Case studies: Quality control manager: Vicky

As part of her job, Vicky oversees the work of the quality control chemists and helps prioritise their work. Her role has grown over the last year and she now manages a new microbiological lab...

My first degree was in chemistry and I also have a PhD in Materials Science. I started my career in research and development (R&D), but realised pretty quickly that I was a bit tired of research and wanted to leave the lab. I sought a different pace of work, one with tighter deadlines, and as a result, moved to the area of quality control management.

What attracted me to this area of work? To be honest, I'm quite a picky person and I enjoy work that involves a lot of precision and attention to detail. In order to work in this area, it's very useful to have a science background, although not necessarily chemistry. Members of my team have different backgrounds, including forensic science and biochemistry.

From my undergraduate degree, I gained invaluable lab skills, as well as useful transferable skills such as time management and presentation skills. I wasn't entirely sure that I wanted to go into chemistry but decided to pursue a PhD purely because I was interested in the subject - I spent three years researching spider webs!

Even though a PhD isn't essential for my job, I think it was really useful. Learning how to manage your PhD supervisor gives you an insight into how to manage your future managers. I was also very much left to my own devices and learned how to manage my own work in my own time.

My current job was advertised internally. I'd been in the R&D department and managed to transfer into quality control. If I were job-hunting, I'd probably look at management vacancies in the New Scientist . I think that one of the easiest ways to enter this field is via recruitment agencies; lots of companies are looking for quality control chemists. It may not sound like a graduate-level job, but it does require a degree.

I really enjoy my job, especially as I'm using my scientific skills and keeping up to date with science, but I am no longer working in a lab. I enjoy managing the people I work with and also the atmosphere suits me: it's a very regulated environment with a lot of guidance about what you can and can't do. Some people may find it a bit repetitive, regimented and bureaucratic. There's not a huge allowance for using your initiative; you have to justify your every move.

You're there to check everything and make sure that the products are right before they go out into the market. In the worst case scenario, people can die if you don't get it right. This means that you have to be the type of person who's not scared of putting your point across and won't compromise on quality because of commercial pressures.

As part of my job I oversee the work of the quality control chemists and help prioritise their work. We're involved in testing batches of products, setting specifications, and ensuring product consistency. I also approve suppliers and risk-assess raw materials.

My role has grown a bit over the last year; I now manage a new microbiological lab. My next career move in a few years would be to a technical manager's role, which is between my level and the operations director.