Senior Director - Commercial Bioconjugation Operations

Lonza Group Ltd.; Oberwallis; On-site; CHF 350,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Lonza Group Ltd. in Visp, Switzerland, seeks an experienced Head Operations Payload Linker to lead a large-scale manufacturing unit of about 300 staff.

You will drive operational performance, safety, quality, compliance and customer delivery within the Advanced Synthesis Visp framework. You will translate business strategy into operational excellence, building high-performing teams and guiding capital investments to sustain growth in commercial bioconjugation and payload linker operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Technology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, Process Engineering or related.
• MBA or Executive MBA is an advantage.
• 10+ years of experience in pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical manufacturing operations, ideally within drug substance manufacturing.
• Proven senior leadership experience managing large, multilayered manufacturing organizations in complex, matrix-driven environments.
• Strong understanding of GMP manufacturing, regulatory compliance, operational excellence and manufacturing performance management.
• Demonstrated experience managing significant operational budgets, capital investments, asset strategies and organizational transformation.
• Strong business acumen, strategic thinking and ability to translate operational priorities into measurable business outcomes.
• Exceptional leadership, communication and stakeholder-management skills, with a proven ability to develop high-performing teams and influence across functions.
• Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, automation or continuous improvement initiatives is highly valued.
• Fluent English is required; German is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Lead a dedicated manufacturing unit within the Visp site, taking ownership of operational performance while leveraging shared infrastructure, services and governance.
• Define and execute operational strategies aligned with business priorities, optimizing capacity, productivity, workforce planning and resource allocation.
• Foster a strong safety and quality culture, ensuring adherence to GMP requirements, data integrity standards and regulatory expectations.
• Drive production performance, reliability, right-first-time execution and continuous improvement through Lean methodologies, automation and process optimization.
• Own operational budgets and controllable costs, oversee asset lifecycle strategies and sponsor capital investments to support sustainable growth and operational efficiency.
• Inspire, develop and empower a multidisciplinary leadership team, strengthening organizational capabilities, talent development and succession planning.
• Partner closely with Quality, Engineering, MSAT, Supply Chain, Project Management and Visp site leadership to ensure seamless execution and effective resource allocation.
• Represent Operations in strategic business discussions, customer interactions, audits and regulatory inspections, collaborating with key internal and external stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Communication

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

Operational excellence

Automation

Change management

Education

Chem Eng / Pharmaceutical Tech / Chemistry / Biochemistry / Biology / Process Eng

MBA (advantage)

Job description

Lonza Group Ltd. in Visp, Switzerland, seeks an experienced Head Operations Payload Linker to lead a large-scale manufacturing unit of about 300 staff.

You will drive operational performance, safety, quality, compliance and customer delivery within the Advanced Synthesis Visp framework. You will translate business strategy into operational excellence, building high-performing teams and guiding capital investments to sustain growth in commercial bioconjugation and payload linker operations.