Associate Director, Operational Excellence

Summary

What You Bring:

• Required Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree required (Life Sciences, or related field)
• Advanced degree preferred (e.g., MBA, MSc)
• Certification or formal training in Operational Excellence, Lean, Six Sigma, or Process Improvement preferred
• Required Experience
• 8–10+ years’ experience in operational excellence, process improvement, training, or operational leadership within a regulated life sciences or clinical development environment
• Proven experience owning and implementing end‐to‐end processes or systems across multiple functions
• Hands‐on experience designing and delivering process and role‐based training
• Experience supporting audit and inspection readiness, including documentation and behavioral readiness
• Required Competencies
• End‐to‐end process design, standardization, and optimization
• Lean / continuous improvement methodologies
• Training design, curriculum development, and adult learning principles
• Process documentation (SOPs, guidance, work instructions)
• Process performance metrics, KPIs, and dashboarding
• Understanding compliance and inspection expectations in regulated environments.
• Strong systems thinker able to translate strategy into execution
• Excellent facilitation, communication, and stakeholder‐engagement skills
• Ability to influence and drive adoption without direct authority
• Pragmatic change leader with strong execution discipline
• Trusted advisor mindset with high credibility and accountability
• Collaborative, service‐oriented, and improvement‐focused
• We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
• Salary range $164,000—$246,000 USD

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required (Life Sciences, or related field)
• 8–10+ years’ experience in operational excellence, process improvement, training, or operational leadership within a regulated life sciences or clinical development environment
• Proven experience owning and implementing end‐to‐end processes or systems across multiple functions
• Hands‐on experience designing and delivering process and role‐based training
• Experience supporting audit and inspection readiness, including documentation and behavioral readiness
• Required Competencies
• End‐to‐end process design, standardization, and optimization
• Lean / continuous improvement methodologies
• Training design, curriculum development, and adult learning principles
• Process documentation (SOPs, guidance, work instructions)
• Process performance metrics, KPIs, and dashboarding
• Understanding compliance and inspection expectations in regulated environments.
• Strong systems thinker able to translate strategy into execution
• Excellent facilitation, communication, and stakeholder‐engagement skills
• Ability to influence and drive adoption without direct authority
• Pragmatic change leader with strong execution discipline
• Trusted advisor mindset with high credibility and accountability
• Collaborative, service‐oriented, and improvement‐focused
• We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
• Salary range $164,000—$246,000 USD

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree preferred (e.g., MBA, MSc)
• Certification or formal training in Operational Excellence, Lean, Six Sigma, or Process Improvement preferred

Responsibilities

• Own and lead end‐to‐end design, implementation, and optimization of assigned process and system across Development
• Translate strategic objectives into fit‐for‐purpose, standardized processes that are efficient, scalable, and inspection‐ready
• Define process standards, guidance, and performance measures, ensuring clarity of roles and accountability
• Develop and deliver training on new/changed processes incl. compliance expectations, and inspection readiness behavior
• Design and maintain role‐based and process‐based curricula, including onboarding
• Identify inefficiencies, risks, and variability through data analysis and stakeholder input, and lead targeted improvement initiatives
• Support functions in adopting new or improved processes through change management, training inputs, and practical guidance
• Ensure processes are well documented, consistently applied, and auditable, supporting inspection readiness
• Track and report process performance, improvement outcomes, and residual risks to Operational Excellence & Clinical Compliance leadership
• Act as a subject‐matter expert and trusted advisor to functional teams on process excellence and operational rigor
• Support Leadership in defining and executing the learning and capability‐building strategy for Development functions
• Support leadership in building a learning culture that reinforces accountability, consistency, and continuous improvement