Director, Operations

Customers globally rely on our extensive range of products and services—

from life-saving medicines to lab essentials to next-generation instruments. Our Operations team leverages our PPI (Practical Process Improvement Business System) to manufacture and produce these products and continuously improve productivity and quality all while contributing to our Mission - to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue of approximately $40 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, increasing productivity in their laboratories, improving patient health through diagnostics or the development and manufacture of life-changing therapies, we are here to support them. Our global team of more than 100,000 colleagues delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services, Patheon and PPD.
- For the support of our Team at our site in Erlangen, we are looking for aDirector, Operations (f/m/d)

The Director of Operations/ Site Leader is a leadership role within the Chemical Analysis Division reporting to the Sr. Director of Global Operations, Materials Characterization and Sample Identification.
- This role is responsible for all operations currently located at the Erlangen site in Germany.Discover Impactful Work

This position is responsible for End-to-End operations leadership, making solid connections across Plan -Source -Make -Deliver with the ability to lead and articulate trade-offs. This leader will drive operational excellence & productivity by using the full operations toolbox (e.g., Continuous improvement methodologies, purposeful automation, restructuring, etc.) to implement business strategy in a way that drives productivity and operational efficiencies. In addition to driving strong operational execution the Operations leader must also lead the team and site to embody the customer centric culture of Thermo Fisher Scientific, exhibiting Role Model Leadership and adopting our 4i values.
- A day in the life
- Define and communicate the vision, mission, strategy, and operational objectives for the site.
- Work collaboratively with the business leaders and functional teams to align on priorities while driving solid execution.
- Establish outstanding Safety culture and programs in full compliance with company’s guidelines.
- Develop and implement the Erlangen operations strategy to meet the changing needs of the business, driving ownership and accountability within the organization.
- Hire, develop, train and mentor a successful team. Define and establish clear objectives and expectations, providing direct feedback routinely for performance management and effectively engaging in team development and advancement. Be an advocate for your team and their careers.
- Establishing a culture of Customer / Compliance First within the team
- Track, trend, and monitor critical metrics routinely with active data analysis to target and get results for manufacturing, supply chain and quality.
- Work collaboratively within global sourcing team to maintain cost-efficient availability of materials and supplies, and achievement of inventory objectives.
- Accountable for the overall financial performance of the operations team, focusing on revenue recognition, cost management, working capital management, and cash flow objectives.
- Consistently demonstrates Role Model Leadership and assists in the development and execution of programs that drive employee engagement, employee recognition and meet the Company’s goal of being a great place to work.
- Works globally across all sites to ensure clear and frequent communications with remote teams to build and implement employee engagement initiatives leading by example.
- Drives continuous improvement and standard work across all organizational elements of the site using Key Performance metrics formats, and other systems of maintaining measurement and accountability. Plans, recommends, and implements investment to drive cost reduction, productivity improvement, and process controls.
- Collaborates with all functions and partners including but not limited to Commercial, Marketing and R&D.
- In a dynamic business the need to be flexible and adapt to new situations is key

Keys to success
- Bachelor’s degree in a technical field required, or equivalent experience. MBA desired.
- Minimum of 10 years of management experience in a sophisticated manufacturing environment
- Proven track record leading Manufacturing Operations sites - 5yrs minimum
- Previous experience in Operations turnaround and groundbreaking initiatives
- Outstanding o