Senior Director of Operations - Commercial Bioconjugation

Lonza; Schweiz; Vor Ort; Vertraulich; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

Lonza is seeking an experienced Head of Operations Commercial Bioconjugation to lead a large-scale manufacturing unit at the Visp site in Switzerland. You will own end-to-end operational performance, safety, quality, and delivery for 400–500 employees, and partner with Quality, Engineering and PM to drive growth and efficiency.

Reporting to the Global Head Operations Advanced Synthesis, you will translate business strategy into operational excellence, develop high-performing teams and steer

Qualifikationen

• 10+ years of experience in pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical manufacturing operations, ideally within drug substance manufacturing, with exposure to process development and technology transfer.
• 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.

Aufgaben

• 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.

Kenntnisse

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Lean manufacturing

Project management

Ausbildung

Bachelor's or Master's in Chemical Engineering/Pharma

MBA/Executive MBA (advantage)

Jobbeschreibung

Lonza is seeking an experienced Head of Operations Commercial Bioconjugation to lead a large-scale manufacturing unit at the Visp site in Switzerland. You will own end-to-end operational performance, safety, quality, and delivery for 400–500 employees, and partner with Quality, Engineering and PM to drive growth and efficiency.

Reporting to the Global Head Operations Advanced Synthesis, you will translate business strategy into operational excellence, develop high-performing teams and steer