Senior Director – Manufacturing Operations (Project Management)
At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!
As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. We're driven by our vision of ‘Food and Companionship Enriching Life' and our approach to sustainability – the Elanco Healthy Purpose™ – to advance the health of animals, people, the planet and our enterprise.
At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you'll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.
Making animals' lives better makes life better – join our team today!
Your Role: Senior Director – Manufacturing Operations
As the Senior Director – Manufacturing Operations, you will be a key leader at our Clinton, Indiana manufacturing site, responsible for overseeing the end-to-end operations across Fermentation, Product Recovery, Product Finishing, and Utilities. In this role, you'll be responsible for driving operational excellence, ensuring regulatory compliance, and maintaining a strong safety culture while supporting the reliable supply of high-quality animal health products.
You will lead a high-performing operations team, integrate cross-functional initiatives, and ensure that all aspects of production—from staffing and training to process optimization and documentation—support both short- and long-term business goals.
Your Responsibilities:
Lead Safe, Compliant, and Efficient Operations: Champion a proactive safety culture while ensuring all manufacturing processes comply with regulatory (GMP) and corporate standards in clean, well-maintained facilities.
Develop and Lead High-Performing Teams: Ensure operations staff are qualified, well-trained, and aligned to performance expectations, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Drive Supply Chain and Customer Service Excellence: Ensure timely, cost-effective, and high-quality delivery of products by managing the full operational cycle, from capacity planning to production execution.
Execute and Govern Operational Standards: Oversee execution and documentation of activities including validation, calibration, deviation investigation, change control, and quality system compliance.
Partner in Quality & Continuous Improvement: Jointly with the Site Quality Leader, ensure robust compliance, participate in quality management reviews, and lead initiatives for ongoing improvement in process performance and product quality.
What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):
Education: Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or equivalent work experience.
Required Experience: Minimum of 8 years in bulk manufacturing and at least 3 years in a leadership role with demonstrated strong performance.
Key Skills: Proven leadership in manufacturing operations and strong understanding of GMP compliance and production management.
What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (preferred qualifications):
Demonstrated success in business development including product launch, acquisition, and expansion.
Broad manufacturing experience across multiple platforms (e.g., bulk, liquid, oral solid dose).
Strong background in strategy development, business transformation, and operational excellence.
Experience building and developing teams to meet evolving operational needs.
Prior experience in the Natural Product Network or similar regulated manufacturing environment.
Additional Information:
Location: Position is based in Clinton, Indiana; relocation may be required.
Work Schedule: Site operates 24/7; flexibility required to support night shifts or shutdown periods for vacation coverage as needed.
Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!
Elanco Benefits and Perks:
We offer a comprehensive benefits package focusing on financial, physical, and mental well-being while encouraging our employees to pursue our purpose! Some highlights include:
Multiple relocation packages
Two weeklong shutdowns (mid-summer and year-end) in the US (in addition to PTO)
8-week parental leave
9 Employee Resource Groups
Annual bonus offering
Flexible work arrangements
Up to 6% 401K matching
Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status
