Kerr Director, Manufacturing Process Development; Pomona, CA)

United States of America, California, PomonaR
5027294

United States of America Engineering Job  description

JOB SUMMARY:

The Director, Manufacturing Process Development will develop, characterize, scale, validate, transfer, and optimize manufacturing processes for dental consumables globally. This role translates product, chemistry, material, quality, and customer requirements into robust, compliant, cost-effective manufacturing processes within an FDA- and ISO-regulated environment.

Reporting to the VP, Innovation & R&D, this leader bridges R&D Engineering, Manufacturing, Regulatory Affairs, Supply Chain, and Procurement, driving manufacturing readiness, technical risk management, and process ownership. The role leads a team of engineers and requires strong influence, relationship-building, and cross-functional navigation skills.

Candidate must reside within a commutable distance to Pomona, CA. This is not a hybrid or remote opportunity and requires onsite presence 4 days per week.

PRIMARY

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Develop process development strategy and roadmaps aligned to business and portfolio priorities, setting standards, governance, and resourcing for development, scale-up, validation, and lifecycle support.

Lead, coach, and develop a process engineering team, building technical depth, accountability, and succession planning.

Develop scalable manufacturing platforms, standards, and reusable process technologies to accelerate future product introductions and operational excellence.

Drive development and adoption of innovative manufacturing technologies and automation solutions to improve scalability, quality, efficiency, and competitive advantage.

Partner with product development teams to embed design-for-manufacturability principles early in product and formulation development.

Own process development from feasibility through validation and transfer for adhesives, composites, cements, endodontic, and other dental consumable platforms, defining process specifications, critical parameters, and  collaboration with Chemistry team, characterize material and process behavior (e.g., rheology, mixing, variability, hold times) to build scientific understanding linking materials, equipment, and finished-product performance.

Apply Design of Experiments (DOE), statistical analysis, and risk-based tools to define process design spaces, control strategies, and acceptance criteria.

Identify, assess, and mitigate manufacturing, scale-up, and commercialization risks throughout the product lifecycle.

Lead pilot builds, scale-up, qualification, validation, and manufacturing transfer, ensuring readiness criteria, documentation, and training are in place.

Provide process development leadership on New Product Development (NPD), commercialization, and lifecycle teams, aligning scope, risk, resources, and timelines across functions.

Serve as the key technical liaison between Manufacturing and R&D, building trust and alignment across functions without relying on positional authority.

Partner with Operations and Engineering to optimize processes, troubleshoot issues, and improve capability across the product lifecycle, clarifying handoffs from development to routine manufacturing.

Collaborate on investigations into nonconformances, deviations, and quality events using root-cause analysis and statistical methods to drive effective CAPAs.Define equipment and process requirements and partner with cross-functional teams and vendors on selection, integration, and automation to improve safety, quality, and efficiency.

Drive measurable improvements in yield, throughput, cycle time, capability, and cost through continuous improvement initiatives.

Ensure all activities comply with the Quality Management System (QMS), FDA…