Director, Chemical Technical Operations, North America External Manufacturing

The Chemical Technical Operations Director for North America API External Manufacturing (ExM) leads the Technical Operations team in support of the manufacturing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, intermediates, and drug product intermediates at external contract manufacturing facilities in the region. The successful candidate will provide leadership and expertise in technical oversight, portfolio management, continuous improvement, talent development and upskilling organization capabilities, and will report to the Executive Director, Chemical Technical Operations (CTO), Small Molecule Science & Technology. The Director of Chemical Technical Operations, as part of the External Manufacturing regional leadership team, is responsible for oversight of external contract manufacturing facilities in the North America region and for leading and developing a diverse team to enable evolving business needs. Primary Responsibilities Partner across ExM Operations, ExM Quality, Business Development, Supply Chain Management, and Global Procurement to support API supply, including intermediates and other critical materials for new product introductions, sustained commercial supply, risk management and sourcing. Coach and develop the team as a people manager, overseeing career development plans for direct reports. Develop and sustain a high‑performance organization that is highly flexible, motivated to champion change and innovation, and drives continuous improvement in outcomes. Leverage operational excellence methodologies to streamline ways of working for improved efficiency and effectiveness. Ensure technical excellence in routine supply support to contract manufacturers. Lead technical efforts required for enhancing competitiveness through targeted process optimization. Drive organizational capability in Proactive Process Monitoring to enable robust manufacturing operations & early detection of process issues. Foster a community of sharing, curiosity, learning, and end‑to‑end mindsets for new technologies, ways of working & new product introductions. Ensure technical skill and capability building of both internal and external teams to meet evolving pipeline & business needs. Create a robust technical network of internal and external resources, rapidly deployable to solve complex problems in a cross‑functional manner. Leverage the broader technical organization and communities of practice, ensuring strong knowledge management mindsets across the CTO team. Direct the safe & compliant resolution of complex technical or business challenges through a data‑driven approach and knowledge of applicable government and company quality, safety, regulatory and trade compliance requirements. Partner with Operations and Quality Assurance to establish compliant and robust manufacturing capabilities at partner CMOs, overseeing process scale‑up and optimization, new technologies deployment, pre‑approval inspection readiness, validation protocol development, and execution of process validation (Process Performance Qualification) and Continued Process Verification at external suppliers. In partnership with other functions, develop and lead strategies in support of meeting future business initiatives and objectives. Education Requirement Bachelor’s in a technical field (Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Chemistry, or Pharmaceutical Sciences) with minimum 10 years of relevant pharmaceutical industry experience; or Master’s with minimum 7 years of relevant experience; or PhD with minimum 5 years of relevant experience. Qualifications Leadership experience in one or more roles in Technical Operations, Process Development, Manufacturing, Quality Operations or Engineering. Experience with traditional API processing as well as introducing new technologies and ways of working. Familiarity with use of biocatalysts, enzyme manufacturing, flow chemistry, processing of highly potent compounds, or sterile/low bioburden DS manufacturing is advantageous. Must ensure strong technical capability is developed for new products as part of acquisition and commercialization, and an appropriate control strategy is realized. Required Skills Cross‑Functional Leadership Decision Making External Manufacturing GMP Compliance Leadership Manufacturing Results‑Oriented Sterile Filling (Preferred) Preferred Skills None specified beyond the required skills. Benefits Medical, dental, vision, and other insurance benefits for employee and family. Retirement benefits, including 401(k). Paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. Annual bonus and long‑term incentive, when applicable. Comprehensive benefits package including healthcare and other eligibility information. Compensation The salary range for this role is $173,200.00 - $272,600.00. The actual salary will depend on education, qualifications, certifications, experience, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs. Equal Employment Opportunity As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. #J-18808-Ljbffr MSD Malaysia