Manager, Lab Animal Operations

Accountabilities

• Financial responsibility: Having a good financial understanding of the profit and loss for the operational areas of responsibility is imperative. Revenue recognition and cost control is a key accountability.
• Visible leadership: Interacting with departments, quality assurance, safety and support staff site on general matters. Hold regular meetings with staff and establish a two-way (upward and downward) communication. Ensure cascading of important information. Attend opening and closing meetings with all customers and regulatory officials.
• Compliance: Ensure all regulatory compliance is adhered to and that the duties and actions to maintain compliance are met in operational areas of responsibility. Drive the quality metrics to ensure expected standards are met. Tour Ready and 5S is implemented and regular inspections are held. Ensure familiarity and compliance with relevant Health and Safety regulations. Ensuring high quality animal care and compliance with the relevant animal care regulations.
• Operational delivery: Operate units at a high standard of regulatory compliance and accreditation including but not limited to (AAALAC, USDA, Client Audits, Internal Audits, Business Continuity, Animal Welfare Regulations and Business Integrity). Assist other units through direct participation in marketing and sales efforts and in necessary regulatory roles. Manage appropriate staffing levels and ongoing technician training. Assist with budget forecast by projecting revenue returns and expense levels. Achieve revenue, cost and profit goals by monitoring performance. Respond directly to client feedback. Meet productivity goals. Achieve Key Business Indicators. Recommend new facility and program designs for operational areas. Establish production/sales models and resource commitments. Monitor the quality system and set standards for quality program participation and compliance.
• Management of team, regular and thorough performance evaluations, ensuring development opportunities and tailored learning plans are in place: Work with HR team to implement policies and procedures to resolve pertinent site related issues around workforce planning recruitment, performance management and disciplinary matters associated with assigned operational units.
• Customer relations: Focus on achieving customer satisfaction and loyalty through quality and agreed expectations. Interact with major account holders ensuring that the operational strategy is aligned with existing and emerging market needs and customer expectations. Together with operational leaders, develop an awareness of customer feedback and sentiment (Voice of the Customer), identify root cause and create and monitor action plans to address Quality, Health and Safety. Adopt the Company’s Quality Policy in the work delivered. Take accountability for the Quality metrics and delivery of improvements. Ensure the culture is in line with our Vision, Mission and Values. Effectively communicate issues relating to safety, operations and quality along with achievements and actions required to senior management. Support the establishment of disaster recovery plans and establish contingency planning as required to mitigate actual or perceived risks to the business. Promote and support self-reporting Business continuity and risk.
• KPI’s Contribution to Company-wide metrics: Operational Metrics, Voice of the customer, Quality Metrics, Employee related Metrics, Profit and Loss

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, preferred in Life Science, Animal Science or Management, or equivalent experience in managerial roles.
• Must have 8 - 10 years of management experience.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in the biomedical industry.
• Experience working with animals. Animal Production experience preferred.
• Previous experience with process improvement methodologies.

Required Skills/Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to manage site operations with P&L responsibility and people management.
• Possess strong analytical and conflict resolution skills, to help build and lead a successful team that aims at achieving business objectives.
• Must have proven verbal and written communication skills.
• Able to prioritize and multi-task.