This position is located in Visp, Switzerland. Relocation assistance is available for eligible candidates and their families, if needed.

Today, Lonza is a global leader in life sciences operating across three continents. While we work in science, there’s no magic formula to how we do it. Our greatest scientific solution is talented people working together, devising ideas that help businesses to help people. In exchange, we let our people own their careers. Their ideas, big and small, genuinely improve the world. And that’s the kind of work we want to be part of.

Our team at Lonza AG in Visp, Switzerland is growing! Join us too!

The Director Operational Excellence drives overall strategy implementation relating to operating excellence and delivering the overall corporate approach to continuous improvement at Lonza. Lead and deploy problem solving approach to improve process and performance while influencing partners in the business to drive top and bottom line impact for the organizational effectiveness. This role is reporting to the Global Head of Operational Excellence and this role does not have any direct reports.

This role will require domestic and international travel to Lonza sites. Expected travel 25% This will be a Hybrid role, with 3 days a week onsite presence required.

Key responsibilities

• Lonza Business Management System support: Driving and improving results by demonstrating lean tools, consulting skills, and organisational change process and take primary responsibility for implementation of lean initiatives within manufacturing plants and its associated value streams.
• Extensive facilitation of lean transformation activities across sites and functions (e.g. mini-Ts, Lean Lab or similar)
• Challenging and supporting site and divisional management to drive a culture of high performance and continuous improvement.
• Responsibility for support and development of Lean Experts, Continuous Improvement Specialists, Supervisors, Operators and Managers.
• Creating long term activity roadmaps and lean transformation projects for the business including Kaizen and step change projects as well as creating common/standard library of systems, tools and visual factory creating a single OE look and feel in every business unit.
• Coaching leaders in servant Leadership to support roll-out of the system and lead productivity improvement projects
• Align on respective Business platforms priorities with Business Platform OE leads and assess together with OE and Site organization major opportunities for productivity improvement to optimize asset capacity or asset efficiency.
• Consolidate opportunities as basis for execution prioritization
• Govern/support ongoing projects as well as develop and prepare a multi-year execution plan:
• Deliver sustainable value across CDMO operations

Key requirements and skills

• Prior experience in pharmaceuticals industry is required. Experience in Biologics, Mammalian Cell and related operations is highly preferred but not required.
• Global role on site in Vis
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required, Master's Degree is preferred but not required. Degree in STEM or other relevant field is a plus.
• Several years relevant experience in Operational Excellence and Lean, with strong preference as a consultant in a recognized organization.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Green or Belt is preferred.
• Ability to travel 30%-50% expected, both international and domestic.
• Maturity, confidence and high degree of emotional intelligence with demonstrated appreciation and ability to influence others. Able to remain low ego while implementing organizational changes and collaborating with colleagues.
• Advanced knowledge in Project Management skills and consistent record in successfully handling complex transformations, integrations and change management (mini-T methodology).
• Prior experience designing trainings, workshops, and ground-breaking change for Operational Excellence and Lean improvements.
• Consistent record of optimally developing and coordinating cross functional-divisional and critical initiatives.
• Leadership experience of global teams with a technical focus is preferred.
• Agile and pro-active relationship management in a multi-matrix organization
• Proficient in written and spoken English. Ability to speak other languages is a plus as well as excellent communication skills: simplifying the sophisticated, making the message /request clear, providing options/proposals, ability to focus on the purpose and outcome.

Every day, Lonza’s products and services have a positive impact on millions of people. For us, this is not only a great privilege, but also a great responsibility. How we achieve our business results is just as important as the achievements themselves. At Lonza, we respect and protect our people and our environment. Any success we achieve is no success at all if not achieved ethically.

People come to Lonza for the challenge and creativity of solving complex problems and developing new ideas in life sciences. In return, we offer the satisfaction that comes with improving lives all around the world. The satisfaction that comes with making a meaningful difference.