Senior Vice President

JOB DESCRIPTION
Senior Vice President – Manufacturing & Production Operations

Industry: Pharmaceutical (API / Formulations / Biologics)
Function: Manufacturing & Operations
Designation: Senior Vice President – Manufacturing & Production Operations

1. Job Purpose

To provide strategic and operational leadership for the organization's manufacturing and production operations across multiple pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.

The SVP – Manufacturing & Production Operations will be responsible for driving manufacturing excellence, ensuring regulatory compliance, optimizing production capacity, improving operational efficiency, controlling manufacturing costs, and delivering consistent quality products in line with business objectives.

The role will lead large-scale manufacturing operations, build a high-performance organizational culture, and ensure sustainable growth through operational excellence, technology integration, and continuous improvement.

2. Key Roles & Responsibilities
A. Strategic Manufacturing Leadership
Develop and implement the overall manufacturing and production strategy aligned with organizational business objectives.
Lead manufacturing operations across multiple plants and manufacturing locations.
Translate business plans into manufacturing strategies, annual operating plans, and long-term capacity plans.
Drive manufacturing transformation initiatives to improve productivity, operational efficiency, and competitiveness.
Evaluate manufacturing infrastructure, capacity expansion, technology upgrades, and capital investment requirements.
Partner with the CEO, COO, and other business leaders on strategic decisions related to manufacturing growth.
B. Production & Manufacturing Operations
Oversee end-to-end manufacturing operations, including production planning, execution, packaging, and dispatch coordination.
Ensure achievement of production targets, customer delivery commitments, and operational KPIs.
Drive effective utilization of manpower, machinery, utilities, and manufacturing infrastructure.
Optimize production processes to improve throughput, yield, cycle time, and equipment utilization.
Ensure effective implementation of production planning and scheduling systems.
Monitor plant performance and take corrective actions to address operational bottlenecks.
Ensure seamless coordination between Production, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Engineering, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Regulatory Affairs.
C. Quality & Regulatory Compliance
Ensure manufacturing operations comply with applicable regulatory requirements, including:
US FDA
WHO-GMP
EU-GMP
Schedule M (India)
ICH guidelines
Applicable local regulatory requirements.
Establish a strong quality-driven manufacturing culture.
Ensure adherence to cGMP, SOPs, batch manufacturing records, data integrity, and documentation standards.
Work closely with Quality Assurance to ensure inspection readiness and successful regulatory audits.
Drive timely closure of deviations, CAPAs, change controls, and audit observations.
Ensure effective management of product quality complaints, investigations, and manufacturing-related quality risks.
Support regulatory inspections and customer audits.
D. Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement
Drive Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, TPM, 5S, and other operational excellence initiatives.
Improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), manufacturing yields, productivity, and equipment reliability.
Identify and eliminate process inefficiencies, wastage, rework, and production losses.
Promote a culture of continuous improvement and performance accountability.
Implement digital manufacturing solutions, automation, and Industry 4.0 initiatives wherever appropriate.
Establish standardized manufacturing practices and performance benchmarking across plants.
E. Financial & Cost Management
Own manufacturing budgets, operating expenses, and capital expenditure planning.
Drive reduction in conversion costs, manufacturing overheads, and operational expenses.
Improve cost per unit, material utilization, and production efficiency.
Ensure optimal utilization of manufacturing assets and resources.
Monitor plant-level profitability, cost variances, and operational financial performance.
Identify opportunities for productivity enhancement and sustainable cost optimization.
F. Supply Chain & Business Coordination
Work closely with Supply Chain, Procurement, Quality, and Commercial teams to ensure uninterrupted production.
Ensure alignment between production plans, demand forecasts, raw material availability, and customer requirements.
Drive effective inventory management and reduction of work-in-progress and finished goods inventory.
Ensure timely execution of customer orders and business commitments.
Participate in S&OP and strategic business planning processes.
G. Engineering, Maintenance & Infrastructure
Oversee manufacturing engineering, plant maintenance, utilities, and infrastructure reliability.
Ensure preventive and predictive maintenance systems are effectively implemented.
Drive equipment reliability, plant uptime, and asset lifecycle management.
Ensure compliance with engineering standards, calibration, qualification, and validation requirements.
Lead infrastructure modernization and capacity expansion projects.
H. People Leadership & Organizational Development
Lead and develop senior manufacturing leaders, plant heads, and cross-functional teams.
Build a strong second-line leadership team and succession pipeline.
Establish performance management systems and accountability across manufacturing functions.
Develop technical, managerial, and leadership capabilities within the manufacturing organization.
Drive employee engagement, productivity, discipline, and a safety-oriented work culture.
Promote collaboration, transparency, and ownership across manufacturing sites.
I. EHS & Sustainability
Ensure compliance with Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) regulations.
Establish a zero-accident and safe manufacturing culture.
Drive initiatives for energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction, and environmental sustainability.
Ensure effective implementation of industrial safety and environmental management systems.
3. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

The incumbent will be measured against the following performance parameters:

Performance Area Key Performance Indicators
Production Production plan achievement
Productivity Output per employee / shift
Equipment OEE and equipment uptime
Quality Batch rejection and deviation rates
Compliance Audit observations and CAPA closure
Cost Conversion cost and manufacturing cost per unit
Yield Manufacturing yield and material utilization
Delivery On-time production and dispatch support
Inventory WIP and finished goods inventory
Maintenance Breakdown frequency and MTBF
EHS Accident frequency and safety compliance
People Employee productivity, retention, and succession planning
4. Educational Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biotechnology, or a related discipline.
Master's degree in Pharmacy, Chemical Engineering, Operations Management, or Business Administration (MBA) preferred.
Additional qualifications in Lean Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, or Pharmaceutical Quality Systems would be advantageous.
5. Experience & Competencies

Experience Requirements:

20–25+ years of overall experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing and production operations.
Minimum 8–10 years in senior leadership positions such as VP Manufacturing, Head of Manufacturing, Head of Operations, or equivalent.
Proven experience in managing multiple manufacturing facilities and large-scale operations.
Strong exposure to regulated markets and international regulatory inspections.
Experience in API, formulations, injectables, biologics, or other pharmaceutical manufacturing segments.
Demonstrated track record of improving operational efficiency, manufacturing productivity, and cost competitiveness.

Core Competencies:

Strategic and business-oriented leadership.
Strong pharmaceutical manufacturing expertise.
In-depth knowledge of GMP and regulatory compliance.
Multi-site manufacturing management.
Operational excellence and process optimization.
Financial and commercial acumen.
Change management and transformation leadership.
Strong decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
Stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration.
Leadership development and team building.
6. Key Leadership Expectations

The SVP will be expected to:

Drive manufacturing operations towards world-class operational standards.
Establish a culture of quality, compliance, productivity, and accountability.
Deliver sustainable improvements in manufacturing cost and operational efficiency.
Build a robust manufacturing leadership structure across all facilities.
Ensure manufacturing capabilities are aligned with current and future business growth.
Drive technology adoption, automation, and manufacturing transformation.
Ensure consistent regulatory compliance and inspection readiness.
Act as a strategic business partner to the CEO and executive leadership team.
7. Nature of the Role

This is a strategic leadership position with end-to-end accountability for manufacturing and production operations, operational performance, manufacturing excellence, regulatory compliance, cost optimization, and organizational capability development across the pharmaceutical manufacturing network.