Senior Director, Manufacturing Operations

Elanco; Elwood (KS); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Multiple relocation packages

8-week parental leave

Annual bonus offering

Up to 6% 401(K) matching

Job summary

Elanco is looking for a Senior Director of Manufacturing Operations in Elwood, Kansas. This role requires strong leadership and extensive experience in biopharmaceutical or vaccine manufacturing. Key responsibilities include leading end-to-end operations for monoclonal antibody production, ensuring compliance, and driving continuous improvement through Lean and Six Sigma methodologies. The position offers a competitive salary and numerous benefits, including relocation packages and annual bonus offerings.

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in biopharmaceutical or vaccine manufacturing.
• Proven ability to lead large, complex organizations.
• Strong business and operational acumen.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end manufacturing operations for mAb vaccine production.
• Ensure compliance and reliable supply through production planning.
• Partner cross-functionally with teams to enable successful product launches.

Skills

Leadership in biopharmaceutical manufacturing

GMP manufacturing knowledge

Operational excellence

Lean and Six Sigma experience

Regulatory compliance knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Life Sciences

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Elanco is a global leader in animal health, dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services that prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets.

Your Role

Senior Director, Manufacturing Operations – lead end-to-end manufacturing operations for monoclonal antibody (mAb) vaccine production, including upstream, downstream, fill/finish, and site support functions. Accountable for delivering a safe, compliant, and reliable supply while building organizational capability, driving operational excellence, and shaping long‑term manufacturing strategy.

Your Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for all manufacturing functions, ensuring alignment with business goals and portfolio needs.
• Own site manufacturing performance across safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity, with full accountability for results.
• Ensure consistent, compliant, and reliable supply through strong production planning, capacity management, and disciplined execution.
• Embed a culture of quality, compliance, and inspection readiness in alignment with global regulatory requirements and internal standards.
• Lead and develop a high‑performing organization by building leadership capability, strengthening technical depth, and driving engagement and succession planning.
• Drive continuous improvement through Lean, Six Sigma, and digital manufacturing to improve right‑first‑time performance, cycle time, yield, and cost efficiency.
• Partner cross‑functionally with Quality, Technical Operations, Supply Chain, R&D, and Commercial teams to enable successful product launches, tech transfers, and lifecycle management.
• Oversee capital strategy and execution, including facility expansions, automation, and equipment upgrades to support long‑term growth.
• Proactively manage operational risk and resilience, including deviations, capacity constraints, and business continuity planning.
• Represent manufacturing at the enterprise level, contributing to global strategy, network decisions, and senior leadership forums.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications)

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Life Sciences, or a related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• Significant leadership experience in biopharmaceutical, biologics, or vaccine manufacturing with accountability for site‑level performance.
• Proven ability to lead large, complex organizations; deep knowledge of GMP manufacturing and regulatory environments; strong business and operational acumen.

What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (preferred qualifications)

• Experience in monoclonal antibody (mAb) or biologics manufacturing.
• Demonstrated success leading multi‑functional manufacturing organizations.
• Strong experience with regulatory inspections and compliance (FDA, USDA, global agencies).
• Track record of driving Lean, Six Sigma, and digital transformation initiatives.
• Experience leading capital projects, facility expansions, and automation programs.

Additional Information

• Travel: Occasional travel required.
• Schedule: Monday–Friday with flexibility based on business needs.
• Location: Elwood, Kansas.

Benefits and Perks

• Multiple relocation packages for eligible roles.
• 8‑week parental leave.
• 9 Employee Resource Groups.
• Annual bonus offering.
• Up to 6% 401(K) matching.

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.