Associate Director, Facilities - DPF

United Therapeutics•Christiansburg, VA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

United Therapeutics (Nasdaq: UTHR) is seeking an Associate Director, Facilities (DPF) to lead end-to-end operational leadership and execution for the Designated Pathogen Free (DPF) Facilities Maintenance network. This network-level role is responsible for driving performance across DPF sites, leading Site Facilities Managers to create a unified, high-performance operation with consistent standards, flexible staffing, and rapid cross-site support. The goal is to ensure exceptional reliability and compliance in uptime-critical environments. Reporting to the Director, Maintenance, this position requires deep operational engagement across all sites, close alignment with Site Directors and site leadership, and direct ownership of day-to-day results, while partnering with Facilities Programs & Operations on enterprise standards. Success is measured by network reliability, audit readiness, rapid recovery, execution consistency, successful facility startups and expansions, and sustained high performance in a lean multi-site model.

Requirements

15+ years progressive leadership experience in facilities, maintenance, engineering, or operations within pharmaceutical, biotech, biologics, or other complex FDA-regulated research and product development environments with a H.S. Diploma/GED
14+ years progressive leadership experience in facilities, maintenance, engineering, or operations within pharmaceutical, biotech, biologics, or other complex FDA-regulated research and product development environments with an Associate Degree
12+ years progressive leadership experience in facilities, maintenance, engineering, or operations within pharmaceutical, biotech, biologics, or other complex FDA-regulated research and product development environments with a Bachelor’s Degree
Proven operational leadership and ability to drive high execution across distributed teams under pressure.
Strong technical troubleshooting and decisive judgment in regulated GMP environments.
Track record building staffing flexibility and cross-site collaboration.
Solid understanding of facilities infrastructure, GMP utilities, maintenance execution, and vendor management.
Ability to move seamlessly between strategy and hands-on field leadership.
Ability to interpret, apply, and enforce GMP/GxP regulations and compliance requirements.
Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel extensively (a minimum of 30-40% under normal conditions and will increase during start ups, major outages, or peak periods).

Nice To Haves

Associate Degree in engineering, facilities/operations management, or related field OR a Bachelor’s Degree in engineering, facilities/operations management, or related field
5+ years of demonstrated success operating in lean, flexible, or cross-site operational models within regulated research or product development environments.

Responsibilities

Drive overall operational performance, reliability, and execution across the full DPF network, including buildings, infrastructure, utilities, GMP systems, and critical environmental controls.
Contribute to functional strategic planning and multi-year operational roadmaps for the DPF Facilities Maintenance network in alignment with broader organizational goals.
Directly lead, develop, coach, and support Site Facilities Managers while maintaining strong alignment and coordination with Site Directors and site leadership at each location.
Establish, enforce, and continuously improve consistent operational standards, escalation protocols, and staffing models across the DPF network.
Drive workforce planning, cross-site staffing flexibility, and rapid deployment of resources to support outages, startups, expansions, vacancies, and peak demand.
Ensure rapid incident response, effective recovery, and permanent corrective actions for critical facilities and GMP systems.
Lead operational readiness, commissioning, startup, expansion, transition, and renovation activities to the highest standards.
Oversee vendor and contractor performance with rigorous accountability to quality, SLAs, and operational delivery.
Support development and management of the DPF network operating budget, including forecasting, expense tracking, and cost optimization initiatives.
Deliver full GMP/GxP, safety, and regulatory compliance with outstanding audit readiness across the network.
Maintain regular, extended on-site presence across all DPF sites each month and provide direct operational leadership and hands-on field support during prolonged absences, vacancies, startups, critical incidents, or periods of elevated demand.