Senior Director, Continuous Improvement

Catalent Pharma Solutions; Harmans (MD); On-site; USD 250,000 - 285,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Defined career path

Diverse, inclusive culture

Generous 401k match

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

Job summary

Catalent Pharma Solutions is seeking a Senior Director of Continuous Improvement to lead operational transformation at its Harmans, MD facility. This role is crucial for integrating and executing site strategies across various departments to enhance safety, quality, and delivery.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in manufacturing and operational excellence, ideally within the biologics sector. This position offers a competitive salary range of $250,000–285,000, plus bonuses, and emphasizes a commitment to quality in delivering patient-focused solutions.

Qualifications

• Minimum of ten years leading transformation in complex manufacturing.
• Experience with GMP manufacturing and biologics.
• Proven ability to act as a senior leader and partner to executive management.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the transformation strategy.
• Build and sustain the site operating system.
• Lead cross-functional transformation initiatives.

Skills

Lean Six Sigma

Operational Excellence

Strategy Deployment

Change Management

Cross-functional Leadership

Problem Solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Life Science, Engineering, Business, or Operations

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

KPI Management Systems

Performance Metrics Software

Job description

Senior Director of Continuous Improvement

Position Summary

• 100% on-site in Harmans, MD

Catalent’s Baltimore facility is a leading center for biologics development and manufacturing, offering state‑of‑the‑art capabilities in clinical and commercial supply. The site supports a wide range of services, including process development, drug substance manufacturing, and aseptic fill/finish for biologics and advanced therapies. With a strong focus on innovation and quality, the Baltimore location plays a key role in delivering life‑changing treatments to patients worldwide. Team members here work in a collaborative environment that values expertise, precision, and continuous improvement, making it an exciting place to contribute to cutting‑edge biopharmaceutical solutions.

The Senior Director, Continuous Improvement (C.I.) is the senior transformation leader for the Maryland sites. This role is accountable for building the site operating system, aligning the leadership team around the highest value business priorities, and converting strategy into disciplined execution across safety, quality, delivery, cost, people, and client commitments. This leader is not limited to leading improvement projects. The role functions as an enterprise change leader and Chief of Staff partner to the General Manager, translating site strategy into governance, routines, metrics, accountability, and sustained behavioral change across functions.

The role will lead operational transformation through lean, six sigma, daily management, strategy deployment, problem solving, value stream improvement, digital enablement, and disciplined change management. The emphasis is on building the management system that makes improvement repeatable, measurable, and owned by the business. By strengthening execution and decision making, this role will contribute to Catalent’s Patient First philosophy by helping the Maryland sites reliably deliver high quality medicines to clients and patients with speed, compliance, and financial discipline.

The Role

• Serve as the senior site transformation leader, partnering with the General Manager and SLT to define and execute the transformation strategy, governance model, operating cadence, and enterprise‑aligned priorities.
• Build and sustain a site operating system that integrates strategy deployment, daily management, tiered accountability, visual performance management, KPI ownership, and disciplined execution.
• Lead cross‑functional transformation initiatives across Manufacturing, Quality, MSAT, Supply Chain, Engineering, Facilities, Finance, and support functions to improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, compliance, and customer outcomes.
• Translate business objectives into a prioritized portfolio of improvement initiatives with defined ownership, milestones, value realization, risk management, and governance structures.
• Act as a strategic Chief of Staff to the General Manager by leading executive reviews, leadership routines, decision forums, communications, and action tracking to accelerate site performance.
• Develop and manage a site‑wide transformation scorecard, providing a single source of truth for performance metrics, value capture, risk mitigation, and recovery planning.
• Drive operational excellence through advanced problem‑solving and continuous improvement focused on deviations, right‑first‑time performance, cycle time, capacity, productivity, inventory optimization, and cost performance.
• Coach and develop leaders and teams in Lean, Six Sigma, structured problem‑solving, standard work, value stream thinking, daily management, and sustainable change leadership practices.
• Embed standardized ways of working, governance processes, accountability mechanisms, and continuous improvement behaviors that deliver lasting organizational impact beyond individual projects.
• Lead and develop the Continuous Improvement organization while partnering with global, regional, and Cell & Gene Therapy leadership to align transformation efforts, share best practices, and maximize business results.
• Other duties as assigned.

The Candidate

• Bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in Life Science, Engineering, Business, Operations, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of progressive experience leading operational excellence, transformation, strategy deployment, or business system implementation in complex manufacturing or technical operations.
• Experience leading enterprise or site level transformation in GMP manufacturing, biologics, cell therapy, gene therapy, sterile manufacturing, pharmaceutical operations, or similarly regulated environments.
• Demonstrated ability to operate as a senior leader and trusted partner to a General Manager or site head, including executive governance, operating reviews, decision support, and cross‑functional accountability.
• Proven experience building or maturing a management system, daily management system, production system, or business operating system across multiple functions.
• Certification in Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Master Black Belt, Lean, Operational Excellence, or equivalent demonstrated capability. Deep understanding of lean, six sigma, daily management, tiered escalation, strategy deployment, standard work, visual management, value stream improvement, and benefits realization.
• Track record delivering measurable business results through transformation, including quality, delivery, productivity, cost, inventory, compliance, cycle time, or client performance improvements.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect operational performance to financial outcomes, client commitments, capacity, working capital, labor productivity, and site competitiveness.
• Demonstrable leadership experience at Catalent (including but not limited to participation in Catalent‑sponsored leadership programs such as NGGL, GOLD, LEAD Now, GM Excellence, and GROW) may be considered in place of external experience;

Pay

The anticipated salary range for this position in Maryland is $250,000–285,000 plus an annual bonus target. The final salary offered to a successful candidate may vary, and will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to: the type and length of experience within the job, type and length of experience within the industry, skillset, education, business needs, etc. Catalent is a multi‑state employer, and this salary range may not reflect positions that work in other states.

Benefits

• Defined career path and annual performance review and feedback process
• Diverse, inclusive culture
• Potential for career growth on an expanding team within an organization dedicated to preserving and bettering lives
• Dynamic, fast‑paced work environment
• Community engagement and green initiatives
• Generous 401k match and paid time off accrual
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits effective day one of employment

Catalent offers rewarding opportunities to further your career! Join the global drug development and delivery leader and help us bring over 7,000 life‑saving and life‑enhancing products to patients around the world. Catalent is an exciting and growing international company where employees work directly with pharma, biopharma and consumer health companies of all sizes to advance new medicines from early development to clinical trials and to the market. Catalent produces more than 70 billion doses per year, and each one will be used by someone who is counting on us. Join us in making a difference.

Visit Catalent Careers to explore career opportunities.

Catalent is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and veterans.

If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process due to a disability, you may submit your request by sending an email, and confirming your request for an accommodation and include the job number, title and location to [e-mail]. This option is reserved for individuals who require accommodation due to a disability. Information received will be processed by a U.S. Catalent employee and then routed to a local recruiter who will provide assistance to ensure appropriate consideration to the application or hiring process.