Director, Operational Excellence & OEE Lead - Project Farma

This is a full-time salaried position with Project Farma, a PerkinElmer company. The successful candidate can reside in any of the Project Farma Regional Markets, including Boston, Philadelphia, DMV, Northern New Jersey, Chicago, Indianapolis, St Louis, Raleigh-Durham, Houston, Dallas, Boulder, San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles, but must be willing to travel domestically to meet client project requests.

About the Role

Project Farma’s purpose is to improve patient lives by accelerating the delivery of life-changing therapies. We accomplish this through the successful execution of high-quality life sciences projects across the full project lifecycle. Team members collaborate with cross-functional teams to build trusted client relationships, deliver an exceptional customer experience, and contribute to business growth by identifying opportunities and applying data-driven insights to support project planning, cost, schedule, and performance management.

This Director role is responsible for leading a team and overseeing the execution of work aligned to either a project, client, or business objective. The role balances people leadership with operational accountability, including coaching, performance management, resource planning, and ensuring high-quality delivery within a defined scope, timelines, and budget.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute Operational Excellence (OpEx) and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) strategies, including assessments, either in-house or as a consultant.
• Understand and articulate various OpEx and OEE approaches and tools (DMAIC, Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, GEMBA, 5S) to clients as a Subject Matter Expert.
• Mentor project teams and client teams in the use of OpEx and OEE tools and techniques.
• Lead OpEx and OEE teams, either in-house or as a consultant, with a full grounding in Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and other methodologies.
• Establish and monitor KPIs to track business success and embed OpEx & OEE improvements into standardized work processes.
• Lead cross-functional teams from Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain on OpEx and OEE initiatives.
• Apply OpEx and OEE principles in biopharmaceutical facilities dealing with Drug Substance, Drug Product, or Packaging processes.
• Drive tangible business improvements using OpEx and OEE techniques.
• Develop Visual Management systems around OpEx and OEE efforts.

Requirements

• Proven experience developing and executing OpEx and OEE strategies and assessments, either in-house or in a consulting environment.
• Expert knowledge of core OpEx methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, DMAIC, Value Stream Mapping, Gemba, 5S) with the ability to clearly articulate their application and value.
• Demonstrated ability to coach, mentor, and enable project teams and client teams in the practical application of OpEx and OEE tools.
• Experience leading OpEx and OEE initiatives and teams across cross-functional organizations, either internally or as a consultant.
• Strong command of key performance management, including defining, tracking, and monitoring KPIs to drive measurable business outcomes.
• Proven success embedding OpEx and OEE improvements into sustainable, standardized work processes.
• Black Belt certification in Operational Excellence or Six Sigma preferred.
• Demonstrated leadership of cross-functional teams spanning Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain functions.
• Hands-on experience applying OpEx and OEE principles within biopharmaceutical manufacturing environments, including Drug Substance, Drug Product, and Packaging operations.
• Proficient with tools, systems, and software platforms supporting OpEx and OEE analysis and deployment.
• Strong track record of delivering tangible, quantifiable business improvements through OpEx and OEE methodologies.
• Highly skilled in the design and deployment of visual management systems supporting Operational Excellence initiatives.

Leadership Skills

• Demonstrated leadership skills running large (10-20 people) cross-functional OpEx and OEE teams in a biopharmaceutical facility environment, either in-house or as a consultant.
• Ability to prioritize and set key milestone targets/business improvements for OpEx and OEE teams and drive the team to achieve those milestones.
• Ability to work through ambiguity and influence clients to take bold, business-driven approaches.

Attributes for Success

• Technical Delivery: Applies advanced technical knowledge and professional expertise.
• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Seeks better ways, adapts to change, and champions new ideas.
• Customer Focus & Professionalism: Represents Project Farma with consistent professionalism and respect for stakeholders, even during high-stress situations.
• Integrity & Humility: Demonstrates self-awareness and puts the mission above ego.
• Collaboration & Communication: Communicates clearly and proactively, driving transparent alignment with clients.
• Project Execution: Delivers reliably, manages priorities, and drives for high-quality outcomes.
• Growth Mindset: Shows openness to new ideas, feedback, and change.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree (and/or Master’s) in Life Sciences, Engineering, Regulatory, or related discipline OR a combination of equivalent experience in quality assurance, cGMP facility start-up, regulatory assurance, relevant military, and/or professional services.
• 13-16+ years of directly relevant experience.
• Bio-Pharmaceutical experience in Drug Substance, Drug Product, and Packaging technologies.
• 7+ years of GMP experience.
• Experience and proven track record in designing and implementing an Operational Excellence or Overall Equipment Effectiveness Program.
• Black Belt certification in Operational Excellence or Six Sigma highly preferred.

Pay

The annual compensation range for this full-time position is $150,000 - $185,000. The final base pay offered will be determined by factors including internal equity, work location, as well as individual qualifications, such as job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.