I have been part of MSD Carlow from the start. When the site was opened 10 years ago we were in start-up mode – the manufacturing building and labs were being built and fitted out, our teams were being recruited, introducing new technologies, and we were solving technical challenges to get our manufacturing lines up and running to the highest industry standard.
We are now a state-of-the-art facility, producing life-saving cancer medicines and vaccines for patients around the world, with Carlow’s MSD footprint becoming a vital and strategic element of our global operations.
But that start-up, innovative spirit is still alive today in MSD Carlow. That is in no small part due to the fact that we’re still expanding – we announced a major new investment including the development of another standalone facility, doubling our capability to deliver critical products to our patients, next to our existing state-of-the-art facility. This expansion offers exciting opportunities for people to take up the challenge and join our dynamic team at a crucial point in our history.
So, what makes MSD Carlow a great place to work?
1. People
For me, the key ingredient in our success is our team’s can-do attitude. Consistently producing biological products to pharmaceutical standards is a complex task. A willingness to adapt and find smarter ways of working is essential to meeting the global demand for our products.
Carlow has delivered for MSD thanks to the open and dynamic culture of improvement we have built together. It’s testament to the 400+ strong team and their achievements that MSD Carlow has been globally recognised and further invested in.
Our focus is, and continues to be, on staff wellbeing as our operations ramp up - a quality reflected in our focus on safety and health awareness, as well as an emphasis on the huge amount of team social activities taking place right across the site.
2. Lifestyle
Quality-of-life is one of the factors that attracts people here – and encourages them to stay.
Whether it’s faster commutes or more affordable house prices, Carlow has become an increasingly attractive location for people to live and work.
The benefits of living in the south-east region are sometimes most apparent to the international members of our workforce. They immediately see how proximity to the countryside, beaches and to Dublin city makes Carlow a viable option as a place to avail of a good work-life balance. This balance combined with a wide range of accommodation on offer, provides a strong appeal to many employees of all ages and life stages.
3. Timing
This is a great time to join MSD and a particularly exciting moment for our Carlow site.
In October 2018, we announced the construction of a new facility that will enhance our production of vaccines and biologics from 2023. The decision to further invest in Carlow is a real testament to the talent of the current Carlow team and MSD Ireland’s wider employee base and reinforces MSD’s commitment to Ireland, further strengthening our 50-year strong legacy here. The construction of this additional facility only adds to our ability to be able to offer current and future employees a truly unique experience across our sites in Ireland, offering an opportunity to experience all elements of pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturing within Ireland.
4. Growth
We want our employees to experience personal and professional growth while contributing to improving patients’ lives.
Our intern and graduate programmes, along with close ties to universities and the National Institute of Bioprocessing Research & Training (NIBRT), create a culture of learning and progression on site.
We are strongly supportive of further education for our employees, helping them to advance their capability and contribute to the team in new ways. And, as I have experienced myself, there is huge diversity in a career with MSD: team members often begin working on one side of our operation and change or expand their role within the site – a wonderful chance to try new things and gain a holistic experience in biotech.
5. Patients
In the end, we offer truly purpose-driven careers in MSD Carlow. I’ve seen first-hand the opportunities a company like MSD can offer to those who want to invent for life. I started in MSD over 10 years ago and have not only had the chance to contribute to the operations in Ireland but was also able to work on our sites in Europe and I’m proud to work for a company that leads scientific breakthroughs in the treatment of some of the world’s most harmful diseases.
We offer fantastic career opportunities across all functional areas. What makes people choose MSD Carlow is the chance to invent, impact and inspire every day, producing medicines for people who need them around the world.