Romana, what is your job?
My role is Associate Scientist in department of Quality Control within Supply Chain at Johnson & Johnson. I work in a team of Raw Materials. As a testing coordinator my main target is to provide a steady flow of raw materials that will be used in production and ensure on time completion of all testing activities. The production of medicines needs to continue and can never be impacted. My job starts as soon as the raw materials hit the warehouse.
How does your working day/week/month look like?
I have a versatile job and role that requires to shift priorities and adapt to unforeseen challenges from day to day. But each day will typically start with our daily team meeting, informing each other on tasks and any urgent support. I am collaborating with many stakeholders and multiple testing teams to get raw materials tested and released for use in production. Coordinating the process from warehouse through testing labs till release of quality inspected raw material for production means a lot of meetings. I have daily meetings with testing labs in Europe and the USA to align with goals, and facilitate the seamless execution of all testing activities. In cases of issues at testing labs that could have impact on delays in timelines (e.g. Out Of Specification results) I am acting as a Lead Investigator with aim to find a root cause and work on corrective and preventive actions to mitigate the issue. That suits my personality very well, I love the excitement.
What does secondment via CLS mean to you?
My job at J&J via CLS Services is the first time I work via secondment. They made a profile after having an interview and a few years later they contacted me with this opportunity. It turned out to be a dream job that fits my strengths, skills, and personality perfectly. They matched me with this job of which I would never think about in the first place. Secondment is a temporary work arrangement where you are assigned to work for a host organization for a specific project or period of time. To me it is the best of both worlds. I work at J&J and the CLS team makes sure I get the same conditions as J&J employees. Honestly, I see no differences, in fact I feel very supported. We do not have contact all the time; they are more of a silent partner. However, if I need help, they are my direct source. Additionally, CLS is my back up in case my job will end earlier than expected or if I am looking for other opportunities. You can only gain.
How does CLS help you in your career development?
They are very supportive in growth and personal development within your career. And willing to invest in you and give you financial support for coaching and courses. They understand you will not stagnate for the rest of your life and need challenging opportunities to grow. If you are not sure yet on what type of courses, they can give you guidance as well. Moreover, the CLS team has many years of experience in the field I am operating in and a large network. That they offered me this opportunity already confirms that they have a lot of knowledge at matching the right person with the right job. This goes further than just reading a resume.
About CLS
CLS Services provides recruitment services for companies, multinationals as well as smaller and more specialised companies, who are active in the field op chemistry, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food and feed. We recruit, for example, scientists, product developers, technicians or quality assurers. We also place employees at companies via secondment.
