Equipment Engineer - Cell Therapy

Equipment Engineer – Cell Therapy

Amsterdam (One Helix)

Full-time or 4 days per week, hybrid (3 days on-site)

Help launch AstraZeneca’s new GMP import hub for cell therapy in Amsterdam.

In this newly created role, you will join before the hub opens and support the readiness in terms of equipment and environmental monitoring, support the validation and qualificaton activities along SME’s and work closely with QA Engineering , local facility management and equipment vendors.

Expected to open in 2027, the hub will hold US-manufactured cell therapy products at cryogenic temperatures until they are released for Europe along with other materials.

Once the hub is operational, you will split your time roughly equally between owning/managing the Environmental Monitoring System (EMS) and maintaining the operational equipment.

What you own

From a GMP perspective, you are the owner of the EMS and the storage equipment. Operators run the facility day to day, while you make sure that:

• the systems work as intended
• alarms are followed up
• maintenance is completed on time.

In your first six months, you will:

• support the finalisation of F&E GMP documentation with consultants and internal colleagues.
• Support the development of procedures for Environmental Monitoring System (EMS) failures and recovery, helping to keep storage conditions under control.
• Assist with validation activities for storage equipment, working alongside the wider quality and engineering team to meet GMP requirements.
• Contribute to the preparation of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with vendors, supporting clear performance expectations and follow-through.
• Help set up and maintain ways of working for monitoring, alarm follow-up, and storage equipment maintenance.

Your ongoing responsibilities:

• Own and maintain the Environmental Monitoring System (EMS), supporting day-to-day upkeep alongside the wider team.
• Support training for operators on the EMS and alarm procedures.
• Assist with following up on alarms and technical failures, and help flag risks to product quality to QA. This may occasionally involve responding outside normal working hours, as on-call arrangements are currently being developed.
• Support maintenance, calibration, and validation of cryogenic storage equipment and -80 °C freezers, working with colleagues who lead these activities.
• Help coordinate vendors, change control, and technical documentation.
• Support regulatory inspections where your systems and equipment are in scope.

Who are you?

You are a hands-on engineer. You see what still needs to be arranged, take action and make clear agreements with others. You explain technical topics clearly to operators, QA and vendors.

Essential skills/experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Life Sciences or a related technical discipline, or equivalent experience.
• Technical knowledge of and experience with storage equipment, such as storage vessels and related transport equipment.
• Experience working in a GMP-regulated environment.
• Understanding of how an EMS works, including sensors and alarms.
• Ability to discuss technical topics and write clear technical documentation in English.
• Living currently within reasonable travel distance of One Helix, as some alarms may require you to come on-site.

Desirable skills/experience:

• Experience with qualification and validation. Understanding the process matters more than writing protocols independently from day one.
• Experience with Lighthouse EMS and SAP.
• Knowledge of data integrity requirements for GMP systems, such as ALCOA+ and 21 CFR Part 11.
• Pharmaceutical experience, ideally with cryogenic storage, cell therapy or biologics.
• Dutch, for technical discussions with local vendors.

We welcome applications from candidates who meet the essential requirements. You learn AstraZeneca’s ways of working, the GMP requirements for this facility and our Lighthouse EMS set-up on the job.

Your effort is rewarded

As an Engineer, you can expect much in return for your dedication. In addition to a competitive salary, you will enjoy:

• An attractive bonus scheme and a 13th-month salary on top of your monthly pay.
• Career growth opportunities, including international prospects.
• Access to internal training and development programs.
• 27 vacation days, plus additional leave (such as your birthday, Good Friday, and the period between Christmas and New Year’s Eve).
• Flexible and progressive employment benefits, allowing you to tailor them to your needs (e.g., a wellness budget and the choice of a holiday calendar based on different religious beliefs).
• A pension plan.
• Opportunity to participate in our share purchase plan with an additional contribution from AstraZeneca.

Making a difference together with AstraZeneca

Are you driven by innovation in cancer treatment and eager to make a real impact? At AstraZeneca’s R&D Cell Therapy facility in Amsterdam, we are developing next-generation TCR therapies targeting neoantigens in solid tumours. With a team of approximately 75 scientists, we are advancing both fully individualised and shared neoantigen-targeting treatments to transform patient outcomes.

This state-of-the-art space is designed to accelerate breakthroughs in cell therapy. Join our team and help shape the future of cancer treatment.

Ready to grow your career in one of AstraZeneca’s Cell Therapy teams? Apply now!

How to apply

If you have any questions about this vacancy, please contact our Recruitment Team, Karin Raadschelders or Caroline van Oppen, via info@werkenbijastrazeneca.nl or +31 (0)85 047 0244.

We don’t work with a fixed closing date; we will commence our screening process immediately; the vacancy will close as soon as we’ve found the right candidate.

Date Posted

Closing Date

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.