Mgr, Operations

MSD • Rahway, NJ

6h • Onsite

About The Position

The HVAC Manager is responsible for leading and coordinating a team that operates, optimizes, and continuously improves the HVAC and building automation systems across our Rahway, NJ campus, including commercial offices and pharmaceutical laboratories. This role ensures HVAC systems meet strict regulatory standards (FDA, cGMP/GxP as applicable), maintain critical environmental conditions for product and research quality, and support 24/7 operations. The ideal candidate brings deep technical knowledge of HVAC and controls in a highly regulated environment, combined with hands-on leadership experience managing teams and vendors in a unionized setting.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in Maintenance, Engineering, Facilities, or Utilities leadership, preferably in complex, multi-building campuses.
• Strong technical knowledge of HVAC system design, operation, and maintenance in laboratories; experience with BAS/BMS systems.
• Experience leading teams, including managing and developing staff and working with external service providers.
• Working knowledge of EHS principles and regulatory compliance in a technical operations environment; familiarity with cGxP or other regulated environments.
• Proven ability to lead through competing priorities, influence across a large organization, and drive results in a matrixed or enterprise environment.
• Strong problem-solving and root cause analysis skills; able to use data and analytics to make decisions.
• Ability to manage day-to-day operational issues while escalating broader strategic matters as needed.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced Engineering degree or related graduate degree.
• Direct HVAC/BAS operations experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or other highly regulated environments (e.g., cGMP, GxP).
• Experience working with collective bargaining units and administering Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).
• Experience with core maintenance functions, reliability programs, and CMMS systems.
• Project management experience, including supporting capital projects and system upgrades.
• Demonstrated track record of delivering energy efficiency and sustainability improvements.

Responsibilities

• Lead the HVAC operations team responsible for 24/7 operation, troubleshooting, and optimization of HVAC systems across both commercial office buildings and pharmaceutical laboratories.
• Develop and manage a team of hourly unionized staff, salary employees and contractors. Ensure all staff are trained and follow standard operating procedures.
• Coordinate daily team activities, priorities, and escalations in partnership with site leadership.
• Support staffing, scheduling, and workload balancing to ensure reliable operations.
• Lead the operation, monitoring, and optimization of the site Building Automation System (BAS) and HVAC control systems, using data analytics to drive performance.
• Develop, implement, and maintain HVAC operational strategies that ensure compliance with GxP (as applicable), cGMP, and other regulatory requirements.
• Drive root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions (CAPA) for HVAC system issues, deviations, and failures.
• Monitor environmental conditions and ensure HVAC system reliability, energy efficiency, and cost-effective performance.
• Escalate complex technical issues and systemic risks to senior leadership as appropriate.
• Establish, track, and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) for HVAC reliability, energy efficiency, compliance, and service levels.
• Partner with facility owners, engineering, capital projects, and other stakeholders to provide technical HVAC input to the site utilities master plan and capital projects.
• Identify and support HVAC-related capital projects; collaborate with project teams to ensure designs meet operational and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate with outsourced service providers to deliver services to agreed service level agreements (SLAs) and KPI targets.
• Contribute to project scope discussions, priorities, and execution plans, with oversight from senior management.
• Provide routine status updates and performance reporting to management.
• Develop and manage operating expense budgets for HVAC operations; identify and deliver cost savings and energy optimization opportunities.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant Safety, Health, Environmental, GxP (as applicable), DOT, Labor, HR, and company policies and procedures.
• Prepare and present status updates, risk assessments, and continuous improvement initiatives to site management.
• Support budget tracking, forecasting, and variance explanations for HVAC operations.
• Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes in HVAC and controls, particularly in pharmaceutical and lab environments.
• Champion continuous improvement and innovation in HVAC operations, maintenance strategies, and automation.

Benefits

• medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family)
• retirement benefits, including 401(k)
• paid holidays
• vacation
• compassionate and sick days
• annual bonus
• long-term incentive

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager