MES Strategy Lead — Digital Manufacturing Excellence

Novartis Group Companies; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 108,500 - 201,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and disability benefits

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

Novartis Group of Companies in Durham, NC seeks a Senior Manager, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) to guide MES strategy and governance across the site. You will lead a high-performing team and partner with Manufacturing, Quality, MS&T, Engineering, IT, and Finance to deliver compliant, data-driven solutions.

Responsibilities include overseeing MES lifecycle, ensuring GMP and data integrity, and driving continuous improvement through KPIs and operational trends.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field as required.
• Minimum eight years in manufacturing systems, MES, automation or regulated environments.
• Experience in pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical industries.
• Knowledge of GMP, FDA regulations, data integrity principles.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in a matrix organization.

Responsibilities

• Lead MES strategy, governance, and operational oversight for the site.
• Align MES priorities with manufacturing goals and production readiness.
• Oversee MES lifecycle, support, upgrades, and compliance.
• Ensure GMP, FDA, and data integrity compliance across systems.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing, Quality, Engineering, and IT to resolve issues.
• Drive continuous improvement using KPIs and performance data.
• Support 24/7 manufacturing operations through MES troubleshooting.
• Lead cross-functional projects with resource and priority management.
• Maintain audit-ready systems, docs, and compliance practices.

Skills

Communication skills

Stakeholder influence

Cross-functional leadership

Project leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences, Engineering, Information Systems, Automation, or related field

Job description

Novartis Group of Companies in Durham, NC seeks a Senior Manager, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) to guide MES strategy and governance across the site. You will lead a high-performing team and partner with Manufacturing, Quality, MS&T, Engineering, IT, and Finance to deliver compliant, data-driven solutions.

Responsibilities include overseeing MES lifecycle, ensuring GMP and data integrity, and driving continuous improvement through KPIs and operational trends.