captured accurately on the database and shared with companies in a timely manner and according to published standards
• Supporting the Product Defect Coordinators by drafting letters, reviewing content, issuing, and monitoring recall progress
• Deputising for the Product Defect Coordinator at meetings and present updates on defects

Borderline Products:

• Lead on managing applications for advice on whether a product is considered a medicine or not – use judgement and interpretative ability to support assessors
• Liaise with assessors at the VMD to ensure they provide the advice necessary
• Develop a robust process to improve how this work area is delivered – develop options, and provide constructive ideas and solutions
• Liaise with applicants, keep them up to date with progress, providing advice and guidance

Coordination of VMD’s annual veterinary medicine emergency response test exercise:

• Lead the planning, coordination, and delivery of an annual exercise, liaising with colleagues across the VMD to ensure an effective operational response to a test emerging threat.
• Evaluate the outcomes of the annual exercise and identify any necessary process improvements to ensure timely and transparent decision-making.
• Maintain awareness of emerging issues that may trigger the VMD’s emergency response, including critical medicine shortages, emerging disease threats, and broader supply chain risks
• Communicate with teams across VMD, collating responses and providing feedback.

Additional requirements will be to:

• Comply with ISO 9001 (quality management) and ISO 27001 (information security) standards, and GDPR and Information Management requirements.
• Act corporately – meeting, role-modelling, embedding, and championing the corporate objectives set by the VMD.

Person specification

We require someone that has experience:

• Of working in a regulatory or regulated environment.
• Of working under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• Of acting corporately.

We require someone that:

• Understands the importance of medicines meeting established standards of quality
• Is proactive at trouble shooting issues
• Is able to work with a wide range of stakeholders internally and externally with good communication skills
• Has sounds analytical skills and good judgement to inform decision making
• Is proficient in the use of Microsoft Office packages, particularly Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook and has the ability to learn in-house packages quickly

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,795, Veterinary Medicines Directorate contributes £11,238 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension is one of the best workplace pension schemes in the UK public sector, with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Free onsite parking
• Free eyesight test
• Onsite gym
• Access to a prayer room

Awork-life balance is key for us all. We offer flexible working as well as health, well-being and discount schemes. The annual leave package starts at 25 days per year and increases to 30 days over five years. We offer generous maternity, paternity, shared, and adoption leave.

This gives you a flavour of what’s available, but there is so much more we could mention – see Civil Service Employee Benefits , Civil Service Careers for further information.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Further information about success profiles with guidance on how to complete your application form is available here - About the application process , Civil Service Caree