Julie Faulkner
Almac is extremely focused on its people, people are one of the set core assets, interpersonal skills are extremely important and to a large extent self-taught and are critical for success.
What made you decide to pursue your current career?
I have been fortunate to have worked within various project management and business development roles within the Almac Group. I enjoy building strong commercial client relations and having accountability and ownership. The KAM role allowed me to focus on a select number of identified key/strategic clients and really work to embed and grow business opportunity from a global Almac perspective. Working with international global pharmaceutical companies to service their unmet clinical supply chain solutions is a challenging, evolving and extremely rewarding job role.
Describe your typical working day?
No two days as a KAM will ever be the same! The job is demanding and fast paced with ultimate accountability to the client and the business on performance and deliverables. A typical day will see you work and communicate across multiple departments, multitasking to complete numerous communications and meetings on account study needs and compiling reports on financial and sales developments. A large focus of the job role is working with the Proposal Development team to develop tender responses and quote generation to secure new business. As a KAM you will lead the account team but also take on a role as an integral team player working as part of a cross functional team to delivery process improvement initiates and new service solutions. Regular travel to your clients global offices is a focal part of the account management process and preparation for these more structured meetings also takes a strong focus and team work effort to prepare and execute.
What is the best thing about your job?
The best thing about the job role is the challenge and diversity of the job. I aspire to drive client focused solutions and to meet/exceed client’s expectations in tandem with securing and growing new business opportunity and sales – the job satisfaction comes from a Quality driven solution and a happy customer! Adding value and being instrumental and part of the clinical supply chain associated with life changing clinical trials is also a huge positive focus with the job role.
And the biggest challenge?
Within the Clinical Trial supplies arena nothing stands still for long, there are constant trials and challenges to ensure global studies run efficiently and deliver operationally and commercially on point. Our Clients have high expectations for service delivery and there is never room for complacency, there is never an opportunity to take your eye off the ball and being visionary is a given to guarantee success.
What advice would you give someone considering applying for a job with Almac?
When choosing your education path pursue an area of interest to you, take every opportunity to enhance your learning, to read/travel and talk too and learn from your peers, colleagues, family and industry specialists. Almac is extremely focused on its people, people are one of the set core assets, interpersonal skills are extremely important and to a large extent self-taught and are critical for success.
Outline your career to date within Almac
It seems poignant that I compile this synopsis of my career path on the eve of my 20th year anniversary of employment within Almac! I can honestly say that that these past two decades have flown, from graduating with a degree in Biomedical Sciences from Queens University Belfast and securing a graduate placement position all those years ago, the learning opportunity since has been immense.
The progression and advancement of the Almac Group has been phenomenal and I feel hugely privileged to have been a contributing part of that growth and success. I have learnt from some aspiring team members and have been mentored by the best management role models through my career, in turn this presents in my own work ethic where I will always aspire to lead by example.