Associate Director, Operations

Associate Director, Operations

Join us as the Associate Director, Operations and lead the successful start-up and long-term operation of our state-of-the-art new biopharmaceutical facility in Desoto, KS. You will build GMP-compliant operations end to endpeople, processes, and plantwhile driving cross-functional execution. This is an ideal role for an operational leader with proven past performance with facility start up and operational readiness, deep quality and USDA regulatory expertise and technical operations mastery.

People leadership and culture-building are vital (hiring, training, standard work, tiered daily management), financial acumen (budget, COGS), and continuous improvement (lean, OEE, CAPA effectiveness) to achieve right-first-time, safe, and reliable supply. You will play a pivotal role in establishing a culture of safety, quality, and continuous improvement, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to :

Facility Start-Up & Operational Readiness

• Lead end-to-end operating readiness for a new biopharmaceutical facility,
• Partner with Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain to ensure seamless facility commissioning and handover into operations.
• Define and implement standard operating procedures, batch records, and operational processes in alignment with GMP requirements.

Team Development & Leadership

Regulatory Compliance & Quality

Strategic Leadership

Education :

Required Experience and Skills :

Preferred Experience and Skills

Required Skills :

Aseptic Filling, GMP Operations, Lean Manufacturing Operations, Manufacturing, Manufacturing Operations, Operations Management, People Management, Pharmaceutical Industry, Team Leadership

Preferred Skills :

Aseptic Filling, GMP Operations, Lean Manufacturing Operations, Manufacturing, Manufacturing Operations, Operations Management, People Management, Pharmaceutical Industry, Team Leadership

The salary range for this role is $126,500.00 - $199,100.00. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee's position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https : / / jobs.merck.com / us / en / compensation-and-benefits .

You can apply for this role through https : / / jobs.merck.com / us / en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.