Head of Operational Excellence Clinical Development- Vaccines

Job Title: Head of Operational Excellence Clinical Development
- Vaccines

Location: Swiftwater, PA, Waltham, MA

Join the team protecting half a billion lives every year with next‑gen science, mRNA innovation, and AI‑driven breakthroughs. In Vaccines, you’ll help advance prevention on a global scale – and shape the future of immunization.

Vaccines R&D is moving toward a more structured and collaborative approach to sustain performance and innovation over the long term. The Excellence Model is designed to help Vaccines R&D continuously adapt to its evolving context by engaging employees at all levels. This model is supported by a dedicated organization: the Operational Excellence (OE) team.

The Operational Excellence (OE) team supports Vaccines R&D by improving processes and ways of working. Each function has its own Function OE team, focused on deploying and sustaining OE practices within its area. Reporting directly to the Head of Function and working in close collaboration with the Global OE team (dotted line). Their role is to align improvement initiatives with both functional priorities and global standards, provide coaching and tools, and help operational teams drive performance and continuous improvement.

This structure ensures harmonization across functions while staying close to day‑to‑day operations.

We’re an R&D‑driven, AI‑powered biopharma company committed to improving people’s lives and delivering compelling growth. Our deep understanding of the immune system – and innovative pipeline – enables us to invent medicines and vaccines that treat and protect millions of people around the world. Together, we chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives.

• Drive the deployment of the function’s Operational Excellence roadmap within the function.
• Coordinate diagnostics and/or gap analyses (business case) with Function OE Leaders and operational teams to identify improvement opportunities (from shop floor to function management).
• Ensure the alignment of the function’s Operational Excellence roadmap with Vaccines R&D (function & global) strategic priorities and business needs.
• Ensure that the training is consistent with the provided OE structure.
• Actively contributes to initiative prioritization and arbitration in collaboration with the Function Head.
• Assess and validate that each on‑going and closed improvement initiative within the function complies with the core principles of Operational Excellence.
• Pro‑actively support function performance and measure the impact of the initiative.
• Consolidate and monitor the function’s Operational Excellence roadmap progress and report to both local and central stakeholders.
• Build required methodologies, tools and standards according to the VRD OE Methodology development plan.
• Support the Function Head in reaching performance targets and propose countermeasures when needed.
• Build, maintain, and continuously improve governance structures, routines, and performance management.
• Drive risk mitigation by escalating critical risks and gaps and enabling decisive action.
• Define adoption strategy and secure execution of change management.

• Consolidate individual OE development needs required to implement the function's improvement initiatives.
• Validate the training plan in alignment with the function’s Operational Excellence roadmap and its improvement priorities.
• Monitor and report progress of training activities.
• Conduct competency assessment and validation for Function OE Leaders.
• Promote feedback culture and continuous learning mindset.
• Ensure adoption and application of OE standards, routines, and methodologies.
• Act as a reference point for the function regarding OE core principes, methodologies, tools and standards.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and operational innovation within the function.

• Act as a Leader within the leadership team, contributing to strategic decision‑making and organizational priorities while ensuring adherence to OE principles.
• Drive VRD culture evolution by promoting desired mindsets, behaviors, and organizational values across…