Senior Director of Manufacturing Operations

ZRG Partners has been retained by a leading global healthcare and pharmaceutical organization to identify a Senior Director of Manufacturing Operations for a large-scale, highly regulated manufacturing operation in the Greater Chicago area. This is a senior site leadership opportunity for an accomplished pharmaceutical manufacturing executive with deep experience operating within complex cGMP environments.

The Senior Director will oversee manufacturing operations to ensure products are produced safely, on schedule, within established quality standards, and against defined cost and performance objectives. Reporting to the Plant Manager, the Senior Director of Manufacturing Operations will provide leadership across multiple manufacturing departments and processes within a complex, multi-shift pharmaceutical operation. The role has responsibility for manufacturing activities spanning compounding, aseptic filling, terminal sterilization, component preparation, capping, and lyophilization.

The successful candidate will lead a layered manufacturing organization, drive operational performance and continuous improvement, strengthen regulatory readiness, and ensure consistent execution against quality, safety, cost, productivity, and supply objectives. This leader will directly manage approximately seven Production Managers and/or Senior Managers and indirectly lead approximately 400 manufacturing employees and manufacturing engineers, making this a significant people and operational leadership position.

• Provide overall leadership for pharmaceutical manufacturing operations across multiple production areas and shifts.
• Establish, maintain, and continuously improve manufacturing processes and procedures for compounding, aseptic and terminal sterilization, filling, component preparation, capping, and lyophilization.
• Develop and execute manufacturing plans that ensure products meet established quality standards, production schedules, customer requirements, and cost objectives.
• Lead Production Managers and Senior Managers in achieving site manufacturing, safety, quality, and operational performance goals.
• Build organizational capability through hiring, development, coaching, performance management, and succession planning.
• Optimize workforce levels, manufacturing resources, overhead, and material utilization to achieve annual operating and budget objectives.
• Identify and implement opportunities to increase productivity, reduce defects, minimize scrap and rework, and improve manufacturing efficiency.
• Drive Right-First-Time performance, deviation reduction, and timely deviation closure to support on‑time batch release.
• Establish and maintain production standards and continuous improvement initiatives across manufacturing operations.
• Lead manufacturing programs related to training, safety, cost reduction, employee involvement, housekeeping, and operational discipline.
• Sponsor and coordinate major site projects, including plant layout changes, capital equipment installation, and major equipment or facility improvements.
• Monitor and communicate key manufacturing performance indicators, including Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), production output, quality performance, and other site metrics.
• Serve as a manufacturing subject‑matter expert during regulatory inspections and company audits.
• Partner closely with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Maintenance, Human Resources, and other site functions to support reliable and compliant manufacturing operations.

• Bachelor's degree in a scientific, engineering, technical, or related discipline, or equivalent education and relevant experience.

• The ideal candidate is an experienced pharmaceutical manufacturing executive…