Director, Capital Projects & Program Delivery

Avid Bioservices; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 173,000 - 216,000; Full time

Job summary

Avid Bioservices, a life sciences CDMO in Costa Mesa, is seeking a Director of Capital Projects & Program Delivery to lead planning, execution, and governance of its critical capital initiatives. You will drive multi-disciplinary programs spanning manufacturing expansion, infrastructure modernization, and site development from concept to handover.

Responsibilities include owning project controls, budgets, schedules, and stakeholder communications while ensuring GMP compliance, safety, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field; 15+ years in project/program management.
• Experience leading capital projects of $20M+ or portfolios of $100M+.
• Owner-side leadership across GMP capital programs with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead large-scale capital projects from concept through startup and handover.
• Provide portfolio-level leadership across manufacturing, labs, infra, and campus development.
• Establish execution strategies, governance, and project-control practices for GMP programs.
• Manage cross-functional teams including Engineering, Facilities, Manufacturing, QA, Validation, and IT.
• Develop budgets, forecasts, cash-flow plans, and contingency strategies.
• Deliver integrated schedules with risk mitigation and recovery plans.
• Oversee selection of architects, engineers, CM/GCs, vendors, and external partners.
• Ensure GMP, quality, safety, regulatory compliance and readiness for operations.

Skills

Leadership

Project controls

Risk management

Contract management

Executive reporting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Master’s degree (preferred)

Job description

Looking to join a passionate team dedicated to developing and manufacturing life-saving biopharmaceuticals? Avid Bioservices is a leading clinical and commercial biologics CDMO focused on creating innovative solutions to meet the needs of our clients and improve patient outcomes.

Your Role

The Director, Capital Projects & Program Delivery leads the planning, execution, governance, and delivery of Avid Bioservices' most critical capital projects and strategic growth initiatives.

The role provides owner-side leadership across a portfolio of complex, multidisciplinary programs supporting manufacturing expansion, development operations, infrastructure modernization, operational readiness, and long-term site development.

Initial assignments include oversight of the Airway Early-Phase Center of Excellence program, DBx expansion initiatives, and Project AMPLIFY, with future assignments evolving based on business priorities.

The Director is accountable for delivering programs safely, on schedule, within budget, and in compliance with regulatory, quality, safety, business, and operational-readiness requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead large-scale capital projects from concept development through detailed design, procurement, construction, commissioning, qualification, startup, and operational handover.
• Provide portfolio-level leadership across Airway, DBx, AMPLIFY, and other manufacturing, laboratory, infrastructure, warehouse, utility, and campus-development initiatives.
• Establish project-execution strategies and governance structures, manage stakeholder communications, and implement project-control processes appropriate for GMP capital programs.
• Lead cross-functional project teams spanning Engineering, Facilities, Manufacturing, Process Development, Quality, Validation, Supply Chain, IT, EHS, Finance, Regulatory Affairs, and external partners.
• Develop and manage project budgets, forecasts, cash-flow plans, funding requests, and contingency plans.
• Drive integrated project schedules, identify critical-path risks and dependencies, and implement practical mitigation and recovery plans.
• Lead selection and oversight of architects, engineers, construction managers, commissioning and qualification partners, equipment vendors, developers, landlords, and other delivery partners.
• Ensure project decisions and deliverables support GMP, quality, safety, regulatory, commissioning, qualification, data-integrity, and operational-readiness expectations.
• Provide clear executive reporting on project performance, risks, decisions, budget, schedule, quality, safety, and readiness for operations.
• Partner with business and functional leaders to sequence investments, resolve constraints, and align capital delivery with company priorities.
• Occasional travel to vendor, contractor, partner, or project locations is expected, generally fewer than two days per month, although actual travel may vary by project phase.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Life Sciences, Architecture, or a related technical field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 15 or more years of progressive project and program management experience, including 10 or more years leading major capital projects in life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, CDMO, regulated manufacturing, or comparable advanced-manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated responsibility for individual capital projects of $20 million or more or aggregate project portfolios of $100 million or more.
• Demonstrated owner-side leadership of complex capital projects from planning through design, construction, commissioning, qualification, startup, and operational handover.
• Experience managing EPC firms, construction managers, design consultants, commissioning partners, equipment vendors, developers, landlords, and cross-functional owner teams.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent programs with competing stakeholder needs, resource constraints, budgets, schedules, and business priorities.
• Strong working knowledge of project controls, risk management, capital governance, contract management, and executive reporting.
• Ability to work effectively in regulated manufacturing and project-site environments and to communicate clearly with technical and nontechnical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
• PMP, Professional Engineer, architecture, construction-management, or comparable professional credential.
• Experience with biologics, CDMO operations, GMP manufacturing, clean utilities, laboratories, warehouses, and campus-development programs.
• Experience with facility master planning, stage-gate governance, commissioning, qualification, validation, and operational-readiness programs.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This role is a full-time onsite position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. unless otherwise stated by Supervisor. The employee must also have the ability to work overtime and/or weekends when necessary.

Compensation

We offer competitive compensation packages for this role, including a base salary, performance-based bonuses, and comprehensive benefits such as health, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) matching, and paid time off.

The compensation range for this role is $172,800 - $216,000 annually depending on experience and qualifications. Additionally, we offer opportunities for career growth and development as well as a supportive and inclusive work environment.

Who you are

• You have a "bring it on!" team player approach and an unshakable positive attitude, always ready to tackle anything that comes your way.
• Your written and verbal skills are out of this world, and you communicate with clarity and confidence.
• You have exceptional multitasking skills and an unparalleled attention to detail that ensure the smooth running of everything.
• You are a master at building relationships, capable of establishing connections with anyone, be it team members, clients, vendors, or suppliers.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

In this dynamic role, expect a blend of regular activities like sitting, standing, and walking, with occasional physically engaging tasks such as lifting objects up to 25 pounds. The work environment might expose you to electrical shocks, toxic chemicals, vibrations, or loud noise levels occasionally. However, reasonable accommodations are available to enable individuals with different abilities to perform effectively, ensuring a supportive and adaptable work setting. Your visual acuity, including close, distance, and color vision, will be essential in navigating through the diverse day‑to‑day demands of this position.