QC Microbiologist

Job Introduction

Microbiologist, Quality Control Team
Day Shift, 0800-1630 hrs, Mon-Friday
9-day fortnight, every second Friday off

The Opportunity
If you’re passionate about microbiology, love getting hands-on in the lab, and enjoy being part of a supportive, purpose-driven team, this opportunity might be for you. At Dechra, we’re all about improving the health and well-being of animals around the world—and as our Microbiologist, you’ll play a key role in making that happen. So whether you're well established or just starting out, we'd love to meet you.

Dechra
Dechra are a growing, global specialist within the world of veterinary pharmaceuticals. Our expertise is in the development, manufacture, marketing and sales of high-quality products exclusively for veterinarians worldwide. It’s a great time to join our modern Skipton facility and further investment for the Skipton site means that we’re in an exciting period of positive change for the business.

Here at Dechra, our values are embedded within our culture and thrive within our family of almost 2000 colleagues globally. From manufacturing to marketing, (D)edication, (E)njoyment, (C)ourage, (H)onesty, (R)elationships and (A)mbition are at the heart of our everyday operations and the way we do business.

Where You’ll Fit In
You’ll join our friendly QC Micro team in Skipton, working closely with our Microbiology Manager and Team Leads. It’s a collaborative environment where people genuinely care about the work they do and support one another to make a meaningful impact across the organisation.

What You’ll Be Doing
Every day brings something new. You’ll be:

Carrying out microbiological testing on raw materials, intermediates, finished products, and the manufacturing environment
Running a variety of tests including water testing (LAL & membrane filtration), bioburden, environmental monitoring, dispersion testing and more
Preparing and sending samples to external labs
Supporting validation studies, stability testing, and method transfers
Keeping our lab running smoothly, maintaining equipment, managing stock, and ensuring everything is clean, calibrated, and compliant
Investigating deviations or out-of-spec results with a curious, analytical mindset
Working closely with other departments to keep testing on track
Sharing your knowledge by training new colleagues
Staying up to date with the latest microbiology developments

You’ll be a key part of ensuring our products are safe, compliant, and consistently high quality. It’s meaningful work, and you’ll see the impact every day.

What Success Looks Like
You’ll thrive here if you enjoy:

Getting things right first time
Working to GMP standards
Staying organised and meeting agreed timelines
Being part of a team that values accuracy, communication, and reliability

What You’ll Bring
Essential:

Experience in a pharmaceutical GMP QC microbiology lab will set you up for success
Hands-on experience with microbiological techniques such as LAL, membrane filtration, bioburden testing, environmental monitoring, microscopy, Gram staining, and incubation
Confidence using lab equipment and reporting results
Working knowledge of GMP, health & safety, and environmental regulations
Strong skills in Word and Excel
A BSc (Hons) in Microbiology or a related scientific field—or equivalent experience

Desirable:

Familiarity with production methods and wider QC processes

Why You’ll Love It Here
We provide veterinary professionals with the tools to support the welfare of animals worldwide. A true career with real purpose, that’s something you can proudly shout about.

We work across a 9-day fortnight at our Skipton site. This means every second Friday will be your day off, allowing for those longer weekends so you can spend more time with family and friends, offering a great work-life balance.

We also care deeply about our employees, you’ll have full access to our Employee Assistance programme (EAP) which ensures you have confidential emotional, physical and financial wellbeing support 24/7 365. This ensures that you are well-equipped to deal with life’s many challenges. In addition to this, we also offer:

Healthcare Cash plan (dental, prescriptions, therapies)
Headspace App (positive mental wellbeing app)
Discounted Gym Membership
Cycle to work scheme
Discount on pet food
Free fruit Mondays
Free on-site parking (including free electric charging)
22.5 days annual leave + Bank Holidays
Option to buy a week’s holiday each year
8% Employer pension contribution

What’s next?
We’ll take care of you from here on. Firstly, thank you for taking the time to express interest in this opportunity and Dechra. If you’re interested, please apply in the first instance.

We take pride in ensuring you have a positive experience with Dechra and the recruitment process. Our team are friendly and approachable. We won’t ghost you…. we’ll always provide updates and feedback regardless of the outcome, If you haven’t heard from us, just give us a nudge.

What’s the interview process?
Typically, you’ll receive an initial phone call from the recruitment team to understand more about you and your current work situation. Most of our roles have a two-stage interview process (MS Teams and a face-to-face interview). We may ask you to complete a personality questionnaire ahead of time so that we can learn a little more about you ahead of the interview.

Our interview style is conversational and friendly. In addition to this, we always look for competency-based, structured answers to our questions, so feel free to prepare ahead of the interview.

For further information on your application, reach out to recruituk@dechra.com

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