Job Title: Director, Chemical Manufacturing
Location: Remote (UK) — must align with UK / US / Switzerland time zones
Reporting To: Senior Director, Chemical Manufacturing
Employment Type: Full‑time
Role Summary
Lead and oversee external chemical manufacturing operations under cGMP for drug‑linker/toxin intermediates and associated raw materials, collaborating with global CMOs and internal teams including Supply Chain, QA, QC, Legal, Project Management and Regulatory Affairs.
Key Responsibilities
* Serve as technical lead for selected CMO partnerships, ensuring timely delivery, risk‑mitigation and compliance.
* Manage manufacturing of critical intermediates and raw materials to support clinical and/or commercial supply.
* Assist supply planning, budgeting and contract tracking via ERP systems in collaboration with Legal and Finance.
* Support regulatory submissions & health authority responses; lead quality system activities (change control, deviations, CAPAs).
* Review and approve batch records, protocols and reports from CMOs.
* Provide oversight (including ‘Person‑in‑Plant’ when required) during PPQ and commercial manufacturing campaigns.
* Present insights internally across functions and travel internationally (~20%, mainly Europe/Asia).
Requirements
* PhD in Chemistry preferred; MS or BSc considered with strong industrial experience.
* 10+ years in chemical manufacturing of small molecule APIs, especially in GMP environments; contract manufacturing experience preferred.
* Deep knowledge of chemical manufacturing best practices (including PPQ), quality systems (change control, deviations, CAPA) and regulatory submissions.
* Strong organic chemistry background; ability to influence in matrix settings; excellent verbal and written English communication.
* Comfortable making decisions with incomplete data and working across multiple time‑zones.
Why This Role Matters
This is an impactful leadership position at the heart of manufacturing operations, enabling supply of critical chemical intermediates for innovative therapies, in a global, remote‑friendly environment.
Ready to join a high-impact team driving digital transformation?
About Planet Pharma:
Planet Pharma is an American parented Employment Business/Agency that provides global staffing services with its head-quarters in Chicago and our EMEA regional office located in Central London. We have invested significantly in creating a robust international platform that enables us to work compliantly in 30+ countries with a current network of 2500+ active contractors globally as well as a very strong permanent / direct hire recruitment offering.
Our specialist knowledge and close relationships with our clients and the wider industry really makes us unique in our field. Just recently we were recognised by FORBES as the 17th best professional staffing firm, and have won multiple awards from industry accredited bodies for our commitment to excellence and service delivery. We have extensive functional expertise including: Regulatory Affairs, Pharmacovigilance, QA, QC, Submissions experts, Clinical development, Quality, Biostatistics, and Medical Affairs / Writing.
We are an equal opportunities Recruitment Business and Agency. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.
www.planet-pharma.com
Please click ‘apply’ or contact Augustus Chukwuma (Recruitment Team Lead) at Planet Pharma for more information:
E: achukwuma@planet-pharma.co.uk