Job Description

Join us as the Associate Director, Operations and lead the successful start-up and long-term operation of our state-of-the-art new biopharmaceutical facility in Desoto, KS. You will build GMP-compliant operations end to end-people, processes, and plant-while driving cross-functional execution. This is an ideal role for an operational leader with proven past performance with facility start up and operational readiness, deep quality and USDA regulatory expertise and technical operations mastery.

People leadership and culture-building are vital (hiring, training, standard work, tiered daily management), financial acumen (budget, COGS), and continuous improvement (lean, OEE, CAPA effectiveness) to achieve right-first-time, safe, and reliable supply. You will play a pivotal role in establishing a culture of safety, quality, and continuous improvement, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Facility Start-Up & Operational Readiness

• Lead end-to-end operating readiness for a new biopharmaceutical facility,
• Partner with Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain to ensure seamless facility commissioning and handover into operations.
• Define and implement standard operating procedures, batch records, and operational processes in alignment with GMP requirements.

Team Development & Leadership

• Recruit, hire, and develop a diverse and high-performing operations team
• Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, and employee engagement.
• Implement structured training programs to ensure technical excellence and regulatory compliance.
• Provide strategic direction and leadership for aseptic filling, lyophilization, and other core manufacturing operations.
• Ensure manufacturing goals are met for safety, quality, supply, cost, and compliance.
• Champion operational excellence, lean principles, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Regulatory Compliance & Quality

• Establish and maintain GMP-compliant operations, adhering to USDA and other global regulatory requirements.
• Lead preparation and successful execution of regulatory inspections and audits and audit responses.
• Partner with Quality to implement a robust quality management system.
• Ensure a safe, compliant, inclusive work environment

Strategic Leadership

• Contribute to long-term manufacturing strategy and capacity planning.
• Drive alignment between site operations and global business objectives.
• Builds annual budget and manages successful delivery of spend depreciation, transfers to meet P&L and standard cost commitments.

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in Biotechnology or relevant disciplines

Required Experience and Skills:

• Minimum 8 years in a pharmaceutical background
• Minimum 5 years in an operations management role including Management of diverse teams and activities.
• Exceptional people management skills with demonstrated success in hiring, developing, and scaling high-performing teams.
• Persuasive communication, stakeholder management, and organizational skills.
• Experience leading through change and building new organizational capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to motivate an organization around a common vision and deliver expected result
• Pharmaceutical & Biological process knowledge

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Track record in facility start-up, tech transfer, and commercial manufacturing.
• Relevant knowledge of GMP, aseptic processing, lyophilization, and regulatory expectations
• Strong Analytical and decision-making skills
• Animal Health industry experience is preferred

Required Skills:
Aseptic Filling, GMP Operations, Lean Manufacturing Operations, Manufacturing, Manufacturing Operations, Operations Management, People Management, Pharmaceutical Industry, Team Leadership

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another's thinking and approach problems collectively.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as "remote".

The salary range for this role is
$126,500.00 - $199,100.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee's position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at .

You can apply for this role through (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

Employee Status:
Regular

Relocation:
Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:
No

Travel Requirements:
10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:
Not Applicable

Shift:
1st - Day

Valid Driving License:
Yes

Hazardous Material(s):
N/A

Job Posting End Date:
01/2/2026
*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.

Requisition ID: R375455

Job Tags

Full time, For contractors, Work at office, Local area, Remote work, Relocation, Visa sponsorship, Flexible hours, Shift work, 3 days per week,

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