Project Manager, Production Operations

Orion Corporation; Oulu; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Orion Corporation seeks a Project Manager for a two-year fixed-term position at the Fermion production plant in Oulu. The role operates in a demanding GMP-regulated pharmaceutical manufacturing environment, aiming to harmonize operating models across Oulu and Hanko.

You will identify improvement opportunities, drive practical solutions, and ensure changes become part of daily operations. Strong cross-functional leadership and process-focused mindset are essential.

Qualifications

• Degree in a technical or scientific field as listed.
• Experience in manufacturing or GMP environment is advantageous.
• Ability to understand complex environments and adapt to changes.
• Proven cross-functional project leadership capabilities.
• Willingness to travel between Oulu and Hanko; fluent English and Finnish.

Responsibilities

• Plan and drive development initiatives across production operations.
• Develop and harmonize cleaning processes and related documentation.
• Coordinate controlled substance handling processes.
• Strengthen collaboration between production, QA, and labs.
• Lead 5S implementation and continuous improvement across sites.

Skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Structured & proactive

Cross-functional collaboration

English & Finnish fluency

Education

Engineering/Science degree

Tools

SAP S/4HANA

Honeywell MES

Production systems

Job description

We are looking for a Project Manager for a two-year fixed term position at Fermion’s production plant in Oulu. In this role, you will have the opportunity to work in a demanding GMP-regulated pharmaceutical manufacturing environment, developing processes and harmonizing ways of working across our production sites in both Oulu and Hanko towards more aligned operating models.

To succeed in this role, you will quickly build an understanding of our processes and ways of working. You will work with different teams and stakeholders across the organization, identifying opportunities for improvement and turning these insights into practical, sustainable solutions. Your focus will be on improving collaboration, increasing efficiency, and ensuring that changes become part of daily operations.

Responsibilities

In this role, you will be responsible for planning and driving development initiatives that support production operations across our manufacturing sites. Your key responsibilities include:

• Developing and harmonizing production equipment cleaning processes, including implementation of new ways of working as well as developing related documentation.
• Coordinating the development of controlled substance handling processes
• Strengthening collaboration between key stakeholders groups (production, Quality Assurance, laboratory functions).
• Driving implementation and continuous improvement of 5S practices across the organization.
• Leading development projects from concept to implementation.

What you can expect from us

We offer you interesting and diverse tasks, as well as thorough onboarding and support to help you succeed in your role. You will also have the opportunity to grow and expand your expertise throughout your career.

At Orion, your work creates true impact and well-being for our customers, patients and society at large. Our culture of friendliness, respect, mutual appreciation and diversity creates a safe working environment where you can strive for excellence. We offer a wealth of career paths and development opportunities that support the development of innovative solutions and improving the quality of life.

Please visit our website to find further information about our values and Orion as an employer https://www.orion.fi/en/careers/orion-as-an-employer/.

What are we looking for?

To succeed in this role, you should have:

• A relevant technical or scientific degree (e.g. M.Sc. in Engineering, Engineer, or M.Sc. in a relevant scientific field)
• Strong ability to understand complex environments, see the bigger picture, and quickly adapt to new processes and ways of working in a changing manufacturing environment
• A cost-conscious and business-oriented mindset, with the ability to identify efficient and practical solutions
• A structured, proactive, and self-driven approach to work
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively across functions and sites
• Fluent written and spoken English and Finnish skills
• Willingness to travel between our production sites in Oulu and Hanko

Considered as an advantage

• Experience working in production or laboratory environment
• Experience in leading cross-functional development and process improvement projects
• Familiarity with operating in a GMP-regulated environment
• Strong IT skills, including experience with SAP S/4HANA, the Honeywell Manufacturing Execution System, or similar production management systems
• Proven experience in leading development or process improvement projects

For more information about the position, kindly contact Production Director Jouko Oikarinen, (tel. [phone]) on Tuesday September 8 between 12-13 or on Wednesday September 16, between 13-14.

Approved medical examination which also includes drug testing is required prior to the employment. We will also carry out a security clearance prior to the employment for the selected person.