Head of Operations & Engineering

Head of Operations & Engineering

Launch your career to new heights at Eirgen Pharma!

With an ambitious growth plan, increased focus on strategic growth options as well as heightened delivery performance Eirgen has created a new C suite structure resulting in the promotion of key internal leaders.

As a result of these promotions, we are recruiting several leadership roles to join our Senior Leadership Team and help drive our business strategy forward.

About the Job

Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer (COO), you will lead the development and implementation of strategies and operational practices across both the Operations & Engineering functions of the organisation, ensuring the successful delivery of business strategy and site objectives.

You will be responsible for leading all manufacturing, engineering, technical services, and facilities operations to ensure efficient, compliant, and cost-effective pharmaceutical production, ensuring adherence to global regulatory standards, while driving operational excellence and supporting sustainable growth.

You will play a critical leadership role in optimising manufacturing processes, maintaining

inspection readiness, and supporting new product introductions.

Responsibilities:

Operations Leadership

• Oversee all manufacturing activities including production execution and packaging operations.

• Ensure production targets are met while maintaining strict GMP compliance.

• Lead capacity planning and operational performance management.

• Develop and implement KPIs aligned with company objectives.

• Ensure operational readiness for new product introductions and technology transfers.

• Effectively manage the Finance Department through clear goal and expectation setting,

performance management, coaching, mentoring, engagement and stakeholder management

Engineering & Technical Services

• Manage engineering, maintenance, utilities, and facilities functions.

• Ensure equipment reliability, calibration, and lifecycle management.

• Oversee qualification and commissioning activities.

• Lead capital expenditure (CAPEX) planning and execution.

• Manage facility upgrades, expansions, and continuous improvement of infrastructure.

Regulatory & Quality Compliance

• Ensure manufacturing operations comply with cGMP and applicable regulatory requirements.

• Maintain inspection readiness and support audits from regulatory authorities.

• Partner closely with Quality Assurance and Quality Control teams to ensure product integrity.

• Lead operational investigations related to deviations and implement corrective actions in

coordination with Quality.

Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Implement Lean Manufacturing and operational excellence initiatives.

• Drive improvements in productivity, cost control, and waste reduction.

• Optimise Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).

• Promote data-driven decision-making within operations and engineering.

• Foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

Leadership & People Management

• Build and develop high-performing production and engineering teams.

• Establish clear performance expectations and accountability structures.

• Drive workforce planning and succession development within operations.

• Promote a strong safety and compliance culture within manufacturing and engineering teams.

Strategic Contribution

• Contribute to operational strategy in alignment with the COO.

• Support business growth initiatives through capacity expansion and operational scalability.

• Provide technical and operational input into product development and commercialisation

planning.

• Ensure operational risks are identified, mitigated, and escalated appropriately.

About you

• You are an effective leader who has built, managed and motivated teams in the past.
• You will have a proven track record as an influencer at senior management level.
• You will drive growth, production, continuous improvement and safety management, while growing a best in practice engineering and operations function.
• Ideally 10+ years’ experience, preferably within a pharma or regulated manufacturing setting.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Pharmaceutical Science or arelated discipline. An MBA is advantageous for this role.
• Proven leadership of GMP-regulated manufacturing operations, strong experience managing regulatory inspections and operational audits and/or experience in solid oral dose, sterile, or liquid manufacturing environments.

Working at Eirgen – What to expect

At Eirgen, we have developed a diverse, people-centric, high performance culture where people are enabled to achieve their potential. If you are working at Eirgen, then we think you’ve got something special. Our employees are high-performing and work as part of a cohesive team, they are dedicated people who are driven to succeed and are rewarded with competitive salaries and an attractive range of benefits including opportunities for career progression and continuing education.

Apply for the above role by sending your CV to [email protected] including the job title in the subject.