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.

Please note any offer of employment for this position is conditional upon the successful completion of a pre-employment medical examination, including drug and alcohol screening, conducted by a medical practitioner designated by the Company

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

Please note any offer of employment for this position is conditional upon the successful completion of a pre-employment medical examination, including drug and alcohol screening, conducted by a medical practitioner designated by the Company.