General Manager – Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

xNorth; Toronto; On-site; CAD 260,000 - 380,000; Full time

Job summary

xNorth in Toronto, Canada, seeks a General Manager to lead pharmaceutical manufacturing site in a GMP environment, reporting to PE owners. The role oversees all site functions and drives performance, compliance, and scalable growth.

The ideal candidate has 15+ years in pharma manufacturing, senior executive experience, and a proven track record in value creation within PE-backed settings; strong leadership on the shop floor and with regulators is required.

Qualifications

• Senior pharmaceutical executive with 15+ years in pharma manufacturing.
• Deep knowledge of GMP operations, quality systems, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience leading in PE-owned or high-accountability environments.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for the pharma site.
• Hold full P&L and operational accountability for the site.
• Lead Manufacturing, QA, QC, Supply Chain, Engineering, Maintenance, EHS, and HR.
• Ensure sustained GMP, Health Canada, and FDA compliance.
• Establish a strong quality culture with documented right-first-time execution.
• Drive continuous improvement in safety, quality, service, productivity, and cost.
• Execute initiatives to improve EBITDA, cash flow, and scalability.
• Lead site strategy, capacity planning, and capital investments.
• Build and retain a high-performing leadership team.
• Interface with corporate leadership, PE owners, and regulators.
• Lead regulatory inspections, audits, and remediation activities.

Skills

Executive leadership & P&L ownership

GMP/regulatory expertise

PE-backed / high accountability

Change management & people leadership

Strategic planning & execution

Job description

General Manager – Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

General Manager – Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Position Type: Permanent

Context

We are supporting a pharmaceutical manufacturing organization based in Toronto that operates in a highly regulated GMP environment and is part of a Private Equity portfolio. The company is in a phase of performance optimization, value creation, and long-term scalability under PE ownership.

The organization is seeking a top-tier General Manager to lead site operations and play a critical role in executing the PE value-creation plan. This role requires a rare combination of senior executive leadership, deep technical expertise in pharmaceutical manufacturing, and strong people leadership.

The General Manager will have full accountability for site operations and will work closely with ownership and senior stakeholders to deliver sustainable operational performance, compliance, and growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for the pharmaceutical manufacturing site
• Hold full P&L and operational accountability for the site
• Lead all site functions including Manufacturing, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Supply Chain, Engineering, Maintenance, EHS, and HR
• Ensure sustained compliance with GMP, Health Canada, FDA, and applicable regulatory standards
• Establish and reinforce a strong quality culture with rigorous documentation, right-first-time execution, and inspection readiness
• Drive continuous improvement across safety, quality, service level, productivity, and cost in line with PE value-creation objectives
• Execute operational improvement initiatives to enhance EBITDA, cash flow, and operational scalability
• Lead site strategy, capacity planning, and capital investment decisions
• Build, develop, and retain a high-performing leadership team
• Act as the primary interface with corporate leadership, Private Equity owners, and regulatory authorities
• Lead and support regulatory inspections, audits, and remediation activities as required

Profile

• Senior pharmaceutical executive with experience as a General Manager, Site Head, Plant Director, or equivalent
• Minimum 15 years of experience in pharmaceutical or life sciences manufacturing environments
• Strong technical background with deep knowledge of GMP operations, quality systems, and regulatory compliance
• Demonstrated experience operating in Private Equity–backed or high-accountability environments
• Proven track record of driving performance improvement, value creation, and operational excellence
• Highly credible leader with strong presence on the shop floor and in executive settings
• Excellent people leadership, communication, and change management skills
• Strategic yet hands-on, with a strong execution mindset
• Experience interacting with Health Canada, FDA, and global regulatory bodies