Validation engineering

Engineers also have a role to make sure that every medicine that’s produced is of the highest possible quality and as safe as possible.

Working in validation engineering

Validation engineers are involved in the delivery of continuous improvement projects, much like production engineers, but are also primarily tasked with evaluating and calibrating manufacturing equipment.

It is this aspect of engineering which makes sure that all regulations are adhered to and every medicine that's produced is of the highest possible quality and as safe as possible. Validation engineers carry out thorough system checks to ensure all the different functions of a device or machine are tested to a predetermined specification before any process or piece of equipment is used in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Other responsibilities include:

Testing new products through existing lines
Reporting the outcomes of those test

Required skills and qualifications

BSc in a relevant engineering or science field is required. Mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science are often accepted
Some roles may require a Master's degree
Experience in the field of validation engineering is often a requirement
Communication skills
Organisation, attention to detail and the ability to meet deadlines.

Career Prospects

Career prospects are similar to those within other engineering roles (links to these pages are on the left side of this page). The option to move into other areas of the pharmaceutical industry such as management, commercial roles and research development is often available. If you work within a large company, this may be easier to do.

Salary

The median salary for a validation engineer within the pharmaceutical industry in the UK is around £31,000. Salaries can vary considerably depending on the employer as well as the experience and responsibilities of the engineer.