Operations Director, External Manufacturing

Elanco; United States; On-site; USD 218,000 - 291,000; Full time

Job summary

Elanco is seeking an Operations Director, External Manufacturing based in Basel, Switzerland. You will lead the governance and performance management of the contract manufacturing portfolio, ensuring quality, regulatory, and SOX compliance while driving cost-effective, reliable product supply.

You will partner with Procurement and other functions for contract strategy, negotiations, and due diligence, leading cross-functional teams to optimize performance and implement technical transfers.

Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering or Science.
• 5–7 years in a cGMP manufacturing environment.
• Experience in supervisory roles and people development.
• Fluency in English; strong communication; proficiency in SAP, Veeva, MS Office.

Responsibilities

• Lead governance and performance management for contract manufacturing.
• Ensure partners meet quality, safety, regulatory and SOX requirements.
• Partner on contract negotiations, renewals, and ongoing compliance.
• Coordinate supply and cross-functional teams to ensure consistent product quality.
• Lead risk reviews, continuous improvement initiatives, transfers, and product changes.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

English fluency

SAP

Veeva

MS Office

Prioritization

Education

Engineering or Science degree

Job description

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets.

At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.

At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

Your Role:

Based in Basel, Switzerland, the Operations Director, External Manufacturing leads the operational performance of Elanco’s contract manufacturing partner portfolio. The role provides strategic and tactical oversight of product supply, quality, compliance, and operational excellence, ensuring continuity of supply and strong partner performance. You will work across multiple functions and provide direct and indirect leadership to deliver business outcomes.

Your Responsibilities:

• Lead governance and performance management for the contract manufacturing portfolio, establishing effective operating forums, account plans, performance metrics, and improvement priorities.
• Ensure contract manufacturing partners meet applicable financial, quality, supply chain, health and safety, regulatory and internationally recognized standards, including Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) requirements.
• Partner with Procurement and other functions on contract negotiations and renewals, contract strategy, dispute resolution, and ongoing compliance with contractual obligations.
• Drive reliable, cost-effective product supply by coordinating Supply, Technical Services, Quality, Health, Safety and Environment and other functional partners to resolve issues and maintain consistent product quality.
• Lead risk reviews, productivity and continuous improvement initiatives, contract manufacturer selection and due diligence, technical transfers, and product change implementation to support business growth and uninterrupted supply.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):

• Degree in Engineering or Science.
• 5–7 years of experience in a current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) manufacturing environment.
• Proven success in supervisory or people-management roles, including mentoring, coaching, and performance development.
• Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders across multiple functions to achieve business outcomes, supported by strong learning agility across Production, Quality, Technical Services, Procurement, Finance, Regulatory and Research and Development.
• Fluency in English, excellent written and verbal communication skills, proficiency in SAP, Veeva and standard Microsoft Office applications, and the ability to prioritize multiple activities.

What will give you a competitive edge (preferred qualifications):

• Knowledge of external manufacturing or contract manufacturing environments.
• Solid understanding of supply chain methodologies and concepts.
• Experience establishing governance and performance-management processes for manufacturing partners.
• Experience supporting technical transfers, product changes, or manufacturing transitions.
• Experience with contract management, contract manufacturer selection, or due diligence activities.

Additional Information:

• Position type: Full time
• Location: Basel, Switzerland
• Travel: 10–30%, including domestic and international travel

Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status

Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.