Snr. Director Manufacturing Operations Wexford

Responsible for the manufacturing site's overall performance regarding safety, sustainability, costs, quality and service level as well as for driving employee engagement and ensuring a capable, engaged and inclusive workforce at the site.

Responsible for directing the development, planning, implementation and maintenance of manufacturing systems required to produce current and future products using existing or new technologies and support transfer of products to other locations. Translation of the operational manufacturing plan into financial performance ensuring financial goal achievement, balanced with inventory strategy.

The position provides leadership & direction to the teams responsible for the planning, manufacture and technical/process support of a diverse portfolio of Waters products including Solid Phase Extraction Cartridges, High Performance & Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography Columns, Certified Reference Materials, Clinical & Research Reagent Kits, Informatics, Instrumentation, Instrument Sub-Assembly and Spares.

General

• Drive towards a zero injury safety culture and mindset;
• Develop the site Operations strategy across disciplines in Wexford Manufacturing  in collaboration with functional partners in global operations
• Develop and deploy multi year roadmap and strategies for Wexford operations, to achieve long term goals of Global operations for Sustainability, Safety, Quality, Service and Cost , and to meet the needs of the Waters business.
• Establish, align and deploy effective metrics and goals through the Wexford manufacturing organisation, to ensure ongoing commitments of Global Operations, and multi year ambitions of global Operations and Waters Corporation are achieved. Ensure all E.H.S/ Quality/ Service / Cost and working capital targets are achieved.
• Accountable for achieving production schedules through effective management of materials, equipment and human resources
• Manage / plan the Operations P & L. Provide all necessary inputs to annual AOP and within year budgeting submissions to achieve overall operations financial targets, and ensure performance tracking and reporting versus targets
• Ensure (with R&D organisation, business partners and other functions) that New Product Introductions (NPI), product upgrades and product manufacturing site transfers , achieve product release on time, within operational budgets, achieving product cost targets, forecasted demand volumes, and product quality requirements.
• Work with Global Supply Chain and Global Procurement organisations to optimise current supply chain, for both Wexford site customers  & broader supply network across operations network
• Deploy Lean & Six Sigma methodologies into operations to support overall continuous improvement journey and culture development in order eliminate waste, optimise customer value and increase employee engagement
• Provide technical support to other sites in network and C.M.O organisation as required. Support and provide leadership where required on product transfers of products between sites
• Proactively manage risks to employee safety, customer supply, business continuity , financial performance , quality and regulatory requirements, through structured risk identification, and effective mitigation action planning and execution
• Actively contribute to overall global manufacturing leadership team to develop and deploy overall manufacturing strategies and initiatives
• Develop capital plan for Wexford operations with appropriate justification and business cases. Ensure submission of capital requests and compliant, timely and cost effective execution of annual capital budget
• Work with IT, Business Partners, and Global Operations functions to develop and deploy appropriate technology advancements (automation/ alternative processing technologies etc)  and digital solutions to drive our efficient use of resources (capital , human and working capital)
• Ensure effective planning, project management and initiative portfolio management methodologies are deployed to ensure timely and successful completion of initiatives according to commitments

Team Management

• Manage the Operations team members  in Wexford  Manufacturing through:

1. Setting objectives and monitoring their progress
2. Setting performance expectations and monitoring through regular communication, the performance management  process and, where necessary, through the disciplinary process
3. Support team development through succession planning, job rotation, development assignments  and coaching
4. Ensuring required training completed and documented
5. Ensure employee engagement  and a performance drive culture  though role modelling of leadership behaviors and company principles, ensure processes  in place and applied for diversity of workforce, ongoing employee career development, employee recognition,  and transparent communications

System Management

• Implement and maintain the effectiveness of the necessary systems to assure compliance with GMP, IVDR, FDA, OHSA, EPA, the ISO 9001, ISO 13485, ISO 14001, ISO45001, ISO17034, 21 CFR part 820 Quality Systems and other applicable regulations to assure production meets established quality and regulatory specifications.

Education:

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Operations Management, Engineering, Chemistry or other relevant field. MBA highly desired.
• Lean/ Six Sigma Black belt certification preferred

Experience:

• 15+ years of experience in Operations; with 10+ years in a leadership role for production operations (manufacturing, quality, engineering) within a cGMP environment preferred.
• Demonstrated change management capability and demonstrated leadership skills in developing, motivating, and organizing high performing work groups in a manufacturing environment
• Proven knowledge of ISO 9001, good manufacturing practices and data integrity. Experience in ISO 13485, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and 21 CFR part 820 desired
• Experienced in introduction of new products into manufacturing, working with R&D organization to achieve successful product launches
• Innovative, with strong focus and proven experience in delivering continuous improvement through introduction of best in class manufacturing technologies , manufacturing systems and processes and digital solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to lead attainment of bold objectives for EHS, Quality, Service and Cost. Demonstrated ability to understand, analyze, and manage the profitability of a manufacturing plant under a P&L structure, including the ability to present results, priorities, and actions, and to engage the work team to achieve those priorities
• Must have a well-developed understanding of,  and proven experience deploying a lean operating system in a manufacturing environment, including 6S, PDCA, Visual management , Standard Work, Kaizen, TPM, DFX , flow optimization and other continuous improvement methodologie
• Demonstrable experience in a Manufacturing / R & D analytical instrumentation business or other complex electro mechanical devices business preferred

Competencies:

• Be a proven leader, developing people and teams . Proven leadership skills with demonstrated track record of delivering sustained results and operational improvements through periods of change
• Strong Interpersonal and influencing skills, Can work collaboratively and maintain effective working relationships , cross functionally, at all levels of the organization to achieve the highest standards and meet business objectives
• Comfortable with decision making authority & communication at all levels of the organization.
• Must have a results-oriented leadership style with strong process focus. Ability to see and understand the overall picture and deploy robust processes to achieve  and sustain short term results  and achieve long term goals
• Excellent communication skills—both upwards and downwards and outside the company. Ability to lead and communicate orally, in written documents, and in formal presentations is required
• High level of resilience, and autonomous decision making
• Proficient in use of data based systems & tools for manufacturing and supply chain management

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) is a global leader in life sciences and diagnostics, dedicated to accelerating the benefits of pioneering science through analytical technologies, informatics, and service. With a focus on regulated, high-volume testing environments, our innovative portfolio harnesses deep scientific expertise across chemistry, physics, and biology. We collaborate with customers around the world to advance the release of effective, high-quality medicines, ensure the safety of food and water, and drive better patient outcomes by detecting diseases earlier, managing routine infections, and combating antibiotic resistance. Through a shared culture of relentless innovation, our passionate team of ~16,000 colleagues turn scientific challenges into breakthroughs that improve lives worldwide. 

Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our core values at Waters Corporation. It benefits our employees, our products, our customers and our community. Waters complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Qualified applicants are considered without regard to sex, race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, marital status (including civil unions), military service, veteran status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, legally recognized disability, domestic violence victim status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Waters is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All hiring decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.