External Manufacturing Innovation Technical Lead

Opella Healthcare Group; Fatih; On-site; TRY 420,000 - 660,000; Full time

Job summary

Opella Healthcare Group in Istanbul seeks an External Manufacturing Innovation Technical Lead to guide technical feasibility and risk assessment of CMOs/CDMOs within cross-functional teams. You will lead end-to-end innovation projects and coordinate with internal and external partners to ensure launch readiness.

This role requires strong experience in technology transfer, process scale-up, and quality systems, with a focus on cost, timeline, and risk management across global supply networks.

Qualifications

• Experience in pharmaceutical/consumer healthcare manufacturing environments.
• Strong project management with milestone planning and governance.
• Ability to lead due diligence and partner/site evaluations.
• Knowledge of CMO/CDMO operations and tech transfer.
• Experience in risk management and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Act as the EM M&S technical lead for innovation initiatives from concept to launch.
• Plan and conduct CDMO/CMO visits to assess capabilities and readiness.
• Lead due diligence for licensing or partner opportunities.
• Coordinate end-to-end project execution with cross-functional teams.
• Prepare weekly governance meetings and drive sustainability by design.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Technology transfer

Process scale-up

Quality systems

Risk assessment

Education

Science degree

Job description

External Manufacturing Innovation Technical Lead Location : Istanbul You’ve built experience, now use it where bold ideas meet real impact. At Opella, we’re challenging how self-care works for millions of people and need leaders and experts ready to shape what’s next. As an External Manufacturing Innovation Technical Lead , you’ll bring your skill, your curiosity and your drive to make health simpler, smarter and more human. About the job: The Innovation Technical Manager is accountable for the technical leadership and execution of innovation projects involving CMOs and CDMOs. The role ensures that proposed manufacturing routes are technically feasible, compliant, cost-conscious and aligned with project timelines, quality expectations and business objectives. The position leads technical visits to new CMO/CDMO partners, performs technical due diligence, identifies operational and supply risks, and translates findings into clear recommendations, mitigation plans and project execution plans. Act as the EM focal point in all Innovation projects, leading the end-to-end project management working closely with all the respective internal cross functional teams and with CMO/CDMO. Performance Standards: Duties & Responsibilities Key Areas Action Areas, Deliverables and Outcomes Weightage 1. Technical leadership for innovation projects Act as the EM M&S technical lead for assigned innovation initiatives, from early concept and feasibility through launch readiness and post-launch lessons learned. Plan, perform and document technical visits to new and existing CMOs/CDMOs to assess capabilities, equipment fit, manufacturing process readiness, capacity, supply robustness, packaging capability, technology requirements and operational constraints. Lead or contribute to technical due diligence for licensing, buy, make-externally and partner-supply opportunities. Assess technical data, manufacturing process maturity, quality and supply risks, site readiness, capacity assumptions, documentation completeness and potential remediation requirements Organise and lead regular CDMO Innovation Showcase workshops to identify, evaluate, and advance innovative concepts that strengthen the innovation pipeline. 2. Change Management Contribute to Communication & Change management with Key stakeholders 3. Project Management (Innovation/Tech Transfer) Manage the end-to-end execution plan for assigned innovation projects, including milestones, risks, resources, decision points, financial assumptions, governance deliverables and cross-functional action tracking. Build and maintain technical risk assessments and mitigation plans, including risks related to formulation, packaging, process transfer, validation, raw and packaging material qualification, regulatory readiness, capacity, CAPEX and launch supply. Coordinate closely with Innovation, Brand/R&D, Development Centres, Regulatory, Medical/PV, Quality, Procurement, Finance, Packaging, Supply Chain, Legal/IP and external partners to ensure aligned decisions and timely execution Prepare weekly meeting to Project Governance Meetings and also Drive Sustainability Build By Design in conjunction with B&I. undefined 4. Sourcing cases Manage, coordinate & lead the completion of the sourcing cases related to the projects Promote & Influence respective stakeholders on the preferred CDMO network for all projects 5. Operational Excellence Capture lessons learned from partner due diligence, site visits and project execution, and translate them into improved ways of working, checklists and future project guidance Contribute to the identification of key opportunities in production process to increase productivity. To participate in the COGs reduction and to identify other opportunities at CMO/CDMO, including sustainability initiatives. Contribute to CMO rationalization strategy Pre-requisites Knowledge, Skills & Competencies / Language · Experience in pharmaceutical, consumer healthcare, food supplement, OTC or related regulated manufacturing environments. · Strong understanding of CMO/CDMO operations, technology transfer, process scale-up, validation, packaging, quality systems and launch readiness. · Proven ability to conduct technical assessments, due diligence and partner/site evaluations. · Strong project management discipline, including milestone planning, risk management, stakeholder alignment and governance preparation. · Ability to work across complex cross-functional networks and influence decisions without direct authority. · Commercial awareness, with the ability to connect technical choices to cost, timeline, supply continuity, gross margin and business case assumptions. Qualifications Any Science degree 5+ years of Experience in project management; 3+ years in production or related field. This is more than the next step in your career, it’s a chance to lead change and help reinvent self-care for the world. If you’re ready to challenge, inspire and deliver impact that matters, we’re ready for you. We are challengers. We are Opella. Opella values diversity in all its forms and is committed to fostering a workplace where everyone can belong and excel. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. About Us: Opella is the self-care challenger with the purest and third-largest portfolio in the Over The Counter (OTC) & Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements (VMS) market globally. Our mission is to bring health in people’s hands by making self-care as simple as it should be. For half a billion consumers worldwide – and counting. At the core of this mission is our 100 loved brands, our 11,000-strong global team, our 13 best-in-class manufacturing sites and 4 specialized science and innovation development centers. Headquartered in France, Opella is the proud maker of many of the world’s most loved brands, including Allegra, Buscopan, Doliprane, Dulcolax, Enterogermina, Essentiale and Mucosolvan. As a globally certified B Corp company, we are active players in the journey towards healthier people and planet. Find out more about our mission at www.opella.com.