Manufacturing Specialist - Scheduling

We’re here for one reason and one reason only – to cure cancer. Every moment is dedicated to developing treatments and every action moves us one step closer to our goal. We’ve made incredible scientific breakthroughs and our pioneering personalized CAR T-cell therapies have changed the paradigm. But we're not finished yet.

Join Kite, as we make even bigger advances in cancer therapies, and help shape where our business and medical science goes next.

We believe every employee deserves a great leader. People Leaders are the cornerstone to the employee experience at Gilead and Kite. As a people leader now or in the future, you are the key driver in evolving our culture and creating an environment where every employee feels included, developed and empowered to fulfil their aspirations. Join Kite and help create more tomorrows.

Job Description

In partnership with Site Supply Planning, this role leads production planning and scheduling for a state-of-the-art CAR T cell therapy manufacturing facility. The position coordinates daily execution of patient-specific manufacturing orders and serves as the primary planning liaison across Manufacturing, Supply Planning, Quality, Facilities & Engineering, and other stakeholders.

The role translates demand and supply inputs into executable clinical and commercial CAR T production schedules at the TCF05 manufacturing facility in Frederick, MD, ensuring manufacturing resources, equipment, rooms, stations, processing windows, maintenance activities, and staffing are proactively aligned to prevent manufacturing or disposition delays.
 

Why This Role Matters

Patient-specific CAR T manufacturing requires precise coordination of capacity, staffing, equipment availability, processing windows, maintenance activities, and cross-functional readiness. This role helps convert planning inputs into efficient production schedule, reliable manufacturing execution, reducing risk of delays to support timely production and release of clinical and commercial patient batches.
 

Core Responsibilities

·       Lead intradepartmental planning to support manufacturing execution and timely release of clinical and commercial materials, ensuring clear communication with Site Supply Planning and resource alignment across shifts.

·       Partner closely with Manufacturing Supervisors, shift leadership, and frontline teams to align production schedules with staffing, floor readiness, and real-time operational constraints.

·       Convert planning inputs into detailed manufacturing schedules, assigning equipment, rooms, stations, processing windows, and task timing for patient-specific workflows.

·       Coordinate scheduled and unscheduled maintenance with Facilities & Engineering and Manufacturing to minimize production impact while maintaining compliance and equipment readiness.

·       Facilitate daily cross-functional planning and readiness meetings to confirm schedule feasibility, identify risks, align resources, and drive issue resolution.

·       Partner with project teams to evaluate schedule impacts from process changes, facility activities, technology transfers, and improvement initiatives.

·       Develop and improve planning and logistics tools using MS Project, spreadsheets, Emerson BioG, and relational databases to strengthen operational visibility, schedule adherence, and decision-making.

·       Maintain planning metrics, identify variances, and support process improvements that strengthen schedule accuracy, accountability, and operational performance.

·       Develop and maintain headcount modeling to support capacity planning, shift coverage, labor demand forecasting, scenario planning, and resource alignment.

·       Maintain real-time visibility to equipment status to determine station availability and support accurate, compliant production scheduling.
 

Basic Qualifications

·       MA / MS with 3+ years of cGMP Manufacturing, Manufacturing Leadership, and/or Operations experience; OR

·       BA / BS degree with 5+ years of cGMP Manufacturing, Manufacturing Leadership, and/or Operations experience; OR

·       High school degree with 10+ years of cGMP Manufacturing, Manufacturing Leadership, and/or Operations experience.
 

Preferred Qualifications

·       Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Supply Chain, Operations, Project Management, or related discipline; logistics, production planning, or supply chain certification preferred.

·       5+ years of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or cell therapy manufacturing experience with strength in coordination, production planning, scheduling, or operations support.

·       Experience coordinating across Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Planning, Facilities & Engineering, and other functions in a regulated environment.

·       Advanced proficiency with MS Office and MS Project; experience with manufacturing scheduling systems, Emerson BioG, SQL, or similar tools preferred.
 

Skills & Attributes

·       Proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with the ability to anticipate constraints, support recovery plans, and adjust schedules as priorities shift.

·       Strong technical and process-optimization mindset, with ability to improve planning systems, schedule accuracy, and operational efficiency.

·       Strong data analytics capability, including dashboard development, trend analysis, capacity assessment, headcount planning, and data-driven scheduling decisions.

·       Exceptional attention to detail in managing patient-specific schedules, resource dependencies, and compliance-critical timing requirements.

·       Self-motivated, adaptable, and comfortable supporting temporary responsibilities needed to maintain manufacturing continuity.

·       Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with ability to influence stakeholders and clearly communicate schedule risks, tradeoffs, and recovery plans.

·       Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, highly regulated CAR T manufacturing environment with minimal direction and frequent priority changes.

·       Able to support after-hours, weekend, and on-call needs to maintain schedule continuity and respond to urgent manufacturing or equipment constraints.
 

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

·       Improved schedule adherence and reduction in preventable manufacturing or disposition delays.

·       Improved accuracy and visibility of production schedules, equipment availability, resource needs, and readiness risks.

·       Timely escalation and resolution of scheduling conflicts, resource gaps, and operational constraints.

·       Strengthened planning metrics, headcount modeling, and data-driven decision-making for manufacturing execution.
 

Work Environment

·       Frequent collaboration with Manufacturing, Site Supply Planning, Quality, Facilities & Engineering, and frontline operations teams.

·       Fast-paced, highly regulated CAR T manufacturing environment requiring responsiveness to changing priorities and operational constraints.

·       May require after-hours, weekend, or on-call support to maintain schedule continuity and respond to urgent manufacturing needs.

People Leader Accountabilities

•Create Inclusion - knowing the business value of diverse teams, modeling inclusion, and embedding the value of diversity in the way they manage their teams. 

•Develop Talent - understand the skills, experience, aspirations and potential of their employees and coach them on current performance and future potential. They ensure employees are receiving the feedback and insight needed to grow, develop and realize their purpose. 

•Empower Teams - connect the team to the organization by aligning goals, purpose, and organizational objectives, and holding them to account. They provide the support needed to remove barriers and connect their team to the broader ecosystem. 

 

The salary range for this position is: $107,185.00 - $138,710.00. Kite considers a variety of factors when determining base compensation, including experience, qualifications, and geographic location. These considerations mean actual compensation will vary. This position may also be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, discretionary stock-based long-term incentives (eligibility may vary based on role), paid time off, and a benefits package. Benefits include company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans*.

For additional benefits information, visit:

https://www.gilead.com/careers/compensation-benefits-and-wellbeing

* Eligible employees may participate in benefit plans, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.

Kite is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of innovative cancer immunotherapies with a goal of providing rapid, long-term durable response and eliminating the burden of chronic care. The company is focused on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T cell receptor (TCR) engineered cell therapies designed to empower the immune system's ability to recognize and kill tumors. Kite is based in Santa Monica, CA. For more information on Kite, please visit www.kitepharma.com. Sign up to follow @KitePharma on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kitepharma.
 

For jobs in the United States:

Kite Pharma is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive work environment comprised of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. Employment decisions regarding recruitment and selection will be made without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, genetic information or characteristic, gender identity and expression, veteran status, or other non-job related characteristics or other prohibited grounds specified in applicable federal, state and local laws. In order to ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants who require accommodation in the job application process may contact [email protected] for assistance.

For more information about equal employment opportunity protections, please view the 'Know Your Rights' poster.

NOTICE: EMPLOYEE POLYGRAPH PROTECTION ACT
YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT

Kite Pharma will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, (c) consistent with the  legal duty to furnish information; or (d) otherwise protected by law.
 

Our environment respects individual differences and recognizes each employee as an integral member of our company. Our workforce reflects these values and celebrates the individuals who make up our growing team.

Kite Pharma provides a work environment free of harassment and prohibited conduct. We promote and support individual differences and diversity of thoughts and opinion.

For Current Kite Pharma Employees and Contractors:

Please apply via the Internal Career Opportunities portal in Workday.