Director of Operations

About the role

Our site in Pennsville has been part of the Siegfried family since 1928 and has around 180 employees. It is our drug substance manufacturing site for the US market and provides spray drying operations globally, with a focus on pilot and commercial manufacturing of drug substances (APIs) and related activities. In this role, you will be responsible for the overall management of manufacturing at the site, playing a pivotal role in the transformative growth of our Pennsville facility. Success in this role will require adaptability, resilience, and the ability to navigate through a dynamic environment, given the recent changes and ongoing optimization efforts.

This is a unique opportunity to lead and contribute to the success of a crucial site within our organization, where your leadership skills and strategic mindset will be instrumental in driving the site's success even in the face of evolving challenges.

Responsibilities

• Ensure that all plant operations are conducted in accordance with applicable federal and state laws to promote the safety of plant employees.
• Cooperate closely with development to design processes that fit manufacturing capabilities and ensure that all new production processes are safe and in compliance with all relevant environmental regulations.
• Establish and drive a culture of "first time right" for all production activities.
• Lead all current and new production activities through supervision and delegation to ensure that all production requirements are met, until the conclusion of the campaign.
• Lead through management teams (shift supervisors and operations managers) a broad operations team with training, continuous improvement, and operational excellence as key foundations.
• Collaborate closely with Compliance to implement all process validations, equipment qualifications, and rework/reprocessing activities as well as review and approve any deviations or investigations associated with production.
• Coach and develop teams to next levels and ensure similar development of indirect reports. Define the succession plan for Operations.
• Identify and implement process improvements to benchmark and then improve cycle time, capacity, yield, labor utilization, efficiencies, process reliability, and production costs.
• Coordinate all DEA activities to ensure that all CFR regulations are met. Manage implementation and adherence to all applicable DOT, IATA, IMO, SHE, DEA, and cGMP regulations.

Requirements

• Engineering or Chemistry degree.
• 5+ years of experience in a similar leadership role in chemical synthesis type manufacturing, preferably within the pharmaceutical or life science industries.
• 10+ years of work experience within the pharmaceutical or chemical manufacturing industry.
• Proven track record in applying structured problem-solving approaches such as Lean and Six Sigma to support improvements and cultural change in the operational organization.
• Relevant experience in managing a unionized team is a plus.

Skills

• Proven ability to lead and manage by example, coach, and motivate employees, clearly communicate job requirements, and effectively manage the performance of assigned tasks with a "hands-on" approach.
• Ability to identify and analyze issues, providing solutions through solid problem-solving and a data-based approach.
• Excellent written, verbal, and listening communication skills with the ability to communicate and form relationships at all levels, from entry-level to Executive Committee.

Benefits

• Competitive performance-based bonus.
• Employee Share Matching Plan.
• 401(k) Match.
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Offerings.
• Life, Sickness, and Accident insurance, and Long-term disability.
• Increased Voluntary Life Insurance (employee and family) (optional).

Pay

The anticipated salary for this role will be between $158,000 - $197,000.