Senior Technical Packaging Advisor

Elanco; United States; On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Elanco is seeking a Senior Technical Packaging Advisor to lead packaging processes and materials. You will work within External Manufacturing (EEM) teams and Joint Process Teams (JPT) to ensure technical excellence, GMP document control, and finished product oversight for the EMEA scope, while supporting efficient and compliant production.

You will mentor TSMS scientists and engineers, manage product transfer projects, and drive continuous improvement using data and process knowledge across

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in life science or engineering or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years’ experience in Pharmaceutical or Chemical Production / TS/MS / Drug Development / QA. Minimum of 5 years in packaging processes.
• Strong working knowledge of quality systems and regulatory requirements across multiple health authorities.
• Experience in technical transfer or project management of production processes at manufacturing scale.
• Confident in communicating technical information to senior management clearly and concisely.
• Expert in reviewing/writing technical reports and CGMP compliance.
• Proven problem-solving abilities for complex technical issues.

Responsibilities

• Provide packaging process and material expertise.
• Participate in Joint Process Team (JPT) meetings; ensure global standard requirements are met.
• Maintain oversight of batch records, SOPs, and Master Production Records.
• Write technical reports to convey status of key initiatives and KPIs.
• Support site visits to CM for capability assessments and issue resolution.
• Ensure products have appropriate control strategies and documentation.

Skills

Packaging expertise

Process knowledge

Data analysis

Regulatory understanding

Technical communication

Education

Advanced degree in life science or engineering

Job description

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!

Your role:

As a Senior Technical Packaging Advisor, you will bring your specific expertise in packaging processes and materials to Elanco's External Manufacturing (EEM) teams. As a member of Joint Process Teams (JPT), you will ensure technical excellence, control of GMP documents, and oversight of finished products for the EMEA scope, while guaranteeing efficient and compliant production.

Your responsibilities:

• Provide packaging process and material expertise.
• Participate in Joint process team (JPT) meetings as primary TSMS; ensure technical requirements of global standards are met.
• Maintain oversight of key batch processing records used at CMs, including SOP’s, Master Production Records, SPI’s.
• Write technical reports to convey status of key initiatives, and to communicate process metrics.
• Participate in site visits to the CM, to assess ongoing capability and, as required, to support resolution of complex technical issues and/or support implementation of significant process or procedural changes.
• Ensure that assigned products have an appropriate control strategy.
• Use data and process knowledge to identify continuous improvement (CI) opportunities.
• Support generation and review Annual Product Reports (APRs) / PQR’s.
• Prepare or coordinate potential technical inquiry Position Papers / Technical briefing documentation within network for support of submissions, internal inspections or Health Authorities related to packaging.
• Manage product / process transfer projects from a TSMS perspective
• Effectively mentor, coach and develop less senior TSMS scientists and engineers located within the hub on packaging.
• Working closely with the Network and Hub TS/MS Leads and Operations, support significant investigations related to deviation & complaints in the scope of packaging.
• Support and/or lead new product introductions and technical transfer of existing processes within and between internal / third parties across the hubs.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):

• An advanced university degree or demonstrated career experience in life science or engineering (e.g. pharmacy, chemistry, chemical engineering, veterinary medicine).
• Minimum 7 years’ experience in Pharmaceutical or Chemical Production / TS/MS / Pharmaceutical Drug Development / Quality Assurance. Minimum of 5 years’ experience in packaging processes, materials and packaging design.
• Strong working knowledge of applied statistics, quality systems and regulatory requirements across multiple health authorities.
• Experienced in technical transfer or project management of production processes at manufacturing scale.
• Confident in team environment to contribute and challenge the status quo and take a technical stand when required - can represent technical information to senior management in a clear and concise manner.
• Expert in reviewing and writing technical reports. Can author technical documents to a high standard and is current with cGMP requirements.
• Can apply excellent problem-solving methodology to complex technical situations.

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

• Advance degrees (Ph.D., MBA)
• Other languages (German and/or French)

Additional Information:

Travel : 10-30% — flexibility in travel required (sometimes at short notice) to support business deadlines and customer requirements.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment.

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.