With her children growing up and a bit more time to consider her career, Jess sought to move beyond office management. She decided to explore the engineering side of pharmaceuticals, pursuing an engineering degree part-time through the Open University. She now works with the validation team at Puretech, alongside her continued role as Office Manager.

Jess is now heavily involved in Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT), inspecting Puretech’s pharmaceutical water systems to ensure they meet the sectors specific requirements. She coordinates document tracking, certification, and the review of P&ID drawings, ensuring everything aligns with client specifications.

Jess has witnessed Puretech’s growth and changes over the years and cites the company’s trajectory as a major contributing factor to her interest in engineering. Her decision to embark on an Engineering Degree and explore a more technical path at Puretech has been fully supported, with the company funding her first year of study and supporting her continuing education any way they can.

Puretech’s investment in its people is evident through the support provided to team members like Jess. Feedback from her tutor underscores the quality of her work and the impact of her studies.

“Jessica, well done in submitting an interesting response, with well thought out content to what was a challenging assignment. Your answers to identifying both a mathematical and design activity and linking to the Module learning outcomes were written very well and you linked the design activity to both the T198 Learning Outcomes and the UK-SPEC requirements, this is an aspect often missed by students – well done.”

In the next five years, Jess’ aim is to focus on validation tasks and continued internal training, writing documentation for clients, and learning from engineers. She values on-the-job learning and the opportunity to work with talented and knowledgeable colleagues.

Jess is pursuing an engineering degree to gain formal qualifications and open up more opportunities within Puretech.

“I’m proud to be part of a company that is a leader in the pharmaceutical industry, especially in light of their contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as helping hospitals with the Nightingale Wards and collaborating with companies like AstraZeneca and Pfizer.”

Reflecting on her decade with Puretech, Jess anticipates significant and exciting changes in the company over the next five years and looks forward to continuing her journey.

Sales Director, James Steptoe said

“We were delighted when Jess approached us with her vision, she’s taken to her new role brilliantly, and has very quickly become a huge asset to our engineering team. What she’s achieved in a short space of time has been remarkable and she’s certainly a role model for anyone thinking of doing something different and progressing their career”.

Jess’s decade at Puretech is a testament to her adaptability and the importance of continuous learning and highlights how Puretech fosters an environment that values employee growth and development. From transitioning the company to electronic systems to taking on new roles in engineering and validation, Jess’s career progression underscores Puretech’s commitment to supporting its employees.

The company’s investment in her education and their encouragement of her professional aspirations illustrate the robust support and development opportunities Puretech provides, enabling employees to expand their skills and advance their careers within the organisation.