Associate Director, Facilities - DPF

United Therapeutics Corporation•Stewartville, MN

66d•$149,000 - $200,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director, Facilities (DPF) owns end-to-end operational leadership and execution for the entire Designated Pathogen Free (DPF) Facilities Maintenance network. This is a network-level role responsible for driving performance across the DPF sites. The Associate Director directly leads the Site Facilities Managers and runs the DPF Facilities Maintenance organization as one unified, high-performance operation with consistent standards, real staffing flexibility, and rapid cross-site support to deliver exceptional reliability and compliance in uptime-critical environments. Reporting to the Director, Maintenance, this position maintains deep operational engagement across all sites, works in close alignment with Site Directors and site leadership, and takes direct ownership of day-to-day results while partnering with Facilities Programs & Operations on enterprise standards and programs. This is not a site-level role. It carries full network accountability for execution outcomes. Success is defined 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