Thorne

Purity-focused nutritional supplements with scientific rigor

Operations Engineering Manager

Engineering LeadershipUpdated on Nov 13

Full-timeSummerville, SC, USANo salary listedIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

A BS in Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering is required.
At least 15 years of experience in pharmaceutical, dietary supplement manufacturing, or a similar regulated industry is required.
At least 5 years of experience in a management position is required.
At least 3 years of experience in an FDA-regulated environment is required.
Experience with ISO and/or cGMP standards is required.
Must be capable of writing detailed technical procedures, documents, and training procedures to apply new methods and programs that improve production and systems.
Must acquire the necessary knowledge in all areas of Thorne manufacturing, including mixing, high-speed encapsulation, capsule and powder bottling lines, labeling, production components, raw materials, and product powders.
Working knowledge of SolidWorks and AutoCAD is required to participate in technical drawing reviews.
Must understand mechanical systems, equipment controls, instrumentation, sensors, and vision systems, and guide technicians and engineers in effective technical problem-solving.
Must be able to compile detailed project timelines and actively manage resource allocation.
Must be able to guide and lead cross-functional teams in developing PFMEAs at a subject-matter-expert level.
Prior experience working with and mentoring junior engineers or engineering interns is required.
Must be comfortable with and have extensive experience interacting with senior management, company staff, and third parties.

Responsibilities

Manage Engineering Technicians, Controls Technicians, and Manufacturing Engineers to ensure prompt resolution of production-floor technical issues and data-driven, long-term corrective actions.
Attend production stand-up meetings and maintain a daily shop-floor presence to monitor processes and help lead troubleshooting of urgent technical issues and production stoppages.
Review production handoffs daily for equipment- and process-related issues, using proactive, data-driven methods to target permanent corrective actions.
Develop and drive operational-excellence initiatives to improve efficiency, reduce labor costs, and maximize product yield; participate in or provide resources for Kaizen and root-cause-analysis events with the Continuous Improvement Group.
Partner with peers in other departments to anticipate and permanently resolve chronic production and technical issues and improve overall equipment effectiveness.
Use engineering floor-support data to document the capabilities of production equipment and provide executable improvement recommendations to leadership.
Collaborate with department peers on new manufacturing-equipment specifications, user requirements specifications, site and factory acceptance testing, operating procedures, and qualifications; travel to vendor locations inside and outside the United States to support qualifications.
Build and lead a high-performing Engineering team, recruit talent, develop staff and future leaders, and provide ongoing coaching and feedback.
Create an empowering, positive environment in which the technical team can make decisions, is accountable for timely completion of duties, and maintains quality workmanship.
Provide technical oversight and guidance for equipment qualifications and requalifications, including resource assignment and review and approval of related engineering studies, protocols, reports, and documentation.
Review or approve, or assign a trained designee to review or approve, production equipment operating procedures, forms, work instructions, and OCM specifications.
Support manufacturing-related corrective and preventive actions as required.
Submit regular, accurate Engineering status reports to the Director of Engineering, including project status, issues, schedule adherence, and other necessary information.
Conduct formal and informal staff performance assessments covering performance against expectations and goals, behaviors, and leadership potential, and seek similar assessment for self.
Periodically assess the team’s technical skill set and recommend training to close gaps or update capabilities to current standards.
Supervise and manage others, delegate appropriately, and follow up on work assignments.

At Thorne, we work to deliver high-quality, science-backed solutions to empower individuals to take a proactive approach to their well-being. Each day begins with a mission to help others discover and achieve their best health. We count on our team members to challenge and push the boundaries to make that happen. At Thorne, you’ll be joining a team of more than 750 passionate individuals committed to our cause of providing superior health solutions at every age and life stage.

The Operations Engineering Manager reports to Director, Engineering and is responsible for
managing team of Engineering Technicians, Controls Technicians and Manufacturing Engineers to ensure prompt resolution to technical issues on the production floor and using data driven approach for long term & permanent corrective actions.

Attend production stand-up meetings and provide daily presence on the shop floor to monitor processes and help lead troubleshooting of urgent technical issues and production down situations.
Conduct daily review of production pass downs for equipment & process related issues and use data driven and proactive approach in targeting long term and permanent corrective actions.
Develop and drive OpEx initiatives to ensure efficiency, reduce labor costs and maximize product yield. Working with Continuous Improvement Group, participate or provide resources in support of Kaizen & RCA events.
Create partnerships with peers from other departments and generate an overall collaborative structure to anticipate and permanently resolve chronic production & technical issues to help improve OEE.
Utilize data generated as part of Engineering floor support to fully understand and document the current capabilities of all Thorne production equipment and provide executable improvement recommendations to leadership.
Collaborate with department peers on new manufacturing equipment specifications, URS’s, acceptance testing (SAT & FAT), reviewing Operation SOP’s and Qualifications, including travel to vendor locations, both within & outside US in support of such qualifications.
Build and lead a high-performing Engineering team, secure the best talent, develop & strengthen staff and build future leaders by providing ongoing coaching and honest feedback.
Create a high energy and positive environment where the technical team feels empowered to make decisions without fear and can be held accountable for timely completion of tasks & duties as well as the quality of workmanship.
Provide technical oversight & guidance in support of equipment qualifications and re-qualifications (resource assignment, review & approval of related engineering studies, protocols, reports and documentation).
Review and/or approve (or assign trained designee) the following documents including, but not limited to: Production Equipment SOP’s, Forms and Work Instructions, and OCM specifications.
Support manufacturing-related Corrective and Preventative Actions (CAPAs) as required.
Ensure regular, accurate Engineering status reports (project status, issues, schedule adherence, and other items as deemed necessary) are submitted to Director of Engineering.
Conduct formal and informal performance assessments of staff, including performance versus expectations and goals, behaviors and leadership potential, and seek the same for self.
Conduct periodic assessment of technical skill set of the team and provide training recommendations to close gaps or in upgrading skill set to be at par with state-of-the-art.

BS in Mechanical/Electrical/Industrial Engineering is required.
15+ years’ experience in Pharmaceutical, Dietary Supplement Manufacturing or similar regulated industry.
5+ years’ experience in a management position.
3+ years’ experience in an FDA-regulated environment.
Experience with ISO and/or cGMP standards required.
Must be capable of writing detailed technical procedures, documents, training procedures to further apply the new methods and programs that lead to production and systems improvements.
Ability to acquire the necessary knowledge in all areas of Thorne manufacturing including Mixing, High Speed Encapsulation, Bottling Lines (Capsule and Powder), Labeling, as well as production components, raw materials and product powders.
Working knowledge of SolidWorks and AutoCAD is required in order to participate in technical drawing reviews.
Must have working knowledge of and be able to understand mechanical systems, equipment controls, instrumentation, sensors, vision systems and to guide technicians and engineers in effective technical problem solving.
Must be able to compile detailed project timelines and actively manage resource allocation.
Must be able to guide and lead cross-functional teams in developing PFMEAs at an SME level.
Prior experience in working with and mentoring junior engineers or engineering interns is required.
Comfort with and extensive experience interacting with senior management, company staff and third parties.
Supervise and manage others, delegate appropriately, and follow-up on work assignments.

About the Company

Thorne

Purity-focused nutritional supplements with scientific rigor

Thorne is a health and wellness company that makes nutritional supplements. It focuses on purity and scientific backing, testing its products to ensure quality and efficacy for consumers. Its products work by delivering carefully studied nutrients and other ingredients in supplements that people take to support their health. Thorne differentiates itself from competitors through a long history dating back to 1984, a strong emphasis on quality and scientific integrity, and rigorous quality controls. In 2023 the company was acquired by L Catterton, moved off public markets, and continues to pursue growth by expanding research and development. The overall goal is to provide reliable, high-quality supplements that people can trust to support their health and well-being.

Company size: 501-1,000
Company stage: IPO
Headquarters: New York City, United States
Founded: 1984

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