Senior External Mfg Scheduling Lead

Kite Pharma, Inc.; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 143,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus potential

Stock-based incentives

Paid time off

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Life insurance

Job summary

Kite Pharma, Inc. in Santa Monica, CA, seeks an External Manufacturing Scheduler to translate demand plans into executable forecasts, align schedules with CDMO partners, and secure material readiness across the external network.

You will own the end-to-end external production schedule, manage POs and invoicing, monitor KPIs, and drive continuous improvement with IT tools and governance forums.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or higher required with relevant experience.
• Experience in external manufacturing (CDMO/CMO) and network/site planning.
• Knowledge of GMP operations, external manufacturing, and global distribution flows.
• Experience issuing and managing POs and invoicing with external partners.
• Proficiency with ERP and advanced planning systems (SAP, IBP, OMP, Kinaxis).

Responsibilities

• Own, build, and maintain the production schedule across external manufacturing nodes with partner calendars.
• Validate slot reservations, campaign timing, yield expectations, testing sequences, and release timelines with partners.
• Protect schedule stability within the frozen window while enabling longer-horizon agility.
• Reconcile forecasted demand against contracted capacity and escalate gaps.
• Own forward planning for plasmid and cell banks ahead of campaigns.
• Coordinate procurement strategies with material availability and safety stock.
• Issue and manage purchase orders to external partners and track through closure.
• Manage invoicing, including validation and reconciliation against POs/deliveries.
• Track KPIs across the external network (OTIF, forecast accuracy, inventory).
• Lead governance forums and drive corrective actions with partners.
• Develop and maintain dashboards and data flows for visibility across the network.

Skills

Supply chain planning

External manufacturing coordination

Analytical skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Engineering, Life Sciences, or related field

Master’s degree or PhD with correspondingly less experience

Tools

SAP

IBP

OMP

Kinaxis

Job description

Kite Pharma, Inc. in Santa Monica, CA, seeks an External Manufacturing Scheduler to translate demand plans into executable forecasts, align schedules with CDMO partners, and secure material readiness across the external network.

You will own the end-to-end external production schedule, manage POs and invoicing, monitor KPIs, and drive continuous improvement with IT tools and governance forums.