Manufacturing Specialist- Operations Support

Kite Pharma • Frederick, MD

3d

About The Position

We’re here for one reason and one reason only – to cure cancer. Every moment is dedicated to developing treatments and every action moves us one step closer to our goal. We’ve made incredible scientific breakthroughs and our pioneering personalized CAR T-cell therapies have changed the paradigm. But we're not finished yet. Join Kite, as we make even bigger advances in cancer therapies, and help shape where our business and medical science goes next. We believe every employee deserves a great leader. People Leaders are the cornerstone to the employee experience at Gilead and Kite. As a people leader now or in the future, you are the key driver in evolving our culture and creating an environment where every employee feels included, developed and empowered to fulfil their aspirations. Join Kite and help create more tomorrows. Job Description The Manufacturing Specialist – Operations Support plays a critical role in sustaining a one team, one culture environment across manufacturing operations while supporting the broader mission of improving patient lives. This role integrates hands on manufacturing expertise with employee focused engagement to strengthen safety, quality, compliance, and human performance across all shifts.

Requirements

• MA/MS with 3 or more years of cGMP Manufacturing, Manufacturing Leadership, or Operations experience, or
• BA/BS with 5 or more years of related experience, or
• Associate degree with 7 or more years of related experience, or
• High school diploma with 9 or more years of related experience

Nice To Haves

• MS or BS in Life sciences, Psychology, Business Administration, or Communications
• 5–7+ years of experience in manufacturing operations, preferably within fast‑paced biotech or pharmaceutical environment.
• Exceptional communication, diplomacy, empathy, active listening, and the ability to influence without authority.
• Demonstrated ability to drive a strong operational culture, enhance process efficiency, and strengthen organizational capability.
• Demonstrate success driving employee engagement, resolving issues, and supporting organizational change within large‑scale operations.
• Research/analysis skills to interpret feedback and shape programs; ability to manage multiple initiatives under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational support across all Manufacturing and GMP Cleaning shifts, ensuring consistent coverage in a 24/7 environment.
• Support swing and night shifts as needed to maintain continuity, resolve issues, and ensure GMP compliance.
• Reinforce a Safety First and Quality by Design mindset.
• Promote a proactive reporting culture for deviations, near misses, safety concerns, and continuous improvement ideas.
• Maintain a strong on the floor presence to observe manufacturing processes and team interactions.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen GxP compliance, improve efficiency, and reinforce a one team culture.
• Partner with cross functional teams to support human performance based deviation investigations, ensuring psychological safety, objectivity, and clear root cause identification.
• Provide floor level insights into behavioral drivers, system gaps, ergonomic factors, and workflow contributors to errors.
• Support the assessment, revision, review, and approval of SOPs and other GxP documentation, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and alignment with cGMP and company standards.
• Support the implementation of human performance improvements related to communication clarity, training effectiveness, and cultural behaviors.
• Collaborate with stakeholders such as contingent workforce suppliers and Training to attract, onboard, and retain top manufacturing talent.
• Partner closely with Talent Acquisition and department leadership to align staffing strategies and accelerate effective onboarding and placement.
• Lead deployment and assimilation of new hires within manufacturing operations.
• Design and implement culture focused onboarding to ensure new hires understand expectations, norms, and behaviors from day one.
• Pair new employees with culture aligned mentors to accelerate integration.
• Develop and deliver training programs, including leadership and soft skills, using adult learning principles.
• Mentor frontline leaders in empathy, active listening, and conflict resolution.
• Support individual development plans for manufacturing employees and track progress to increase engagement and capability.
• Support talent management and succession planning efforts.
• Coordinate and facilitate performance calibration sessions for non exempt individual contributor roles.
• Lead policy and process implementations in regulated environments, supporting change management and strong cultural adoption.
• Consistently model organizational values including safety, quality, innovation, integrity, and patient focus.
• Actively foster a one team culture.
• Ensure cultural, organizational, and safety messages are clearly understood on the manufacturing floor.
• Provide real time feedback and insights to leadership.
• Facilitate focus groups and town halls.
• Translate organizational updates into actionable, floor relevant messaging.
• Conduct regular pulse checks on morale, workload, and team cohesion.
• Proactively identify engagement opportunities and organize team building activities, town halls, and events to improve employee experience.
• Serve as a liaison between manufacturing teams and leadership to promote open, two way communication and strengthen collaboration within and across shifts.
• Advise manufacturing leadership on people related policies, practices, and potential impacts.
• Partner with HR and Employee Relations to support mediation and conflict resolution.
• Monitor cultural health through surveys, feedback, and key metrics.
• Drive strong participation and translate insights into meaningful actions.
• Own Tier 1 structures and champion People KPIs to support Kite’s manufacturing mission of being agile, reliable, and efficient.

Benefits

• This position may also be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, discretionary stock-based long-term incentives (eligibility may vary based on role), paid time off, and a benefits package.
• Benefits include company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans.
• For additional benefits information, visit: https://www.gilead.com/careers/compensation-benefits-and-wellbeing
• Eligible employees may participate in benefit plans, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.

What This Job Offers

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