JOB DESCRIPTION:

About Abbott

Abbott is a global healthcare leader dedicated to helping people live fuller, healthier lives. Our diverse portfolio spans diagnostics, medical devices, nutrition, and branded generic medicines. With more than 113,000 colleagues across 160+ countries, we are committed to delivering innovative solutions that improve health and quality of life worldwide.

Abbott in Ireland

Abbott has been proudly operating in Ireland since 1946 and today employs approximately 6,000 people across ten locations. Our Irish sites include six manufacturing facilities in Clonmel, Cootehill, Donegal, Longford, and Sligo, along with commercial, support, and shared services operations in Dublin and Galway.

Abbott Nutrition – Cootehill, Cavan

Abbott Nutrition Cootehill is our largest global manufacturing site for powdered infant formula. Established in 1975, the facility produces a wide portfolio of Similac and Gain products using high‑quality milk sourced from over 1,000 dairy farms across Ireland and Northern Ireland. Processing 500,000 litres of milk each day, Cootehill plays a key strategic role in supplying markets across Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Canada.

Role Overview – Validation Specialist

We are seeking an experienced Validation Specialist to join our established QA Team. Reporting to the Validation Manager, this role is central to coordinating validation activities across the site, ensuring regulatory compliance, and contributing to the ongoing advancement of our quality systems.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced validation professional who enjoys technical leadership, cross‑functional collaboration, and continuous improvement. We also offer strong career development opportunities, with structured support for growth into broader leadership or technical specialist roles.

Primary Function

The Validation Specialist will:

Lead and coordinate validation activities across the plant
Ensure compliance with regulatory and internal quality standards
Support continuous improvement initiatives
Provide guidance to peers and act as a key contributor within the QA function

Major Responsibilities

Provide oversight, documentation, execution, and review of plant validation activities
Collaborate closely with the Validation Manager to drive compliant and effective validation processes
Offer leadership and support across QA functions, including validation and the consumables programme

Key Responsibilities

Manage and coordinate the Validation Change Control System, the Validation Master Plan, and associated schedules and documentation
Lead the Validation Review Board (VRB), ensuring members are appropriately trained and supported
Prepare and review validation documentation, including protocols, reports, and complete validation packages
Oversee the plant consumables programme
Support CAPA investigations and contribute to Quality Metrics programmes
Perform compliance audits, walk‑downs, and follow-up reports
Support QA IT systems (M‑FILES) for validation change control documentation and help develop internal SMEs
Participate in internal audits and cross-functional plant projects
Assist in preparation for internal and external audits related to validation and approved consumables
Stay current with changes in GMP, EHS, equipment, quality procedures, and SOPs

Education & Experience

Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmaceutical Science, Food Science, Dairy Science, Engineering, or a related discipline
Minimum of 4 years’ experience in a similar validation role
Experience providing guidance or informal leadership is beneficial; this position also offers a strong career development opportunity for someone ready to move toward formal leadership
Strong knowledge of validation processes and quality systems
Experience in a regulated manufacturing environment is advantageous

Key Skills

We welcome candidates who bring a mix of technical expertise and collaborative working style.

Key strengths include:

A solid understanding of validation processes; familiarity with CAPA and FDA regulations is a plus
Knowledge of food engineering, thermal heat processing, or fluid flow is desirable but not essential
Comfortable managing projects and working across teams
Strong communication and interpersonal skills
Good computer literacy and ability to work effectively within a high‑performance team

The base pay for this position is

N/A

In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.

JOB FAMILY:

Operations Quality

DIVISION:

ANSC Nutrition Supply Chain

LOCATION:

Ireland > Cootehill : Dromore West

ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS:

WORK SHIFT:

Ie - Chsal39 (Ireland)

TRAVEL:

No

MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE:

Yes

SIGNIFICANT WORK ACTIVITIES:

Not Applicable

Validation Specialist (18-24 month contract)

Job Description