Director, Manufacturing

Bio-Rad Laboratories•Richmond, CA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Bio-Rad is seeking a Director of Manufacturing to lead chemical manufacturing operations in Richmond, California, and develop pilot manufacturing capabilities in Suzhou, China. The role provides leadership across Production, Materials, Chemical Development, Engineering, Quality Control, Plant Maintenance, Regulatory, and Safety. The Director is accountable for performance in safety, quality, customer service, cost, productivity, and inventory while building manufacturing capabilities to support future business growth. The successful candidate will provide manufacturing and technical leadership, sound business judgment, and experience leading complex operations in a regulated environment. The role partners closely with Quality, EH&S, R&D, Supply Chain, Finance, Legal, and business leadership to ensure reliable operations, successful new product introductions, and a resilient manufacturing network. The position must be based in Richmond, California, within commuting distance of the office.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Life Sciences, Biochemistry, or another relevant scientific or technical discipline.
12 or more years of experience leading manufacturing operations in a regulated and technically complex environment.
Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary manufacturing and technical teams.
Strong knowledge of manufacturing operations, quality systems, EH&S, process safety, and regulatory compliance.
Strong financial and business acumen, including experience with manufacturing budgets, product costs, productivity, inventory, and capital investment.
Experience leading operational improvement, capital, automation, capacity, or manufacturing transformation initiatives.
Experience supporting new product introduction, scale-up, industrialization, and/or technology transfer.
Demonstrated ability to identify and manage complex operational and business risks while maintaining continuity of supply.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, decision-making, communication, and cross-functional leadership skills.
Demonstrated ability to develop leaders and build high-performing teams.
Must be based in Richmond, California, within commuting distance of the office.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or PhD.
Manufacturing experience in chemical, life science, diagnostics, pharmaceutical, or related industries.
Experience working across functions and geographies in a global organization.
Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, 5S, SAP, or comparable manufacturing systems.

Responsibilities

Lead chemical manufacturing operations with accountability for safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, inventory, and customer service.
Develop and execute manufacturing strategies aligned with business requirements, capacity needs, gross margin objectives, and long-term growth.
Lead and develop a multidisciplinary organization across Production, Materials, Chemical Development, Engineering, Quality Control, Plant Maintenance, Regulatory, and Safety.
Drive operational excellence through Lean, Six Sigma, structured problem solving, and continuous improvement.
Ensure compliance with applicable quality, environmental, health and safety, chemical process safety, and regulatory requirements.
Partner with EH&S, Quality, Regulatory, Legal, and other functions to identify and mitigate operational, regulatory, and business continuity risks.
Develop and execute equipment, infrastructure, automation, and capital investment strategies to improve reliability, capacity, and efficiency.
Drive cost and productivity improvements across labor, yield, scrap, waste, material usage, manufacturing variances, and inventory.
Partner with R&D and business teams to enable new product introduction, scale-up, industrialization, and technology transfer.
Lead development of pilot manufacturing capabilities in Suzhou to support new product introduction and greater flexibility across the manufacturing network.
Develop manufacturing budgets and capital plans and manage operating expenses and investments.
Build organizational capability through talent development, succession planning, employee engagement, and development of strong leaders.
Foster a culture of safety, quality, accountability, continuous improvement, collaboration, and customer focus.