by Lily Dransfield, Technology Transfer Manufacturing Operative

I started at Astrea when I was 19, fresh out of sixth form and, if I’m being honest, feeling a bit lost. I had always loved science, but I wasn’t sure where that passion was going to take me on the Isle of Man.

When I saw a job advertisement for a role in production, I jumped at the chance.

At the time, I didn’t really know what my long-term career would look like. I just knew I wanted to work somewhere that would let me be part of something scientific and hands-on. Looking back now, that role ended up opening far more doors than I could have imagined.

Starting out in production

I worked in production for about a year and a half, and I genuinely loved it. I loved the team, the environment, and the feeling that the work we were doing mattered.

Production gave me a really solid foundation. It helped me understand the processes, the equipment, and the day-to-day reality of manufacturing in a way you can only learn by being directly involved in it.

But around that time, most of my friends and family had moved away from the island, and it started to feel like it might be my turn to go too.

I was really sad to hand in my notice because I genuinely didn’t want to leave the company. So, when I was offered the opportunity to move into a tech transfer role in the UK, I was ecstatic.

At that point, I wasn’t exactly sure what tech transfer would involve day to day, but the chance to stay with a company that had seen potential in little 19-year-old me and helped me pursue my passion for science in a way that worked for me was too good to pass up.

“I do a bit of everything”

If someone outside the industry asks me what I do now, I usually say, “I do a bit of everything,” because that honestly sums up tech transfer pretty well.

One day I’ll be supporting pilot plant manufacturing, checking equipment calibration, and making sure everything is functioning correctly. The next day I’ll be writing documentation, coordinating activities across teams, or chasing people on Teams calls for updates. Sorry, everyone.

That variety is one of the things I enjoy most about the role. No two days are exactly the same, and you end up learning a little bit about almost every part of the business.

Tech transfer naturally sits between a lot of different functions, so you spend your time connecting people, processes, and information together to keep projects moving forward.

Collaboration is the job

One thing I’ve realized is that collaboration doesn’t just shape my work, it is my work.

I think I’ve worked with pretty much every team across Astrea Bioseparations at some point, even if it’s only been for a small part of a project. A lot of my days are spent in meetings or on calls with people who might be based hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles away.

It’s become completely normal to jump between conversations with different teams and pull together bits of information from all over the place.

Some of the work I’m most proud of recently has been with the columns team. Working across different sites can be challenging at times. You’re balancing time zones, shift patterns, site priorities, and meeting schedules, but when you start seeing improvements to processes come together despite all of that, it feels incredibly rewarding.

For me, those moments really highlight how much can be achieved when people work together well.

Feeling supported along the way

Something I’m genuinely grateful for is how supportive people are across the company.

Even when I reach out to someone I’ve never spoken to before, or visit a site for the first time, people are always willing to help and happy to share what they know.

That makes a huge difference, especially in a role where collaboration is such a big part of the day-to-day work. It makes the company feel connected, even when teams are spread across different locations.

Looking back, I never would have imagined that applying for a production role at 19 would lead me here. But that’s one of the things I like most about this industry. There isn’t always one set path into it.

In my experience, building a career in this industry comes down to being curious, taking opportunities when they arise, and learning as you go.