The Head of Technical Operations will lead the strategic and operational performance of a well-established operations team spanning manufacturing, supply chain and engineering within a specialized production environment.
Reporting to the Site Director, they will drive a positive work culture committed to compliance, continuous improvement and customer focus. The successful candidate will have a strong technical background with experience in the pharmaceutical or allied sectors. A commercially astute individual who loves to learn, can wear multiple hats, is detailed orientated and with a can-do attitude, is encouraged to apply.
This role will be instrumental in supporting the R&D function, new product pipeline and ensuring the operations function is scaled for growth and new product introductions. The individual will be required to represent the company at international events and technical visits to customers. The role requires an individual with strong leadership, emotional intelligence and decision-making skills along with a balanced approach to risk.
Main tasks of the job:
Strategic leadership, empowerment and development of the existing operational teams within the organization.
* Develop and deliver the technical operations strategy aligned with the business goals.
* Set clear performance objectives and reporting on safety, quality, cost and delivery targets.
* Further develop and enhance the enterprise resource planning aspect of the operational side of the business.
* Act as a key member of the senior leadership team contributing to business strategy.
* Act as a key technical point of contact for senior leadership and customers.
* Lead and coordinate discussions on technical and process challenges, whilst ultimately implementing resolutions as they arise.
* Work in collaboration with the parent organization on wider strategic and technical related aspects of the entire business.
* Plan and execute strategies for scalability, capacity changes, new product introductions and future technology needs.
* Lead process optimization, yield improvement and waste reduction initiatives.
* Own technical decision-making relating to the plant.
* Collaborate closely with Quality, R&D and the Commercial teams.
* Proven change management and continuous improvement mindset.
Qualification, Skills and Experience:
* Degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related discipline
* 10+ years’ experience in pharmaceutical, technical or manufacturing roles
* Significant leadership experience within a GMP environment
* Proven experience with regulatory inspections
* Strong leadership and decision‑making capability
* High level of emotional intelligence
* Deep understanding of pharmaceutical manufacturing and GMP
* Ability to quickly grasp and understand technical concepts, not just plant-related, but process/product specific as well
* Strategic thinking with hands‑on technical credibility
* Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, both written and verbal
* Proficient in all MS Office packages, report/presentation preparation and utilization of IT/AI in the development of business process solutions