Description
The Program Operational Readiness Senior Director is accountable for leading the operational readiness strategy and governance required to transition a major program from project delivery into safe, compliant, and effective site operations.
This role partners with site leaders, global functions, external partners, and executive governance to confirm that the organization is prepared to receive, operate, and sustain the new asset or infrastructure.
Key responsibilities include:
- Ensuring program outcomes, objectives, benefits, and the business case remain aligned with site and enterprise strategy
- Leading the steering team responsible for developing the future operating model
- Driving collaboration across steering teams to maintain alignment to the endorsed strategic vision
- Defining program readiness organization, governance, decision rights, capability requirements, escalation routes, forum cadence, accountable owners, and decision-ready information
- Framing executive decisions with clear options, trade-offs, risks, recommendations, and sponsor actions
- Protecting the business case with the Project Director through disciplined control of scope, cost, schedule, contingency, major change decisions, and delivery of the approved program ambition
- Securing resources, leadership capacity, and organizational capability required to deliver the program and sustain the future operating model
- Delivering readiness for first GMP and clinical manufacturing campaigns
- Supporting facility design, startup, CQV, operational handover, and readiness
- Ensuring sustainable transition into routine operations
The ideal candidate will have:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience in engineering, project management, construction management, operations, or a scientific discipline
- Minimum 10 years’ experience in operational readiness, manufacturing operations, or program delivery in the pharmaceutical industry
- Experience in commissioning/start-up and capital project delivery
- Experience with large-scale manufacturing capital build or transformation programs
- Experience supporting design, construction, commissioning, qualification, validation, start-up, and operational handover of major biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, equipment, and supporting systems
Preferred qualifications include:
- Strong senior stakeholder leadership, governance discipline, strategic decision-making, capital risk management, executive communication, cross-functional integration, benefits realization, resource and capability planning, safety and quality mindset
- Strong organizational skills and communication skills
- Strong relationship management skills
This role is based in the United States and onsite.