Director - MQ L&D Small Molecule and Central Functions

Elanco Tiergesundheit AG; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-site in Speke

Hybrid work option

Travel up to 30%

Job summary

Elanco is seeking a Director, MQ Learning & Development (L&D) to shape the strategic vision and roadmap for learning across the Small Molecule MQ network. You will guide transformation toward a unified, scalable approach balancing compliance, operational excellence, onboarding, leadership readiness, and ongoing capability development.

You will lead MQ L&D across sites, collaborate with Global L&D and business leaders to deliver measurable improvements, with travel up to 30% in the EU and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences or related field.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in pharmaceutical or biotech manufacturing site roles.
• 4+ years of direct people-management experience.
• Proven success developing and leading learning initiatives that support manufacturing sites and deliver measurable results.
• Demonstrated operational excellence mindset, including process harmonization and optimization.
• Strong knowledge of global industry regulations and compliance requirements (FDA, USDA, EU GMP).
• Experience leading and developing effective teams within a virtual environment.
• Ability to influence, collaborate and build partnerships across functions and leadership levels.
• Strong facilitation and coaching capabilities in leadership training.
• Fluent written and spoken English.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead the learning strategy and transformation roadmap across the Small Molecule MQ network.
• Lead and develop MQ L&D resources with clear accountability and collaboration.
• Translate business and site needs into scalable learning solutions for performance and compliance.
• Drive harmonization and optimization of learning processes across sites with Global L&D and MQ leadership.
• Design learning experiences across live, virtual, on-demand and blended formats using adult learning principles.
• Drive digital innovation, including LMS optimization, AI-enabled learning, analytics, and emerging tech like VR/AR.
• Design and facilitate frontline leadership development initiatives supporting MQ transformation.
• Establish KPIs, analytics and dashboards to measure learning effectiveness and impact.
• Lead cross-functional learning initiatives and manage vendors, budgets, timelines with site leaders.

Skills

Leadership

L&D strategy

Regulatory knowledge

Virtual leadership

Coaching & facilitation

Stakeholder collaboration

English fluency

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences

Tools

LMS

AI-powered learning

VR/AR

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. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People. 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!

Your Role

As Director, MQ Learning & Development (L&D), you will shape and implement the strategic vision and roadmap for learning across our Small Molecule Manufacturing & Quality (MQ) network. You will lead the transformation toward a unified, scalable learning approach that balances regulatory compliance, operational excellence, employee onboarding, leadership readiness and continuous capability development. Working across manufacturing sites and in close partnership with Global L&D and business leaders, you will ensure our people have the capabilities they need to deliver reliable supply with integrity and excellence. This role provides direct leadership to MQ L&D resources across the network and will play a key role in transforming our learning ecosystem through process harmonization, digital learning, analytics and emerging technologies including AI.

Your Responsibilities

• Define and lead the learning strategy and transformation roadmap across the Small Molecule MQ network.
• Lead and develop MQ L&D resources, ensuring clear accountability and effective collaboration across the network.
• Translate business and site needs into scalable learning solutions that improve performance, compliance and employee engagement.
• Drive harmonization and optimization of learning processes across manufacturing sites in partnership with Global L&D and MQ leadership.
• Shape effective learning experiences across live, virtual, on-demand and blended formats, applying adult learning and behavioral science principles.
• Drive digital innovation, including LMS optimization, AI-enabled learning, analytics and emerging technologies such as VR/AR.
• Design and facilitate frontline leadership development initiatives supporting MQ transformation and continuous learning.
• Establish KPIs, analytics and dashboards to measure learning effectiveness and impact on manufacturing outcomes.
• Lead cross-functional learning initiatives and build strong partnerships with site leaders, Global L&D, Quality, SMEs and external partners, while managing relevant vendors, budgets and timelines.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications)

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences or a related field.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in pharmaceutical or biotech manufacturing site roles.
• 4+ years of direct people-management experience.
• Proven success developing and leading learning initiatives that support manufacturing sites and deliver measurable results.
• Demonstrated operational excellence mindset, including experience with process harmonization and optimization.
• Strong knowledge of global industry regulations and compliance requirements, such as FDA, USDA and EU GMP.
• Experience leading and developing effective teams within a virtual environment.
• Demonstrated ability to influence, collaborate and build effective partnerships across functions and leadership levels.
• Strong facilitation and coaching capability, with experience developing and/or delivering leadership training.
• Fluent written and spoken English.

What will give you a competitive edge (preferred qualifications)

• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
• Experience leading learning or training programs within global, matrixed life sciences organizations.
• Expertise in digital learning design, AI-powered learning solutions and performance analytics.
• Experience with Learning Management Systems (LMS), content-authoring tools and multimedia learning solutions.
• Knowledge of emerging learning technologies, including VR/AR and adaptive learning platforms.
• Certification or formal training in adult learning theory.

Additional Information

Travel: 30% mainly in EU
Location: Speke, UK on-site preferrable.
Hybrid Work Environment possible

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.

Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) is a global leader in animal health dedicated to innovating and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets, creating value for farmers, pet owners, veterinarians, stakeholders, and society as a whole. With nearly 70 years of animal health heritage, we are committed to helping our customers improve the health of animals in their care, while also making a meaningful impact on our local and global communities. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching life and our Elanco Healthy Purpose™ CSR framework – all to advance the health of animals, people and the planet. Learn more at www.elanco.com.