Associate Director Operational Excellence

Barden; Cork; On-site; EUR 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A global biopharmaceutical company in Cork is seeking an Associate Director of Operational Excellence. This role involves driving strategic initiatives for performance improvement, implementing Lean practices, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Ideal candidates will have Lean/Six Sigma certification, excellent leadership skills, and experience in a pharmaceutical GMP environment. This position offers a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on operational capabilities.

Qualifications

• Proven capability to operate at strategic and tactical levels.
• Strong ability to influence local and global teams.
• Experience in pharmaceutical operations/GMP environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Operational Excellence strategy development and deployment.
• Champion continuous improvement and innovation culture.
• Manage execution of strategic priorities for performance improvement.

Skills

Lean / Six Sigma Black Belt certification

Data analytics

Leadership

Excellent communication

Job description

Barden has been engaged by our client, a global biopharmaceutical company with a strong manufacturing and operations presence in Cork and Ireland, on the appointment of an Associate Director Operation Excellence.

This role provides a unique opportunity to shape and lead the continuous improvement culture across the site.

As the Associate Director of Operational Excellence, you will drive strategic initiatives that elevate performance, embed best-in-class Lean practices, and enable the delivery of ambitious site and business objectives. Working closely with site leadership and cross-functional teams, you will play a pivotal role in building operational capability, fostering innovation, and delivering measurable business impact.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

What You will Do:

• Lead the development, deployment, and sustainability of the Operational Excellence strategy across the site, ensuring alignment with global and local business priorities.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and accountability that engages all levels of the organisation and drives long-term value creation.
• Develop, implement, and maintain the Site KPI to enhance performance visibility, alignment, and accountability through tiered performance management.
• Manage the execution of key site strategic priorities and initiatives that deliver measurable improvements in efficiency, quality, and business performance.
• Identify and prioritise improvement opportunities through value stream analysis, focusing on the elimination of waste and complexity.
• Lead cross-functional problem-solving sessions to address operational challenges using structured methodologies and data-driven approaches.
• Promote the use of Lean tools such as Value Stream Mapping, Kaizens, Gembas, leader standard work, structured problem-solving, and 7S to embed continuous improvement practices.
• Utilise analytics and data insights to drive informed decision-making and measure the impact of improvement initiatives.
• Serve as the Business Process Owner for the Eviview CI system, ensuring optimal functionality, data integrity, and alignment with site OE objectives.
• Design and deliver Lean and Six Sigma training (Yellow Belt and Green Belt) to strengthen site-wide operational excellence capability.
• Support Quarterly Business Reviews by providing updates on site KPI performance, Operational Excellence initiatives, and strategic progress.
• Lead the OE Advocate team to drive the site OE strategy, coordinate improvement activities, and organise recognition events celebrating excellence.
• Collaborate with other Manufacturing sites to harmonise best practices and actively contribute to the global Operational Excellence strategy and community.

ABOUT THE PERSON:

• Lean / Six Sigma Black Belt certified.
• Proven capability to operate at a strategic and tactical level of execution.
• Strategically applies data analytics to inform high-impact Operational Excellence initiatives.
• Knowledge of Leader Standard Work and OE Production Systems.
• Strong leadership with proven ability to influence and collaborate across local and global teams.
• Demonstrates excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Experience in pharmaceutical operations/GMP environment