Operations Director - Fermentation

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.

At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

Lead Operational Excellence. Drive Performance. Inspire People.

Your role:

At Elanco, we're looking for an experienced Operations Director to provide strategic and operational leadership across our manufacturing site. This is a key leadership role responsible for delivering outstanding results across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and People while driving a culture of continuous improvement.

You'll lead cross-functional teams, shape operational strategy, and ensure the successful execution of manufacturing plans in a fast-paced, highly regulated environment.

Your responsibilities:

• Lead safe and compliant manufacturing operations, championing a strong safety culture and ensuring robust systems of work.

• Drive operational excellence across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and People performance.
• Develop and execute production plans while ensuring on-time delivery and operational efficiency.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration with Engineering, Technical Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Planning and Finance.
• Own operational performance, including manufacturing execution, equipment readiness, maintenance, quality performance and recovery planning.
• Manage departmental budgets, headcount and operational resources to meet business objectives.
• Build, coach and develop high-performing teams through performance management, succession planning and talent development.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives using Lean methodologies to improve productivity, reduce variability and enhance manufacturing performance.
• Represent Operations within site leadership forums and drive strategic operational initiatives across the business.
• Ensure compliance with GMP, EHS and Feed Safety requirements while maintaining the highest quality standards.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications): 

• Bachelor's degree in a scientific or engineering discipline.
• Significant leadership experience within a manufacturing or process industry.
• Proven experience managing large operational teams in a 24/7 manufacturing environment.
• Strong background in Continuous Improvement, Lean Manufacturing and Operational Excellence (Lean Six Sigma Green or Black Belt preferred).
• Experience with project management and ERP systems such as SAP.
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience working in highly regulated industries.

What will give you a competitive edge (preferred qualifications): 

• Experience in one or more of the following industries: Biopharmaceutical or biotechnology manufacturing, Fermentation or brewing, Chemical manufacturing, Food production, Process manufacturing

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!  

Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status

Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.