Senior Manager, Inbound Value Stream

About the role

Azenta Life Sciences is a global leader in the life sciences space with offices and operations, worldwide. We are a market leader in automated bio sample management solutions and genomic services across areas such as drug development, clinical and advanced cell therapies for the industry's top pharmaceutical, biotech, academic and healthcare institutions globally. We provide unparalleled capabilities with our lab analysis, sample management and storage services, informatics software, and consumables, with the largest installed base managing over 1 billion samples globally.

The Senior Manager, Inbound Value Stream is responsible for the end-to-end performance of inbound biorepository operations, including Receiving, Manifesting, Registration, Gravimetric Weighing, and Automation. This role provides strategic and operational leadership for the inbound value stream, ensuring work is prioritized, planned, executed, and continually improved in alignment with customer requirements, quality expectations, and business objectives.

How you'll add value

As a member of the site leadership team, the Value Stream Senior Manager owns value stream performance by aligning people, processes, systems, and resources to improve flow, eliminate waste, increase productivity, and strengthen customer outcomes. This leader serves as the primary owner of Daily Management, continuous improvement, workforce development, and long-term value stream strategy.

What you'll do

• Lead the Inbound Value Stream:
  • Own end-to-end performance for Receiving, Manifesting, Registration, Gravimetric, and Automation activities
  • Establish clear priorities and operating plans that align customer demand, operational capacity, and business objectives
  • Drive execution against safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost objectives
  • Ensure timely, accurate, and compliant processing of all inbound specimens and materials
  • Maintain visibility to workload, capacity, throughput, and operational risk across the value stream
  • Own the 12–24 month strategy, organizational capability, and financial performance of the Inbound Value Stream while developing the future operating model for scalable growth
• Drive Operational Excellence:
  • Lead Daily Management through visual management, tiered accountability, and structured problem-solving routines
  • Develop and sustain Standard Work across inbound operations
  • Champion Azenta Business System (ABS) principles and continuous improvement initiatives
  • Facilitate Kaizen events, process improvement initiatives, and waste elimination activities that improve flow, quality, and labor productivity
  • Utilize data, analytics, and performance metrics to identify gaps and drive sustainable improvement
• Deliver Business Performance:
  • Own inbound value stream KPIs, including quality, delivery, productivity, turnaround time, labor utilization, and cost performance; ensure client specific KPIs are met to the expectations of the client
  • Partner with Finance and site leadership to execute Annual Operating Plan (AOP) objectives and support value stream financial performance
  • Support Sales & Operations Planning (SIOP) execution through effective capacity planning, labor planning, and resource allocation
  • Collaborate with Scheduling to ensure customer demand is translated into a clear daily execution plan
• Lead and Develop People:
  • Lead, coach, and develop Supervisors, Leads, and frontline employees within the inbound value stream
  • Build a culture of accountability, engagement, problem-solving, and continuous improvement
  • Support hiring, onboarding, succession planning, and leadership development
  • Establish clear expectations, performance standards, and career growth opportunities across the organization
• Partner Across Functions:
  • Partner with Quality, Facilities, PMO, Informatics, Data Analytics, Logistics, and EHS to achieve value stream objectives
  • Ensure customer requirements, regulatory expectations, and operational priorities are integrated into value stream planning and execution
  • Support audit readiness, CAPA activities, quality investigations, and risk mitigation efforts

Your management responsibilities

• Hiring & Staffing:
  • Skills assessment
  • Resource planning
  • Competency based, quality hiring
  • Effective on-boarding
• Collaboration:
  • Constructive conflict
  • Appropriate follow-up
  • Holds self and other accountable
  • Builds relationships & partners across-functions
  • Considers and communicates cross-functionally
• Communication to Inspire & Empower:
  • Regular meaningful communications
  • Connection of department & individual purpose to strategic direction
  • Follow-up to address obstacles
• Performance Management:
  • Reinforce behaviors that drive results
  • Assess right person in the right job
  • Feedback/coaching
  • Raising the bar; increasing contribution
  • Address misaligned or misplaced talent
• Develop People:
  • Dialogue about skills & behaviors for success at Azenta
  • Understanding employee aspirations
  • Opportunities for experiential learning & growth
  • Experience planning & delegate to develop

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences, Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Business, or related field or 15+ years of progressive operations leadership experience, including at least 5 years in a Value Stream Manager or equivalent leadership role
• 7+ years of progressive operations leadership experience in distribution, manufacturing, supply chain, laboratory, biorepository, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or related regulated environments
• 3+ years of leadership experience managing leaders and frontline teams
• Demonstrated success leading operational performance, process improvement, and organizational change
• Experience utilizing KPIs and data-driven decision-making to improve business performance
• Strong leadership, communication, problem-solving, and change management skills

Preferred qualifications

• Master's degree in a related discipline
• Lean, Six Sigma, or equivalent continuous improvement certification
• Experience with Daily Management, Standard Work, Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, and structured problem solving
• Experience with AOP, SIOP, workforce planning, and financial management
• Experience working in CAP, CLIA, FDA, GxP, ISO, or other regulated environments

Physical requirements

• Reaching, lifting, bending
• Ability to lift 50 lbs.
• Extended periods of standing or sitting
• Right- and left-hand finger dexterity
• Ability to discern colors or use of color correction glasses
• Ability to work with refrigerants (e.g., dry ice and LNs) using proper PPE

Working conditions

• Employee will be working in an area with potentially infectious materials
• Employee will be responsible for maintaining a clean work environment and enforce and follow Universal Precautions for bloodborne pathogens when working in an area considered to be potentially contaminated

Pay

United States Base Compensation: $127,000.00 - $159,000.00