Operations Director, External Manufacturing

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets.

At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.

At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment.

We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success.

Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

Your Role:

Based in Basel, Switzerland, the Operations Director, External Manufacturing leads the operational performance of Elanco’s contract manufacturing partner portfolio.

The role provides strategic and tactical oversight of product supply, quality, compliance, and operational excellence, ensuring continuity of supply and strong partner performance.

You will work across multiple functions and provide direct and indirect leadership to deliver business outcomes.

 

Your Responsibilities:


* Lead governance and performance management for the contract manufacturing portfolio, establishing effective operating forums, account plans, performance metrics, and improvement priorities.


* Ensure contract manufacturing partners meet applicable financial, quality, supply chain, health and safety, regulatory and internationally recognized standards, including Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) requirements.


* Partner with Procurement and other functions on contract negotiations and renewals, contract strategy, dispute resolution, and ongoing compliance with contractual obligations.


* Drive reliable, cost-effective product supply by coordinating Supply, Technical Services, Quality, Health, Safety and Environment and other functional partners to resolve issues and maintain consistent product quality.


* Lead risk reviews, productivity and continuous improvement initiatives, contract manufacturer selection and due diligence, technical transfers, and product change implementation to support business growth and uninterrupted supply.

 

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):


* Degree in Engineering or Science.


* 5–7 years of experience in a current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) manufacturing environment.


* Proven success in supervisory or people-management roles, including mentoring, coaching, and performance development.


* Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders across multiple functions to achieve business outcomes, supported by strong learning agility across Production, Quality, Technical Services, Procurement, Finance, Regulatory and Research and Development.
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