Name: Christopher Copeland

Job Title: Project Manager

Department: Clinical Technologies

Did you know you always wanted to work in the Pharmaceutical field?

Certainly not. I often thought that careers in this field were reserved for highly qualified doctors or medical professionals, my assumption therefore was that the industry was beyond my qualification and experience level.

After being informed of an open role in project management in Almac through a friend, I realised that I could apply my previous experience in banking and telecommunications to the project management role within Almac, I researched further and jumped at the opportunity. I am now 5 years into my pharmaceutical career and can see that the assumptions I made in the past had actually been quite far off the mark, I only wish I had explored opportunities earlier.

What type of other skills do you need for your job, other than educational qualifications?

Looking back on my 5 years’ experience, I would say the number one skill I would place above all others is to be an excellent communicator. I think that one of the many interesting elements of being a Project Manager at Almac is working with a highly diverse range of people with a multitude of skill sets across the world. Being able to vary and change up the level of communication internally and externally is very important for delivering excellent performance and delivering a quality service for Almac.

For me, no two days are ever the same therefore having an excellent aptitude for problem solving and being well organised would also be high on the list. It is an ever changing environment (in a good way), which encourages the promotion of new ideas and provides lots of opportunities for skills to be put to the test.

Do you think your job makes a real difference?

Working within the pharmaceutical industry for Almac gives me a huge sense of pride, I know the projects that I work on have a direct impact on the lively hood of patients and potential patients around the world. Some projects I work on are very relatable to my own family life and I know others share this feeling as well. Clinical trials are vital for creating and proving that cures and treatment are effective to improving and saving people’s lives. It is very encouraging and rewarding to know that the hard work I put in everyday helps to make a real difference to many people.