Sr. Director - Engineering (Automation, Process, Maintenance)

Role Summary

The Senior Director is responsible for leading the site’s process-facing engineering functions — including process engineering, automation, and maintenance—to ensure the team has the capacity, capability, and leadership to support site startup and long-term manufacturing goals. This role provides both administrative and technical leadership for engineering operations.

Responsibilities

• Pre-Startup & Startup Phase
• Organizational Development: Collaborate with the Site Lead Team to build a capable, inclusive, and resilient organization focused on safety, quality, and operational excellence.
• Functional Strategy: Define priorities and roadmap for process engineering, automation, and maintenance. Develop systems and processes by leveraging internal expertise and external best practices.
• Safety Leadership: Actively contribute to the site HSE Lead Team to ensure safety is embedded throughout project delivery and startup.
• Project Support: Act as end user for process equipment‚Äîproviding input on design, commissioning, and startup plans to align with both project and long-term site goals.
• Team Structure: Design and evolve the engineering organization to ensure the right resources and leadership are in place for GMP manufacturing.
• System Readiness: Ensure qualified and safe states for equipment, processes, utilities, and facilities are established and maintained.
• Corporate Alignment: Build strong technical relationships with corporate teams and champion strategic initiatives at the site level.
• Post-Startup Phase
• Ongoing Strategy Execution: Continue refining and executing the engineering roadmap, aligning functional goals with site priorities.
• Compliance & Standards: Ensure adherence to corporate policies and standards across environmental, safety, and quality domains.
• External Benchmarking: Maintain an outward focus to identify and apply best practices from across the industry and internal network.
• Asset Management: Partner with Facilities Engineering to manage site investments ‚Äî planning, prioritizing, and executing capital projects aligned with site objectives.
• Operational Integrity: Ensure equipment remains in a qualified and safe state, and that maintenance is performed and documented to the highest standards.
• Governance & Controls: Establish and maintain robust control systems to manage compliance and escalate issues appropriately.
• Leadership Development: Cultivate future technical and managerial leaders for the site and potential global roles.

Qualifications

• Required: Bachelor‚Äôs degree in an engineering discipline
• Required: 10+ years of experience in a leadership role managing teams within the pharmaceutical industry
• Preferred: Experience in API and aseptic manufacturing, including implementation of a Process Safety Management program
• Preferred: Strong understanding of cGMPs and their application to manufacturing operations
• Preferred: Proven ability to build effective relationships across all organizational levels‚Äîfrom site leadership to frontline teams
• Preferred: Demonstrated success in leading projects from initiation to completion, meeting timelines, budgets, and performance standards
• Preferred: Track record of developing and managing high-performing, engaged teams with a focus on safety, quality, and strong team culture