Associate Director – Material Excellence, Single Use Technologies & Raw Materials

Lonza•Portsmouth, NH

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Lonza is seeking a high-caliber technical authority to join their Group Operations organization as the Associate Director – Material Excellence, SU Technologies Expert & Raw Materials. This high-visibility global position is responsible for leading and shaping Lonza’s overarching material strategy, focusing on simplification, network-wide harmonization, and supplier assurance across all clinical and commercial manufacturing platforms. The role operates with broad technical autonomy and serves as the premier Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Single-Use Technologies (SUT) and raw materials, driving global material standardization, harmonizing best practices across sites, and eliminating local variance to improve quality, operational efficiency, and cost performance.

Requirements

5–10 years of advanced material science, MSAT, QC/QA, or Operations experience within a cGMP pharmaceutical or bioprocess manufacturing setting.
Detailed application knowledge of polymeric materials and single-use systems in a life science context.
Demonstrated experience operating successfully within a global setting, matrix network, or international multi-site organization.
Proven capacity to influence peers outside of your direct department is essential.
Strong capability to lead, align, and hold disparate cross-functional networks (Site MSAT, Supply Chain, Quality, Regulatory, Procurement) accountable to global standards through a dotted-line relationship structure rather than formal line authority.
A high-energy, change-agent mentality. Must be comfortable bringing diverse groups together, speaking authoritatively, navigating healthy pushback, and skillfully overcoming internal resistance to ensure execution discipline and full implementation.
Deep technical proficiency in raw material characterization, single-use component assembly validation, and establishing defensible material specifications aligned with global compendia.
Strong project management capabilities with a track record of executing complex standardization programs simultaneously.
Master’s Degree (M.Sc.) or equivalent advanced degree in Life Sciences, Engineering, Chemistry, or a closely related technical discipline is required.
Proactive 2-way communication skills, and a self-driven, hands-on attitude capable of translating corporate strategic directives into actionable plant-level standards.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with global data management platforms, Master Data frameworks, and technical reporting workflows is beneficial.

Responsibilities

Serve as the network Subject Matter Authority for single-use technologies and raw materials utilized across diverse clinical and commercial bioprocessing lines, establishing unified global specifications and robust control strategies.
Drive structural harmonization of material standards across all operational sites to eliminate decentralized "local recipes," ensuring consistent application, reducing SKU complexity, and minimizing localized exceptions or manufacturing deviations.
Advance Lonza’s SUA lifecycle frameworks, standardizing tech transfer requirements, component mapping, and supplier alignment criteria.
Partner directly with Global Procurement and Quality to strengthen supplier assurance frameworks, managing technical assessments for second-sourcing initiatives and alternate material qualifications.
Own, author, and govern global change controls relating to material specifications and optimization initiatives to ensure seamless, compliant execution.
Oversee the technical evaluation and documentation pipeline for complex Vendor Change Notifications, preparing risk assessments, compendial analyses, and regulatory positioning papers.
Provide advanced cross-functional technical guidance on raw material and single-use processing deviations, collaborating with local Manufacturing, MSAT, and Validation teams to drive comprehensive root-cause resolutions.
Maintain total alignment with evolving global pharmacopoeias and health authority expectations, directly supporting corporate client and regulatory inspections as technical lead.