Operations Director - External Manufacturing

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:

Based in Basel, Switzerland, the Operations Director, External Manufacturing leads the operational performance of Elanco’s contract manufacturing partner portfolio. The role provides strategic and tactical oversight of operations at our contract manufacturers to ensure reliable product supply, compliance, and strong partner performance. You will work across multiple functions and provide direct and indirect leadership to deliver business outcomes.

Your Responsibilities:

• Lead governance and performance management for the contract manufacturing portfolio, establishing effective operating forums, account plans, performance metrics, and improvement priorities.
• Ensure contract manufacturing partners meet applicable financial, quality, supply chain, health and safety, regulatory and internationally recognized standards, including Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) requirements.
• Partner with Procurement and other functions on contract negotiations and renewals, contract strategy, dispute resolution, and ongoing compliance with contractual obligations.
• Drive reliable, cost-effective product supply by coordinating Supply, Technical Services, Quality, Health, Safety and Environment and other functional partners to resolve issues and maintain consistent product quality.
• Lead risk reviews, productivity and continuous improvement initiatives, contract manufacturer selection and due diligence, technical transfers, and product change implementation to support business growth and uninterrupted supply.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):

• Degree in Engineering or Science.
• Minimum 5-7 years of leadership experience in GMP manufacturing operations (ideally at a GMP-regulated production site), managing cross-functional teams and driving supply reliability, quality compliance, and business results.
• Proven success in supervisory or people-management roles, including mentoring, coaching, and performance development.
• Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders across multiple functions to achieve business outcomes, supported by strong learning agility across Production, Quality, Technical Services, Procurement, Finance, Regulatory and Research and Development.
• Fluency in English, excellent written and verbal communication skills, proficiency in SAP, Veeva and standard Microsoft Office applications, and the ability to prioritize multiple activities.

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

• Knowledge of external manufacturing or contract manufacturing environments.
• Solid understanding of supply chain methodologies and concepts.
• Experience establishing governance and performance-management processes for manufacturing partners.
• Experience supporting technical transfers, product changes, or manufacturing transitions.
• Experience with contract management, contract manufacturer selection, or due diligence activities.

Additional Information:

• Position type: Full time
• Location: Basel, Switzerland
• Travel: 10–30%, including domestic and international travel

Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrecognized 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. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!

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