Ward Industries Group

Ward Biotech Ltd, an associate company of Ward Industries Group Ltd, has gained Revenue approval in order to raise €2m under the Business Expansion Scheme. The monies raised will contribute to the development of the company's companion animal health product platforms.

Don't forget submission of applications for the position of Research & Development Technologist close on Friday 2nd October 2009!

Research and Development Technologist

FUSION is InterTradeIreland’s all-island technology transfer initiative that gives companies access to the wealth of expertise and facilities in our universities and colleges across the island of Ireland, allowing them to make strategic advances in innovation. The FUSION programme initially develops and facilitates partnerships between companies with a technology need on one side of the border, and colleges or universities that can provide the required specialist expertise on the other side. The partners work collectively to plan a specific project that will solve a technology need within the company. A high calibre graduate is then employed to spearhead the project for a period of up to 2 years. The graduate acts as the link and agent of technology transfer between the university and the company.

Ward Industries Ltd and Queen’s University Belfast have partnered on a Fusion Programme and are now looking for a dynamic and self-motivated graduate.

Job Description

Reporting to the Company Supervisor, you will be employed by Ward Industries Ltd to lead the FUSION project. You will be responsible for ensuring that it is brought to a successful conclusion with the support from your supervisors. This is an exciting opportunity for a graduate to gain excellent industrial experience through a structured and planned programme of work. In addition to the daily support of a Company Supervisor, a dedicated member of Queen’s University Belfast with expertise in the project area will spend half a day per week on average supporting the project. Additional support will also be given to the Graduate by a FUSION Consultant responsible for ensuring that all projects run according to schedule.

Qualifications

Essential

Min 2.1 BSc/MPharm Degree in Pharmacy, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry or a closely related scientific discipline.

Desirable

A Ph.D. in any of the aforementioned disciplines and manufacturing experience in the Pharmaceutical/Medical Devices/Animal Health Industry and experience in product design, and business development.

Applications will also be considered from those candidates with relevant formal qualifications considered to be of an equivalent or higher standard to those stated.

Suitably qualified candidates should apply via the following link by 5pm on Friday 2nd October www.cpl.ie/fusion/RDTech.htm

Following the recent surveillance audit of our quality management systems by SGS, Ward Industries have been successfully upgraded to the new ISO 9001:2008 quality system standard. This new standard provides a framework for taking a systematic approach to managing the organisation’s processes.

Ward Industries achieves independent world class score on probe for service for excellence and benchmarked against international organisations.

The company scored in excess of 80 practice, 80 performance, this places Ward Industries in the “world class” or “leaders” category when compared on overall international best practice bench marking audit.

Enterprise Ireland has approved a Research and Development revenue grant for Orovate for the further expansion of the company’s companion animal healthcare product platforms. This grant approval will support Orovate and its business strategy in the development of international markets.

InterTrade Ireland has approved Orovate’s grant application for the company’s second Research and Development graduate.

InterTradeIreland FUSION is an all-island programme which enables knowledge and technology transfer between business and academia to support innovation and increase capability within Irish companies.

Ward Industries announces the restructuring of the company with the addition of OROVATE to the group. The realignment of the companies’ operations will better support the changing requirements of Ward Industries’ customers and strengthen the company’s position in international pet health care markets.

OROVATE will now be better positioned to lead the development of new health care technologies, taking advantage of our considerable research and development expertise.

Ward Industries is entering its second InterTradeIreland Fusion programme. This will allow the company to further develop knowledge and technology transfer between its business platforms and its selected academic partner The Queens University, Belfast. The objective being that Queens University will assist Ward Industries develop new and innovative products and also improve the company’s existing healthcare range.

Ward Industries has finalised an international exclusive licence agreement for a second pipeline of products in relation to the company’s continuous development in the Companion Animal Health Care Sector. The objective is the retention of core capabilities to deliver a repository of innovative concepts.

Quality and Supply Chain Specialist

Job Description

The Quality and Supply Chain Specialist will report to the Managing Director and will be responsible for vendor qualification, management and supply chain logistics. In this critical role the ability to establish effective and fail-safe quality assurance procedures between suppliers, transport providers and the multinational end user’s locations will be vital. The position will be based in Monaghan and will involve extensive UK and international travel.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will have a degree in Food Science or a related discipline with a minimum of five years experience in the food industry. Experience of internal and external quality audits in accordance with QMS will be essential, as will a working knowledge of quality management systems such as EFSIS, ISO, and BRC. Furthermore, the individual will have a proven track record of managing logistics operations. Fluency in French would be an advantage. He/she will be a team player with excellent interpersonal and presentation skills. This position will appeal to persons with a strong work ethic and eagerness to develop and grow within a dynamic, international business environment. It will present unique challenges and an opportunity for the successful candidate to excel in many areas. A competitive base salary will be complemented by an attractive benefits package and generous performance related bonus. Future advancement possibilities will be excellent.

Ward Industries Group is an established and successful specialist provider of high quality and niche ingredients, serving and fulfilling the food manufacturing industry’s needs. We also provide a broad range of organic ingredients. We have developed high quality services and effective alliances with our customers and suppliers. This experience along with our people's abilities and their determination to satisfy customer requirements has enabled us to become a market leader.

Suitably qualified candidates should apply in writing with full CV to the HR Department, Ward Industries, Milltown, Monaghan, Co. Monaghan or by email to recruitment@wardindustries.com

Business Development Specialist

Job Description

The Business Development Specialist will work closely with the Managing Director in the development and market introduction of a range of exciting and innovative consumer products. The role will involve liaison with a range of third parties such as research organisations, specialist suppliers, manufacturers, logistics providers, sales channels, marketing agencies and direct customers.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will have a third level qualification in a business or science discipline and a minimum three years experience of working in business, preferably in a customer-facing role. Proficiency in common Microsoft applications and good keyboard skills will be essential. Fluency in French would be an advantage. This position will appeal to persons with a strong work ethic and eagerness to develop and grow within a dynamic, international business environment. It will present unique challenges and an opportunity for the successful candidate to excel in many areas. A competitive base salary will be complemented by an attractive benefits package and generous performance related bonus. Future advancement possibilities will be excellent.

Suitably qualified candidates should apply in writing with full CV to the HR Department, Ward Industries, Milltown, Monaghan, Co. Monaghan or by email to recruitment@wardindustries.com

Minister of State and Minister for Labour Affairs, Mr. Billy Kelleher presenting the national human resource award Excellence Through People to Laura Coyle, Ward Industries, Monaghan.

Excellence Through People accreditation is the Irish National Standard for Human Resource Development. Its main aim is to encourage organisations to develop the full potential of their employees and so maximise their contribution to the specific needs of the organisation.

Ward Industries, as a representative for the Steering Committee of Enterprise Ireland’s Animal Health Industry Led Research Programme, will meet with three Universities in early December. A University research team will then be selected based on suitable international expertise in order to progress the project to its first stages of scientific development.

The main research goal of this project is to develop technologies that offer a combination of effective ingredient protection during manufacture and processing of companion animal health ingredients.

Ward Industries has recently finalised three international exclusive licence option agreements in relation to the company’s development in the Companion Animal Health Care Sector, strengthening the company’s commitment to advancing and developing a pipeline of health solutions for companion animals.

Ward Industries will participate in the Steering Committee of Enterprise Ireland’s Animal Health Industry Led Research Programme. The first meeting is set for November where research proposals from the Public Research Organisations will be reviewed and technical and commercial deliverables discussed.

The main research goal of the programme is to develop technologies that offer a combination of effective protection to selected ingredients during manufacture and/or processing of animal health ingredients. These processes will be essential in the development of companion animal health solutions for Ward Industries going forward.

Following the recent assessment of our Excellence through People standard, Ward Industries have been successful in achieving this prestigious human resource award.

Ward Industries sponsors under 11 and under 14 mixed tag rugby tournament at Monaghan Rugby Club.

The company was also involved in sponsoring the 4th Annual Dog Show for Monaghan.

An Tánaiste and Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan presenting the international quality accreditation ISO 9001:2000 to Josephine McKenna, Ward Industries, Monaghan. Ward Industries have now successfully achieved the quality accreditation for the twelfth year in succession.

The 33rd Annual World Small Animal Veterinary Association Congress will take place on the 20th - 24th of August in the RDS, Dublin. WSAVA’s primary purpose is to advance the quality and availability of small animal medicine and surgery.

Ward Industries ISO 14001 Environmental audit is set for the 15th September 2008

Ward Industries has recently finalised four international exclusive licence option agreements in relation to the company’s development in the Companion Animal Health Care Sector. Future announcements of additional agreements with international research companies will also be made shortly, strengthening the company’s commitment to advancing and developing a pipeline of health solutions for companion animals.

For the twelfth year in succession Ward Industries has achieved the international quality accreditation ISO 9001:2000 and will be presented shortly with its certification by the newly appointed Irish Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan.

As part of Ward Industries’ R&D focus, the company is now progressing to the second stage of Enterprise Ireland’s Vet Pharma Industry Led Research Initiative. The goal of the initiative is to bring together industrial and academic collaborators to work on the development of micro-encapsulation. This project will prove invaluable to Ward Industries in the development of its research objectives going forward.

Ward Industries will soon announce the establishment of an R&D Centre-of-excellence in Monaghan which will develop new Functional Solutions for Companion Animals, focusing on specific health benefits. The knowledge generated will be used across Ward Industries business model. The aim is to employ a number of people with PhD, MSc and Bachelor Degrees in food science, chemistry and engineering, working in a new purpose built laboratory.

Pictured above is Minister of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley presenting an ISO 14001 Environmental certificate to Josephine McKenna, quality control department, Ward Industries.

Investors in People
Following our successful Investors in People review audit on 3rd December 2007, we have been issued with a certificate of recognition of this prestigious human resource standard.

Enterprise Ireland (EI) and the Irish BioIndustry Association (IBIA) have been working in partnership to develop a programme to stimulate bioindustry-relevant research in Irish Universities. The overall aim of this €2 million programme is to apply state-of-the-art technologies to solve problems faced by the Irish biotechnology industry thereby bringing improvements and adding value to this industry sector.

Ward Industries is now participating in the programme, which will support and advance the development of strategic, innovative R&D in Irish companies in line with the Enterprise Strategy Group Report 2004.

Following the recent assessment of our Environmental Management System, Ward Industries now hold an ISO 14001 certificate.

We are currently in the process of converting the company’s 30 acre farm to organic status under the Organic Trust Certification.

Our ISO 14001 audit took place on 9th August 2007 with SGS Ltd. The audit team concluded that the organisation has established and maintained its management system in line with the requirements of the standard and demonstrated the ability of the system to systematically achieve agreed requirements for products and services within the scope and the organisations’ policy and objectives.

Ward Industries recently participated in the Open Innovation Food Industry Programme, organised by Enterprise Ireland. Representatives included USA senior management from Proctor & Gamble, Nestle, General Mills, DSM Food Specialities & Cargill.

As part of our ongoing commitment to a cleaner environment, Ward Industries are installing a Rainwater Harvesting System. This system will utilise our natural resource by collecting and filtering natural rainwater for the company’s daily use.

Our R&D department are planning to attend a workshop on microencapsulation This workshop will be hosted by RELAY in University College Dublin on 9^th May 2007 . Microencapsulation is the science of capturing a material in a protective layer. It is well developed in the pharmaceutical industry for the controlled delivery of drugs in the body. Now the food industry is borrowing the technology to protect and deliver food ingredients and dietary supplements.