Director, Packaging and Manufacturing Operations

Work Schedule

Standard (Mon-Fri)

Environmental Conditions

Office

Job Description

When you are part of the team at Thermo Fisher Scientific, you'll do important work, like helping customers in finding cures for cancer, protecting the environment or making sure our food is safe. Your work will have real-world impact, and you'll be supported in achieving your career goals.

Location/Division Specific Information

Clinical Trials Division (CTD) partners with pharmaceutical and biotech customers around the world to ensure the right patients get the right therapies in the right doses at the right time - a concept we internally embrace as “There is a Patient Waiting.” Our unique blend of services includes project management, packaging, distribution, transportation management and specialty logistics, ancillary supply management, clinical supply optimization, bio-repository storage and much more. Our more than 3000 employees in over 15 countries work hard every day knowing what they do matters.

Position Summary

The Director, Packaging and Manufacturing Operations is the senior operations leader accountable for safe, compliant, reliable and cost-effective execution of clinical packaging and labeling activities at the Allentown site. The role provides strategic and day-to-day leadership across primary and secondary packaging operations, managing technical operation team, and works closely with Quality, Project Management, Engineering, Operational Excellence, Finance and other site functions to deliver customer commitments while maintaining cGMP compliance and a strong safety and quality culture.

This leader translates site and division priorities into an operating strategy for the department; builds leadership capability; establishes capacity, staffing and capital plans; drives performance through tiered daily management and Practical Process Improvement (PPI); and owns escalation and recovery when safety, quality, delivery, cost or customer performance is at risk.

As a member of the Allentown Site Leadership Team, this role carries leadership responsibility beyond the Packaging and Manufacturing Operations function and is expected to actively shape the site’s culture, strategy and overall performance. The Director serves as a visible role model for leadership behaviors, drives cross-functional alignment and accountability, and plays a key role in advancing the site’s transformation and continuous improvement agenda. This leader is expected to challenge the status quo, strengthen organizational capability and help elevate the Allentown site to the next level of operational excellence, customer service and employee engagement.

Key Responsibilities

Operations Strategy & Execution

· Provide overall leadership for Packaging and Labeling Operations across all shifts, with accountability for safety, quality, service, productivity, cost and schedule performance.

· Translate site and business objectives into annual and multi-year departmental priorities, operating plans, resource requirements, budgets and measurable performance targets.

· Ensure production plans, labor, equipment and support resources are aligned to customer demand, backlog, capacity constraints and financial commitments; lead recovery plans when performance deviates from plan.

· Establish effective operating rhythms, including daily management boards, Gemba walks, performance reviews and escalation mechanisms that create visibility, accountability and timely decision-making.

Quality, Compliance & Risk

· Create and sustain a culture in which cGMP, SOP, data integrity, safety and regulatory requirements are embedded in daily operations and leadership behaviors.

· Ensure timely investigation, escalation and resolution of quality events, deviations, rejects and recurring operational issues in partnership with Quality; verify that corrective and preventive actions are effective and sustainable.

· Review and approve applicable SOPs, change controls and operational risk assessments; ensure risks, controls, owners and implementation plans are clearly defined.

· Maintain inspection and audit readiness within the organization and ensure leaders and employees are appropriately trained and qualified for assigned responsibilities.

People & Organizational Leadership

· Lead, coach and develop managers and leaders; set clear expectations, goals and accountability while building succession plans and a strong pipeline of operations talent.

· Develop staffing and organizational plans that match business demand, required capabilities and shift coverage; partner with Human Resources on workforce planning, performance management, employee relations and organizational effectiveness.

· Build an inclusive, engaged and high-performing culture characterized by ownership, disciplined execution, collaboration and continuous learning.

· Ensure consistent application of company policies and leadership standards throughout the organization.

Continuous Improvement, Engineering & Capital

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