Job Overview
The Business Operations Leader provides strategic and operational leadership for site manufacturing execution, planning, and business operations. This role ensures the effective coordination of production, planning, and administrative functions to meet customer demand while maintaining compliance with cGMP, FDA, OSHA, EPA, DEA, and company standards.The Business Operations Leader serves as the primary integrator between production execution, planning, and site leadership, ensuring that schedules, resources, and workforce deployment are aligned to business objectives. This role leads Superintendents, Planning, and Business Administration resources to drive safe, compliant, efficient, and predictable site performance.This position is accountable for optimizing operational flow, labor utilization, and cost control while developing frontline leadership capability across the site.
Responsibilities
- Provide daily leadership oversight to Superintendents, Planning, and Administration to ensure safe, compliant, and efficient manufacturing operations
- Ensure production schedules meet customer expectations for quality, cost, and delivery
- Lead site planning and scheduling activities, balancing demand, capacity, and labor utilization
- Drive consistency in execution across shifts, units, and operational teams
- Partner with Technical Operations Leader, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, and Finance to ensure seamless site operations
- Monitor and control operational spending, including labor, overtime, and discretionary costs
- Review and analyze site KPIs related to productivity, throughput, utilization, and overtime
- Ensure adherence to FDA, OSHA, EPA, DEA, cGMP, and company standards
- Support investigations, corrective actions, and audit readiness related to operational activities
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on yield, productivity, waste reduction, and cost optimization
- Champion Lean, Six Sigma, and operational excellence methodologies
- Develop and coach Superintendents, planners, and admin personnel
- Promote a culture of accountability, psychological safety, and continuous development
- Ensure effective performance management and succession planning for operational leadership roles
- Represent Operations in site business reviews, customer meetings, and audits as needed
- Communicate operational performance clearly to site leadership and corporate stakeholders
- Support digital and systems improvements in planning, reporting, and execution
- Ensure alignment between workforce deployment, production priorities, and business objectives
Qualifications/Skills
- Strong leadership capability in regulated manufacturing environments
- High-level operational and business acumen
- Strong planning, scheduling, and resource optimization skills
- Ability to influence cross-functionally without direct authority
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Data-driven decision-making capability
- Ability to develop frontline leaders
- Strong organizational and prioritization skills
Education, Experience & Licensing Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Business, Operations Management, or related field required
- 10+ years of experience in manufacturing, operations, or regulated production environments
- Demonstrated leadership experience over supervisors or managers
- Experience in pharmaceutical, chemical, or life sciences manufacturing strongly preferred
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt preferred
- Strong financial knowledge related to manufacturing operations
- Ability to wear required PPE (steel-toe shoes, safety glasses, fire-retardant clothing)
- Physical ability to occasionally lift up to 50lbs
- Regularly sit, stand, bend, reach, and move throughout the facility
- Comfortable working in a production environment with exposure to noise, dust, fumes, odors, and varying temperatures
- Occasional travel may be required for business or training purposes
Cambrex is committed to providing a safe and productive work environment. All offers of employment are contingent on the successful completion of a comprehensive pre-employment screen. The pre-employment screen may consist of several components including but not limited to a drug test, criminal record check, identity verification, reference checks, education and employment verification, and may vary based on federal, state, and local laws. Refusal to submit to testing will result in disqualification of further employment consideration.
All requirements are subject to possible modifications to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. Cambrex Corporation is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), ancestry, national origin, place of birth, age, marital status, disability/handicap, genetic information, veteran status, or other characteristics protected by federal, state, and/or local law.
