Senior Technical Officer Review

My role involves overseeing change through change controls & performing validation work for solid oral dose tablets, to facilitate the transfer from manual testing to automated testing. I also represent my department as a functional area champion for cleaning validation, which involves making risk assessments on the worst case scenario products. If there are any changes I collaborate with affected areas to validate new cleaning methods and implementing these in their functional area and mine.

I have learnt plenty of new skills. I have learnt that time management, prioritisation and stakeholder management are a critical part of my job role. Through my course I have also learnt how to be an effective leader and how to present data to scientific and non scientific audiences, orally and visually.

I enjoy my course thoroughly, it has allowed me to branch into areas of the business that were previously hard to break into. I have been on primarily scientific courses in the past, but this course has allowed me to start understanding business related topics, such as project management & leadership skills.

The team at Keele University are extremely well organised and very thorough at providing resources, information and most importantly student support. I have been at previous institutes where the student support was down to the student to find. Keele provide you with a personal tutor who checks in regularly to see if everything is going ok and if you need any support.

My company, department and manager are very supportive at providing projects to work towards on my project. They are also very accommodating and flexible with my study day. If I could raise any issue, it would be the visibility of my study time, even though I have the time booked in my calendar, people still attempt to contact me, which can sometimes be distracting.

Keele are very supportive at providing training material. They are also very aware of supporting students through the end point assessment and stimulating critical thinking. There is a clear emphasis on reflectiveness in the modules, which is a hand-in on each one. The reflective diaries can be used in the future to help me prepare for my EPA.

I have expressed my belief to my workplace and to Keele that the course touches on many critical aspects of my role. All of the modules are relevant and allow me to develop on areas I’m not so confident on, but also reinforce my current understanding of the topics.

AstraZeneca have many extra curricular activities, some of which involve football networks, a fully equipped gym and a social club called ClubAZ, which offer a lottery and discounts for shops and attractions. There are also networks for early talent within the company, which allows us to network with colleagues in Cambridge and further afield, this is called AZInspire.

Yes

The company is progressing in a very positive direction, we are provided regular updates on the immediate and long term future of the company; this is done through town hall meetings where the pipeline is discussed and how clinical trials are faring. The incentives, such as share schemes is also very attractive.

If you’re invited to an assessment centre, try your best to be your natural self and engage with others also on the assessment centre. A personable and professional demeanour is welcomed. I didn’t perform overly well at college admittedly, but AZ have transformed my professional life and given me the support to progress & build my education into a first class degree on the apprenticeship scheme.