Production Operations Lead - US

Kindeva; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Kindeva is seeking an Operations Lead to serve as the frontline operational leader for an assigned manufacturing suite. You will coordinate daily execution to ensure safety, compliance, and efficient operations, guiding production activity and ensuring accurate documentation on the floor.

You will lead shift activities, manage staffing priorities, and oversee batch-record quality while maintaining continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Experience in a regulated manufacturing environment is required.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate work activities and influence others.
• Strong communication, organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining safety, quality, and production requirements.
• Working knowledge of manufacturing documentation practices and procedural compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead execution of all room activities during the shift to achieve safety, quality, and production objectives.
• Assign personnel, set priorities, and align workflow to maintain continuity of operations.
• Direct shift activities during planned downtime to sustain room readiness and preparation for upcoming operations.
• Provide day-of-shift leadership for all Drug Product personnel in the room.
• Address operational resistance, resource constraints, or barriers and escalate as needed.

Skills

Regulated manufacturing experience

Leadership / informal leadership

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Life Sciences, Operations Management, Business, or related field

Associate degree +4 years manufacturing experience

High School Diploma/GED +6 years manufacturing experience

Job description

Our Work Matters

At Kindeva we make products that save lives, ensuring better health and well-being for patients around the world.

The Impact You Will Make

The Operations Lead serves as the designated operational leader for an assigned manufacturing suite and is responsible for coordinating daily execution to ensure safe, compliant, and efficient operations. This role provides frontline leadership through workforce coordination, operational decision‑making, problem solving, documentation oversight, and escalation of issues that could impact safety, quality, delivery, or productivity.

The Operations Lead directs day‑to‑day manufacturing activities and serves as the primary point of contact for production execution within the assigned area. While accountable for coordinating work and maintaining operational performance, this position does not have formal responsibility for employee performance management, discipline, attendance management, or other supervisory duties.

Responsibilities

Shift Leadership & Operational Execution

• Lead execution of all room activities during the shift to achieve safety, quality, and production objectives.
• Assign personnel, set priorities, and align workflow to maintain continuity of operations and effective use of available staffing.
• Direct shift activities during planned downtime to sustain room readiness, including sanitization, restocking, and preparation for upcoming operations.
• Provide day‑of‑shift leadership for all Drug Product personnel working in the room, including cross‑shift and overtime support.
• Address operational resistance, resource constraints, or execution barriers promptly and escalation as needed to protect shift performance.

Shift Handover & Operational Communication

• Lead effective shift handovers that communicate room status, open issues, operational priorities, and risks to continuity.
• Participate in leadership exchange meetings and ensure critical information is transferred clearly to incoming and outgoing leads.
• Maintain continuity of operations through timely communication, accurate documentation, and clear escalation of unresolved issues.

Documentation & Batch Record Quality

• Maintain ownership of documentation executed during the shift and ensure records are complete, accurate, and review‑ready in real time.
• Perform in‑process batch record review on the production floor and resolve documentation gaps before personnel leave the area whenever possible.
• Use available downtime strategically to review records, confirm required attachments, and close near‑complete documentation.
• Coordinate with incoming leads when documentation requires follow‑through beyond the current shift.

Training Oversight

• Monitor team training status and maintain awareness of individual qualifications to ensure work is assigned appropriately.
• Identify training risks proactively and elevate gaps that could affect compliance, execution, or room readiness.
• Identify training risks proactively and elevate gaps that could affect compliance, execution, or room readiness.

Safety, Compliance & Quality Escalation

• Promote a culture of safety and quality by ensuring adherence to SOPs, GMP requirements, and batch record expectations within the aseptic environment.
• Identify, respond to, and escalates safety concerns, compliance risks, downtime events, and quality issues in a timely manner.
• Notify leadership promptly when line‑down conditions or other operational disruptions threaten shift performance or product quality.
• Support deviation identification, documentation, and follow‑up, including escalation of repeated or significant compliance issues.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Life Sciences, Operations Management, Business, or a related field with 2+ years of manufacturing experience; OR Associate degree with 4+ years of manufacturing experience; OR High School Diploma/GED with 6+ years of manufacturing experience.
• Experience working in a regulated manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate work activities, influence others, or provide informal leadership within a team environment.
• Strong communication, organizational, problem‑solving, and decision‑making skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining safety, quality, and production requirements.
• Working knowledge of manufacturing documentation practices and procedural compliance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, sterile injectable, aseptic manufacturing, or combination product assembly operations.

California residents should review our Notice for California Employees and Applicants before applying.

Kindeva does not accept unsolicited assistance from headhunters or recruitment firms for any of our job openings. Any resumes or candidate profiles submitted to Kindeva employees—regardless of format—without a valid, signed agreement and an approved job order from an authorized signatory in Talent Acquisition will be considered the sole property of Kindeva. No fees will be paid in the event that a candidate is hired as a result of an unsolicited resume or referral.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Kindeva Drug Delivery is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, disability, Protected Veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.