Head of External Sterile Operations (Anywhere in Europe)

Role: Head of External Sterile Operations responsible for strategy, governance, and performance of external manufacturing within the sterile vertical. Responsibilities: lead a team of External Operations Managers overseeing CDMO relationships; manage senior-level supplier relations across supply, quality, and cost; lead negotiations, capacity planning, and escalation resolution; collaborate with supply chain, quality, and technical teams to align priorities; develop external operations standards and governance. Qualifications: 15+ years in sterile or highly regulated manufacturing, with extensive experience managing third-party CDMO relationships; proven leadership in supplier management, contract negotiations, and supply chain operations; strong background in regulatory compliance, quality, and technical manufacturing processes. Preferred: experience supporting product transfers, launches, and lifecycle management in sterile biotech or pharma; exposure to financial and business planning related to supplier networks. High-Value: focus on sterile manufacturing, external supply chain, CDMO negotiations, and risk management; senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholder engagement. Work setup: not specified; likely requires strategic leadership across global external manufacturing partners.