Building Operational Stability Within a BioPharma Company’s Highly Complex Packaging and Labeling Department

The Client

The client is a large biopharmaceutical company focused on researching and developing antiviral drugs for HIV/AIDs and Hepatitis C and is also recognized for its work in oncology and emerging viruses.

The Challenge

A significant challenge emerged within the organization’s packaging and labeling department. While the organization delivers critical medical innovations, their internal processes that support product readiness were strained by turnover. Personnel responsible for proofreading and editing packaging components proved difficult to retain due to the complexity of the role and the extensive, year‑long training required to perform it effectively.

As a result of persistent attrition, the client experienced rising costs and operational inefficiencies. Each departure resulted in repeated hiring cycles, prolonged onboarding efforts and productivity gaps across the department. The strain on full-time employees also increased as they were required to carry the burden of training new hires while trying to maintain quality and accuracy across all labeling responsibilities. The client needed a sustainable solution that would stabilize the workforce, preserve quality and enhance long-term operational capacity.

The Actalent Solution

Actalent conducted a comprehensive assessment of the client’s packaging and labeling operations and uncovered two critical gaps: the level of expertise required for consistent, accurate packing component review and the absence of a structured training program capable of sustaining employee engagement through the lengthy learning curve. Based on these findings, Actalent developed a tailored talent strategy focused on bringing stability and longevity to the packaging team.

Actalent’s specialized recruiters sourced, screened and placed highly skilled editors with the precision and attention to detail required for these complex roles. Actalent’s team also worked to strengthen the department by helping build training materials, guiding new hires through onboarding and establishing a team lead role to oversee the team’s work, which created a clearer path for growth opportunities within the department. This combination of newly hired skilled talent and enhanced training and promotion opportunities provided both immediate support and long-term structural improvements.

The Results

With Actalent’s strategic support, the client experienced a significant improvement in workforce stability. Team members placed through Actalent not only remained dedicated to their roles but established long-term tenure — many surpassing five years and some reaching as long as eight years in their role. This level of continuity allowed the department to strengthen its expertise, reduce turnover-related costs and maintain consistent quality throughout their packaging and labeling review processes.

As the team’s capabilities grew, so did the scope of their impact. The editor and reviewer role evolved to a labeling coordinator, where team members served as liaisons between multiple departments and external partners including packaging and labeling, regulatory, QA, suppliers and CMOs. One team member now manages more than 30 labeling requests annually and reviews 50–70 labeling proofs across over 20 countries and 10 different product lines—ensuring compliance with diverse country requirements so products can be sold in those geographic regions. Other team members provide proofing support for all packaging associated with the client’s global access program, which provides free and reduced‑cost products to communities in need.

Additionally, Actalent-placed team members have been able to help train new hires within the same role, alleviating the workload on full-time employes. This new training structure has helped foster valuable knowledge sharing for how to handle niche markets that the team has had oversight on for years, boosting operational resilience and efficiency for the team.