Executive Director/ Senior Director - Global Operational Excellence

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.; Ireland; Hybrid; EUR 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. is seeking an Executive Director/Senior Director - Global Operational Excellence based in Ireland (Dublin/Cork) with a hybrid work model (2 days onsite).

This role leads the global TOPS improvement program, aligning cross-functional teams to remove waste and standardize processes while protecting patient supply. Close collaboration with Data Science, Digital Strategy and Value Delivery is essential.

Qualifications

• Master Black Belt certification or equivalent depth in Lean Six Sigma.
• Degree in engineering, science, operations or related discipline.
• Experience leading multi-site manufacturing OpEx programs and delivering improvements.
• Experience developing, assessing and certifying improvement capability beyond direct reports.

Responsibilities

• Own the BioMarin/TOPS OpEx roadmap, structure and maturity across sites.
• Deploy Lean Six Sigma standards with coaching for site teams and leaders.
• Lead capability-building, accreditation and certification across OpEx teams.
• Target operational losses using data baselines and strategic projects.
• Verify improvements, publish comparable maturity and sustained results.
• Standardize and replicate successful improvements across the network.
• Train and mentor site improvement practitioners and leaders.

Skills

Multi-site OpEx leadership

Change leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Problem solving

Data-driven decision making

Education

Master Black Belt certification

Engineering/Science degree

Tools

Process mining

Lean Six Sigma

Data analytics tools

AI tools

Job description

Who We Are BioMarin is a leading rare disease biotechnology company focused on genetically defined conditions. Guided by our purpose to develop medicines that make a profound impact on people's lives, our global teams have delivered a portfolio of therapies since our founding in 1997. Our revolutionary treatments for conditions like achondroplasia (the most common form of dwarfism), PKU (phenylketonuria), CLN2, a form of Batten disease, and a number of forms of MPS (mucopolysaccharidosis) offer new possibilities for patients and families who previously had few, if any, available options. More recently, with the close of the Amicus acquisition, our portfolio has expanded to include therapies for Fabry disease and Pompe disease, expanding our ability to reach more people living with rare genetic conditions. Our success comes from our unwavering commitment to excellence, our deep understanding of patient needs, our scientific expertise, and our world-class manufacturing capabilities. At the heart of BioMarin is a dedicated team of the brightest minds in the industry working together to deliver innovative therapies to patients and families around the world.

Who We Are

BioMarin is a leading rare disease biotechnology company focused on genetically defined conditions.

Guided by our purpose to develop medicines that make a profound impact on people's lives, our global teams have delivered a portfolio of therapies since our founding in 1997. Our revolutionary treatments for conditions like achondroplasia (the most common form of dwarfism), PKU (phenylketonuria), CLN2, a form of Batten disease, and a number of forms of MPS (mucopolysaccharidosis) offer new possibilities for patients and families who previously had few, if any, available options. More recently, with the close of the Amicus acquisition, our portfolio has expanded to include therapies for Fabry disease and Pompe disease, expanding our ability to reach more people living with rare genetic conditions.

Our success comes from our unwavering commitment to excellence, our deep understanding of patient needs, our scientific expertise, and our world-class manufacturing capabilities. At the heart of BioMarin is a dedicated team of the brightest minds in the industry working together to deliver innovative therapies to patients and families around the world.

About Technical Operations

BioMarin's Technical Operations group is responsible for creating our drugs for use in clinical trials and for scaling production of those drugs for the commercial market. These engineers, technicians, scientists and support staff build and maintain BioMarin's cutting-edge manufacturing processes and sites, provide quality assurance and quality control to ensure we meet regulatory standards, and procure the needed goods and services to support manufacturing and coordinating the worldwide movement of our drugs to patients.

Executive Director/ Senior Director - Global Operational Excellence

Location: Dublin or Cork, Ireland

Hybrid role 2 days per week onsite

Closing Date - 16th November 2026

Role Summary

The Executive Director Global Operational Excellence owns the single global TOPS improvement method, operating system and capability to apply it. Reporting to the VP, TOPS Digital Strategy & Operational Excellence, the role builds a network that can improve itself and deliver sustained operational and financial benefits while protecting quality and reliable patient supply.

Together with Data Science, Analytics & AI and Digital Strategy & Value Delivery, the role works across Frame, Baseline, Simplify, Digitize and Prove. The approach is People, then Process, then Technology: remove waste and standardize before digitizing. Data Science, Analytics & AI discovers evidenced value; OpEx strengthens methods, people and processes; Digital Strategy & Value Delivery prioritizes and commissions digital change, adoption and network scale.

As the global owner of OpEx methods and capability, this leader connects central priorities with site accountability, develops practitioners and leaders, and contributes evidence and time-bound capacity to cross-pillar pursuits. Success means adopted, sustained and measured operating results, not technology go-live alone.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the BioMarin/TOPS operational excellence roadmap, structure, content, development and maturity
• Deploy consistent Lean and Six Sigma standards across internal and external operations where applicable, with practical coaching for site teams and leaders across the network.
• Own global capability-building and knowledge-management strategy and processes across all OpEx areas, including reusable learning, accreditation, certification and assessment standards and materials, central belt certification, Lean training and the Opex Leadership Coaching Programme.
• Target operational losses using data-based baselines, disciplined strategic projects and tested people/process alternatives.
• Assess site maturity and practitioner competence, verify improvements, and publish comparable maturity, loss-reduction and sustained results with linked capability plans.
• Lead complex cross-functional root-cause problem-solving, address systemic issues and verify improvement effectiveness.
• Standardize, document and replicate successful improvements, sharing proven practices and lessons across the network.
• Train, certify and mentor site improvement practitioners, including those beyond direct reports, to apply the common methodology effectively.
• Work as a peer to the TOPS leaders of Data Science, Analytics & AI and Digital Strategy & Value Delivery to successfully identify, prioritize and deliver value against TOPS Strategic objectives (eg. COGS, DIOH)
• Partner with Digital Strategy & Value Delivery and DTA on systems enhancements, ensuring process simplification and standardization precede technology changes.
• Lead the central OpEx team setting role levels, development pathways, objectives and the technical bar within a culture of coaching, accountability and learning.
• Develop site Master Black Belts and Lean Masters for local support and continuity, retaining local reporting for site leads, belts, analysts and stewards with dotted-line links to central standards
• Deploy OpEx improvement resources against agreed portfolio priorities, aligning capacity and capability with improvement needs.

• Apply appropriate AI tools to improve Lean, 6-sigma methodologies and effectiveness
• Use trusted operational analytics, process mining and predictive insights with Data Science, Analytics & AI to identify evidenced opportunities
• Stakeholder Engagement & Change Leadership
• Embed improved behaviours and standard work into daily routines, with local and receiving-function ownership to sustain adoption.

KPIs & Metrics: This role will influence:

• Capability & Maturity Metrics
• Adoption, Sustainment & Network Replication Metrics
• Operational Loss Reduction & Performance Metrics
• Verified Financial Benefit Metrics
• Portfolio Contribution & Delivery Metrics
• Quality & Patient Supply Metrics

Qualifications

Required:

• Degree in engineering, science, operations or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated multi-site manufacturing OpEx leadership, ideally in a regulated environment.
• Master Black Belt certification or equivalent depth, with the credibility and judgment to define improvement methodology and competent application.
• Experience developing, assessing and certifying improvement capability beyond direct reports, including site-based practitioners.
• Experience in people and role design, ways of working and change leadership that builds genuine acceptance and sustained adoption.
• A record of verified operational and financial results that withstand Finance and receiving-function scrutiny.
• Senior leadership-table experience contributing evidence and capacity recommendations to portfolio tradeoffs, including transparent decisions on excluded work.

Preferred

• Advanced degree in a relevant discipline.
• Experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology or medical-device manufacturing under GxP.
• Depth in Lean and Six Sigma, with sound judgment on which approach a problem requires, and experience collaborating with analytics and data science on a shared improvement agenda.
• Experience with a site-based, centrally certified belt community and with process mining or other evidence-based methods for targeting improvement.