Director of Manufacturing Operations

GForce Life Sciences; Fort Collins (CO); On-site; USD 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

GForce Life Sciences in Fort Collins, CO seeks a Manufacturing Operations Leader to manage a 24/7 aseptic production and packaging operation. You will lead managers and large teams, drive OEE and reliability, and ensure GMP and regulatory compliance while partnering across Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Maintenance.

The role emphasizes coaching, accountability, and long-term capacity planning to support site growth and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of pharmaceutical manufacturing experience with GMP and aseptic manufacturing.
• Experience leading managers, supervisors, and large manufacturing teams.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing equipment and complex production processes.
• Experience supporting FDA inspections and regulatory audits.

Responsibilities

• Oversee manufacturing operations across aseptic bulking, filling and packaging with managers and large teams.
• Improve performance metrics such as overall equipment effectiveness and schedule attainment.
• Lead investigations, root cause analyses, and deviation reduction efforts.
• Maintain FDA inspection readiness and support regulatory audits.
• Partner with Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering, Maintenance and Technical Operations to hit production goals.
• Support scale-up, capacity expansion, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Develop management teams through coaching, clear expectations, and accountability.
• Balance daily operations with long-term planning while ensuring safety and compliance.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

GMP knowledge

Aseptic manufacturing

Regulatory audits

Root cause analysis

CAPA

OEE improvement

Team development

Safety and compliance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Life Sciences, or related technical discipline

Job description

Manufacturing Operations Leader – Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Our client, a pharmaceutical organization, is seeking an experienced manufacturing leader to oversee a complex, 24/7 operation spanning aseptic production and packaging. This individual will lead manufacturing teams, ensure reliable product supply and GMP compliance, drive operational improvements, and support site growth and capacity expansion.

Duties / Expectations of Role

• Lead manufacturing operations across aseptic bulking, filling, and packaging, overseeing managers, supervisors, and large production teams.
• Improve operational performance, including overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), equipment reliability, manufacturing efficiency, and schedule attainment.
• Lead complex investigations, root cause analysis, and deviation reduction efforts.
• Maintain FDA inspection readiness and support regulatory and customer audits.
• Partner with Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering, Maintenance, and Technical Operations to resolve issues and meet production goals.
• Support manufacturing scale-up, capacity expansion, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Develop management teams through coaching, clear expectations, and accountability.
• Balance daily operational needs with long-term planning while promoting safety, quality, compliance, and employee engagement.

Mandatory Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Life Sciences, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of pharmaceutical manufacturing experience, including extensive GMP and aseptic manufacturing experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading managers, supervisors, and large manufacturing teams.
• Strong technical knowledge of manufacturing equipment and complex production processes.
• Experience managing investigations, deviations, corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs), and compliance activities.
• Experience supporting FDA inspections and regulatory audits.
• Proven ability to lead in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to work fully onsite and support a 24/7 manufacturing operation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Director- or Senior Director-level manufacturing leadership experience.
• Sterile injectable, aseptic filling, and packaging operations experience.
• Engineering background with equipment troubleshooting expertise.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, or operational excellence.
• Manufacturing scale-up, facility expansion, or automation implementation experience.
• Experience leading highly manual, technically complex manufacturing operations.

Term & Start

• Immediate need; fully onsite.
• Contract, contract-to-hire, or direct hire arrangements considered.
• Potential long-term leadership opportunity based on organizational needs and candidate fit.