Associate Director of Architecture

MSD; Boxmeer; On-site; EUR 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

MSD’s Global Engineering Solutions seeks an Associate Director of Architecture to lead front-end design and master planning for global GMP facility projects. You will translate business needs into compliant, cost-effective architectural solutions and set standards across programs.

You will mentor engineers, work with cross-functional teams, manage scope, schedule, and budget, and travel globally up to 30%. The role can be based in Boxmeer (NL) or Dublin (IE).

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, or related scientific discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant industry experience.
• Proven GMP facility design experience for biopharmaceutical environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead front-end planning, site selection, and facility options development.
• Develop architectural scope, layouts, and design concepts for capital projects.
• Ensure designs meet regulatory, safety, and cGMP standards.
• Maintain architectural standards, reviews, and design documents.
• Collaborate with Quality, Regulatory, Operations, and Production teams.

Skills

GMP facility design

AutoCAD

Master planning

Site selection

Leadership

Regulatory compliance

2D/3D design tools

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Architecture/Engineering or related

Tools

AutoCAD

Job description

Associate Director of Architecture

Bring your architectural expertise to high-impact global capital projects and help turn business needs into innovative, compliant facility solutions worldwide. For our Global Engineering Solutions organization, we are currently recruiting an Associate Director of Architecture. Welcome to our team.

With more than 300 employees, our Global Engineering Solutions (GES) organization is responsible for managing investment capital and designing and executing capital projects for our global organization worldwide. GES is organized as a Technology Center (responsible for the design and start-up of projects), a Project Delivery organization (responsible for project management) and a Business Service organization (responsible for project financial reporting). Within the Technology Center, our Global Design Engineering Solutions (DES) team, provides technical leadership and front-end design management to deliver fit-for-purpose, compliant, and cost-effective facility solutions for our company’s global capital programs.

Reporting into, and under the guidance of, the Technology Director of DES (based in the U.S.), this role leads the development of holistic global facility design solutions that support critical manufacturing and business objectives across multiple programs and business units. It partners with internal stakeholders and cross-functional teams to translate business needs into practical, compliant, and cost-effective architectural solutions. The role also provides architectural subject matter expertise across the front-end planning lifecycle, from early concept development and site selection through FEL 3 Basis of Design. The focus is on delivering facility designs that align with business needs, internal standards, and industry best practices; enabling successful capital project execution through clear architectural definition; and ensuring facilities are efficient, compliant, and fit for purpose. In addition, the role strengthens architectural standards and governance while building trusted relationships and providing technical leadership across global initiatives. This role can be based in Boxmeer (NL) or Dublin (IE).

Primary tasks and responsibilities

• Partner with internal clients and stakeholders to define business needs and translate them into facility design solutions.
• Lead front-end planning activities, including site selection, facility programming, and facility options development.
• Develop architectural scope, conceptual layouts, and preliminary facility concepts for capital projects.
• Evaluate facility layout options, capital phasing approaches, and design alternatives based on business priorities and critical success factors.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support decision-making and convergence on preferred solutions.
• Work with external EPCM firms, engineering partners, and vendors to progress design deliverables.
• Ensure facility designs meet internal requirements, cGMP principles, safety expectations, and industry best practices.
• Own, develop, author, and maintain architectural engineering standards, guidelines, and design documents.
• Create and review process, people, and material flow diagrams as they relate to facility design.
• Develop master planning and site selection analyses for new or existing facilities.
• Support modular building and lean facility design strategies, including creation of center-of-excellence practices.
• Conduct peer reviews and provide subject matter expertise across multiple projects.
• Participate in constructability reviews, equipment selection, and pre-charter planning activities.
• Maintain knowledge of internal practices, regulatory expectations, and industry trends.
• Collaborate with Quality, Safety, Regulatory, Operations, and Production System teams to integrate requirements into designs.
• Support field walk-downs during construction, troubleshooting, and active project execution.
• Mentor and coach junior engineers, providing technical guidance and oversight.
• Support existing operations with troubleshooting, investigations, and remediation as needed.
• Manage work within cost, schedule, and departmental constraints.

Your profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, or a related scientific discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant industry experience.
• Proven experience in GMP facility design for biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities or laboratories.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing facility design, engineering fundamentals, regulatory requirements, and construction methods.
• Experience leading architectural design for capital projects in manufacturing and laboratory environments.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD and other 2D/3D design tools, with the ability to produce facility layout deliverables.
• Strong working knowledge of building codes, construction materials, and building systems, including MEP integration.
• Experience with master planning and site selection analysis for new or existing facilities.
• Knowledge of GMP-regulated facility design, including segregation strategies, clean space classification, and hygienic zoning.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work effectively in ambiguous environments and support capital projects through business case development.
• Ability to produce drawing deliverables, project specifications, URS documents, and design reports.
• Able to spend 2 – 3 days a week on one of the locations mentioned above and willing and able to travel around 30 % of your time (worldwide).

What we offer

An opportunity to influence front-end design, set architectural standards, and deliver projects with real business impact. A globally visible role with the opportunity to make a direct impact on delivering innovative products that help improve and save lives, advancing health and well-being for people and animals worldwide.

Benefits depend on the job location but are in any case very competitive.