Senior Director, Manufacturing Operations

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: Senior Director, Manufacturing Operations As Senior Director, Manufacturing Operations , you will lead end-to-end manufacturing operations for monoclonal antibody (mAb) vaccine production, including upstream, downstream, fill/finish, and site support functions. In this role, you will be accountable for delivering a safe, compliant, and reliable supply while building organizational capability, driving operational excellence, and shaping long-term manufacturing strategy. You will serve as a key member of the site leadership team and a critical link to enterprise manufacturing priorities. 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 Required Experience: Significant leadership experience in biopharmaceutical, biologics, or vaccine manufacturing with accountability for site-level performance Top Skills: 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 Don’t meet every requirement? Studies have shown underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace and encourage you to apply even if your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification. You may be the right candidate for this role or others. Benefits and Perks: We offer a comprehensive benefits package focusing on financial, physical, and mental well-being while encouraging our employees to pursue our purpose! Some highlights include: Multiple relocation packages for eligible roles 8-week parental leave 9 Employee Resource Groups Annual bonus offering Up to 6% 401K 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.