Head Maintenance & Reliability (m/w/d)- Pharma

Elanco; Cuxhaven; On-site; EUR 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company fitness program

Meal allowance

Team events

Up to 30 days holiday

Christmas and holiday bonus

Attractive remuneration

Job summary

A global leader in animal health is seeking a Head of Maintenance and Reliability for its Cuxhaven site. In this role, you will lead the maintenance team and develop strategies ensuring the reliable operation of production assets. The ideal candidate has a degree in engineering, 8-10 years of industrial experience, and is fluent in German and English. The position offers competitive remuneration and various benefits, contributing to a diverse, inclusive work environment.

Qualifications

• 8-10 years of experience in industrial maintenance or engineering within a manufacturing environment.
• Proven leadership experience managing maintenance teams.
• Fluency in both German and English.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the site maintenance and reliability team.
• Develop and execute comprehensive maintenance strategies.
• Manage the maintenance budget, MRO costs, and contractor services.
• Ensure compliance with GMP requirements and site safety standards.

Skills

Leadership

Problem-solving

Reliability Engineering

Asset Management

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering

Tools

SAP PM

Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS)

Job description

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. We’re driven by our vision of ‘Food and Companionship Enriching Life’ and our approach to sustainability – the Elanco Healthy Purpose™ – to advance the health of animals, people, the planet, and our enterprise.

At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

Head of Maintenance and Reliability

As the Head of Maintenance and Reliability at our Cuxhaven manufacturing site, you will lead the maintenance and reliability function to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient operation of production and utility assets. In this role, you’ll be responsible for developing and executing a robust maintenance strategy, driving reliability improvements, and implementing best practices in preventive and predictive maintenance.

Your Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop the site maintenance and reliability team, fostering a strong culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Develop and execute comprehensive maintenance strategies, including preventive, predictive, and corrective programs, to optimize asset lifecycle management.
• Drive reliability improvement initiatives using methodologies such as Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA).
• Manage the maintenance budget, MRO costs, and contractor services while utilizing SAP PM or equivalent CMMS for planning and tracking.
• Ensure strict compliance with GMP requirements, environmental regulations, and site safety standards while partnering with cross-functional teams on capital improvement initiatives.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• A minimum of 8–10 years of experience in industrial maintenance or engineering within a manufacturing environment.
• Proven leadership experience managing maintenance teams and fluency in both German and English.

What will give you a competitive edge (preferred qualifications):

• Experience working within regulated industries such as pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food, or chemical manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of maintenance strategies, reliability engineering, and asset management systems.
• Proficiency with SAP PM or other computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS).
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision‑making capabilities.

Additional Information:

• Location: Cuxhaven, Germany

What We Offer You

• Interesting and varied working environment in a modern and growing global company in the pharmaceutical industry
• Room for initiative and flexibility
• Exciting development opportunities
• Company fitness program
• Meal allowance
• Corporation benefits
• Team eventsUp to 30 days holiday
• Special leave days (wedding, work anniversaries etc.)
• Attractive remuneration according to the company collective agreement incl. Christmas and holiday bonus
• 38 hours/week

Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.

Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.