Principal, Operational Excellence

Avid Bioservices, Inc.; Tustin (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Career growth opportunities

Job summary

Avid Bioservices, Inc. in California seeks a Principal, Operational Excellence to design and implement scalable processes that improve execution, speed, quality, and performance across Manufacturing, MSAT, Quality, and related functions.

This senior role leads cross‑functional improvements with no direct people management, partnering with senior stakeholders to drive standard work, tier governance, and Lean‑based problem solving for sustainable transformation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in science, engineering, business, operations, or related field.
• Progressively responsible experience in Operational Excellence, Lean, manufacturing excellence, or transformation work.
• Experience implementing operating systems in regulated manufacturing or similarly complex environments.
• Deep knowledge of Lean management systems, tier governance, structured problem solving, value‑stream analysis, standard work, performance management, and change execution.
• Ability to influence senior, technical, frontline, and executive stakeholders without direct authority.

Responsibilities

• Diagnose and redesign urgent cross‑functional processes with unclear ownership, fragmented tracking, inconsistent handoffs, or delayed decisions.
• Lead process‑maturity initiatives from problem definition through future‑state design, implementation, adoption, and benefits realization.
• Replace person‑dependent practices with scalable workflows, named process owners, common tools, measurable performance, and clear escalation pathways.
• Advance Drive to 45 by improving coordination, visibility, handoffs, ownership, issue escalation, and execution discipline across batch review and release.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, MSAT, and other process owners to reduce waiting, rework, delays, and unclear accountability while preserving regulated decision authority.
• Design and strengthen Tier 1–Tier 4 routines, metric alignment, escalation pathways, leader routines, decision rights, and action closure.
• Continue developing AXS by integrating daily management, visual performance management, structured problem solving, standard work, leader standard work, and enterprise governance.
• Develop performance and governance frameworks that make outcomes, constraints, risks, dependencies, owners, and required decisions visible.
• Build practical Lean capability through hands‑on coaching while maintaining implementation accountability and transferring ownership to process owners.
• Establish sustainment plans with named owners, documented standard work, measures, review routines, and response plans when performance declines.
• Shape enterprise Operational Excellence standards, advise executive leaders on systemic operating‑model decisions, and lead the highest‑complexity transformation priorities.

Skills

Lean management

Structured problem solving

Value-stream analysis

Standard work

Performance management

Change management

Education

Bachelor's degree in science, engineering, business, operations

Job description

The 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 Principal, Operational Excellence is a senior individual contributor who designs and implements scalable business processes and operating systems that improve execution, predictability, speed, quality, and organizational performance across Avid Bioservices. The role personally leads complex cross‑functional improvements across Manufacturing, MSAT, Quality, Process Development, Engineering, Supply Chain, Business Systems, and related functions. The selected level will reflect the candidate’s demonstrated breadth, complexity, enterprise influence, and sustained implementation outcomes. Neither level has direct people‑management responsibility.

Key Responsibilities:

• Diagnose and redesign urgent, high‑priority cross‑functional processes with unclear ownership, fragmented tracking, inconsistent handoffs, delayed decisions, or dependence on informal institutional knowledge.
• Lead process‑maturity initiatives from problem definition through future‑state design, implementation, adoption, benefits realization, and sustainment.
• Replace person‑dependent practices with scalable workflows, named process owners, common tools, measurable performance, decision rights, and reliable escalation pathways.
• Advance Drive to 45 by improving coordination, visibility, handoffs, ownership, issue escalation, and execution discipline across batch review and release.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, MSAT, and other process owners to reduce waiting, rework, recurring delays, and unclear accountability while preserving regulated decision authority with designated functional owners.
• Design and strengthen Tier 1 through Tier 4 routines, metric alignment, escalation pathways, leader routines, decision rights, and action closure.
• Continue developing AXS by integrating daily management, visual performance management, structured problem solving, standard work, leader standard work, and enterprise governance.
• Develop performance and governance frameworks that make outcomes, constraints, risks, dependencies, owners, and required decisions visible.
• Build practical Lean capability through hands‑on coaching while maintaining implementation accountability and transferring ownership to process owners.
• Establish sustainment plans with named owners, documented standard work, measures, review routines, and response plans when performance declines.
• At the Senior Principal level, shape enterprise Operational Excellence standards, advise executive leaders on systemic operating‑model decisions, and lead Avid’s highest‑complexity transformation priorities.
• Perform other job‑related duties assigned in support of business priorities.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in science, engineering, business, operations, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
• Progressively responsible experience in Operational Excellence, Lean, manufacturing excellence, business‑process improvement, or transformation work.
• Demonstrated implementation and sustainment of operating systems or complex cross‑functional improvements in a regulated manufacturing or comparably complex environment.
• Deep knowledge of Lean management systems, tier governance, structured problem solving, value‑stream analysis, standard work, performance management, and change execution.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior, technical, frontline, and, for Senior Principal candidates, executive stakeholders without direct authority.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in biologics, biopharmaceutical, pharmaceutical, or CDMO operations.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Master Black Belt, or comparable demonstrated expertise.
• Experience with Manufacturing, MSAT, Quality, Engineering, technology transfer, batch review and release, or business systems.
• Experience implementing tiered‑management, daily‑management, production‑system, or business‑excellence frameworks.

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 $150,000 - $220,000 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.