Senior Director, Engineering & Maintenance

Elanco in; Elwood (KS); On-site; USD 180,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Elanco, a global leader in animal health, seeks a Senior Director, Engineering & Maintenance (Project Management) at the Elwood, KS site. This leadership role directs engineering, maintenance, and utility functions, shaping capital strategy and site reliability.

You will drive multi-year asset strategies, oversee CAPEX, ensure compliance with GxP and FDA/USDA standards, and mentor a high-performing team while balancing OPEX and CAPEX budgets in support of Elanco's mission to improve animal

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering; 10+ years in maintenance/engineering in a regulated industry.
• 5+ years in a leadership role managing large capital projects.
• Deep expertise in Reliability Excellence (REx) and TPM.

Responsibilities

• Strategic asset management and multi-year engineering planning.
• Direct CAPEX investments and Master Plan with Global Engineering.
• Oversight of maintenance and utility operations with SAP-driven programs.
• Champion safety, regulatory compliance (FDA/USDA) and continuous improvement.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Capital project leadership

Regulatory compliance

Reliability Engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

MBA or MS in Engineering Management (preferred)

Tools

SAP PM/MM

Job description

Senior Director, Engineering & Maintenance (Project Management)

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!

The Site Sr. Director of Maintenance and Engineering provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for all engineering, maintenance, and utility functions at the Elwood manufacturing site. As a member of the Site Leadership Team, this individual ensures that all physical assets and technical processes meet the highest safety and quality standards to support Elanco's mission. The role is responsible for managing significant capital investments while fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement through Reliability Excellence (REx).

Your Responsibilities:

• Strategic Asset Management:Develop and execute a multi-year engineering strategy aligned with Elanco 2030, utilizing Reliability Excellence (REx) to maximize asset uptime and support future site growth.
• Capital Portfolio Leadership:Direct the site's CAPEX investments and Master Plan, partnering with Global Engineering to deliver complex projects on time, within budget, and in full compliance.
• Operational Excellence & Sustainability:Oversee reliable maintenance and utility operations using SAP-driven predictive programs while advancing energy efficiency in line with Elanco's ESG goals.
• Safety & Regulatory Compliance:Champion a "Safety First" culture, ensuring all technical processes and equipment meet rigorous GxP, HSE, and global regulatory requirements (FDA, USDA, etc.).
• People & Financial Leadership:Lead and mentor a high-performing technical team while managing OPEX and CAPEX budgets to ensure fiscal responsibility and a values-driven work environment.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):

• Education: Bachelor's degree in an Engineering-related discipline.
• Required Experience: 10+ years of experience in maintenance and/or engineering in a regulated industry, including 5+ years of leadership experience.
• Proven track record of managing large-scale capital projects (>$10M).
• Deep expertise in Reliability Excellence (REx) and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM).

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

• Advanced degree such as MBA or MS in Engineering Management
• Experience in monoclonal antibody, vaccine and/or recombinant protein manufacturing.
• Experience in biological manufacturing including cell culture, purification (separation technologies, chromatography, tangential flow filtration), viral inactivation and cleaning / sterilization processes in a biological environment.
• Experience with SAP PM/MM modules.
Experience in commissioning, qualification and validation activities associated with aseptic processes, technology transfers and new product commercialization.
• Experience in capital project design, development, and execution.
• Understanding of USDA, FDA, and EU GMP regulatory standards for veterinary biologics.

Additional Information:

• Travel: <5%
• Location: Elwood, KS (on-site)

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.

Salary Minimum: 200000Salary Maximum: 200000