Upstream Process Director

Upstream Process Director

Sandoz

Lendava, Slovenia

As an Upstream Process Director (for upstream production process of biological drug substances) you will be responsible for the leadership, development and management of production processes in order to fulfill the production plans and to provide competitiveness, in accordance with the law, internal regulations, good practices and business objectives.

Your key responsibilities:

Your responsibilities include, but not limited to:

• Responsibility for overseeing Biologics (Biosimilars) upstream production processes to ensure compliance with GMP, HSE and regulatory standards.
• Manage manufacturing staff to ensure strict adherence to safety, quality, and hygiene protocols.
• Implementation process optimization strategies in manufacturing to enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and ensure consistent product quality.
• Monitor and control inventory of raw materials and finished drug substances to ensure uninterrupted production and optimal stock levels in line with pharma industry standards.
• Analyze production metrics and QC data in the pharma context to ensure batch-to-batch consistency and identify improvement areas.
• Ensure compliance with pharma regulatory requirements.
• Develop and oversee the budget for pharma manufacturing operations to ensure financial efficiency and resource allocation.
• Integrate digital and smart manufacturing tech in pharma processes to leverage data analytics for predictive maintenance, real-time QC and enhance traceability.
• Promote sustainability in pharma manufacturing to advance the adoption of green chemistry, reduce waste and energy consumption, and support the development of sustainable drug products.
• Hire, onboard, develop and engagement of production team members.
• Translates organizational requirements into training plans.

What you will bring to the role:

• University degree in chemistry, pharmacy, economics or other equivalent degree.
• Fluent in English. Knowledge of the local (Slovenian) language is desirable.
• Minimum 5 years of working experience (preferably in biologics production processes) and people management skills.