Operational Excellence & Business Analytics Associate Director

Vertex Inc. • Boston, MA

1d • $160,000 - $240,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Operational Excellence & Business Analytics team serves as the process improvement and performance enablement backbone of CMTO, providing integrated performance visibility, standardized metrics, and improvement discipline to run, grow, and optimize Vertex's external commercial manufacturing network.

The Associate Director combines analytics, improvement leadership, and executive communication. The role translates enterprise- and asset-level performance data into decision-ready views, prioritizes and drives the improvement initiatives those insights demand, and presents findings to cross-functional leadership. It partners with Network Performance, Manufacturing Operations, MS&T, Business Operations Leads, and Finance to embed data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement into CMTO governance and operating rhythms.

As a strategic change agent and analytics translator, the role advances CMTO's operational excellence culture by demonstrating quantifiable benefits from improvement initiatives, mentoring teams on lean methods and data fluency, and ensuring network decisions are traceable, measurable, and reviewable. It contributes to operational excellence strategy, leads initiatives across commercial manufacturing, develops network performance views and standardized metrics, enables governance decisions, and supports sustainable change and capability building.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Engineering, Data Science, Analytics, or a related field.
• Typically 8–12 years of experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, regulated manufacturing, supply chain, or MS&T environments.
• At least 5 years of experience leading operational excellence, transformation, business process, performance analytics, or strategic improvement projects.
• Demonstrated success implementing Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, FMEA, Hoshin Kanri, and Change Management methodologies in GMP environments.
• Proven experience leading improvement initiatives targeting lead-time reduction, launch optimization, yield improvement, and COGM/COGs reduction.
• Strong experience developing and deploying KPIs, performance dashboards, and standard metrics frameworks across multi-site or multi-partner networks.
• Hands-on proficiency in data analysis, root-cause analysis, scenario modeling, and structured problem-solving.
• Demonstrated experience identifying and deploying AI, automation, and advanced analytics solutions to improve operational performance and reporting scalability.
• Working knowledge of data architecture concepts, including systems of record, data integrity, KPI definitions and version control, and partnering with digital/IT functions on data pipelines without owning them.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Ability to translate complex performance data into clear business narratives and influence senior stakeholders.
• Strong collaboration, facilitation, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in a matrixed environment with clear role boundaries, partnering across Network Performance, Business Operations, Manufacturing Operations, MS&T, Finance, and Strategic Sourcing.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree (MS or MBA).
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.
• Experience with enterprise reporting tools such as Power BI, Tableau, SAP, Smartsheet, or similar.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to setting CMTO's operational excellence strategy, priorities, and success measures aligned to enterprise and functional priorities.
• Identify, prioritize, and drive a portfolio of commercial manufacturing improvement and transformation initiatives in partnership with sites and functions, without owning routine operations.
• Lead initiatives targeting lead-time reduction, launch optimization, yield and manufacturing success-rate improvements, and COGM reduction through structured problem definition, root-cause analysis, options analysis, and ROI calculation.
• Lead Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, and structured problem-solving initiatives across technical and business processes.
• Build and maintain an integrated performance view across network performance, asset execution, readiness, cost, and delivery, ensuring KPIs are observable through consistent data availability, structure, and integrity.
• Establish and maintain standard dashboards, metrics, and systems of record for consistent CMTO leadership team and enterprise visibility and comparability.
• Partner with Network Performance to translate performance standards into reportable, automated views, and with Digital Technology & Engineering on digital transformation plans that improve access to accurate, timely data.
• Support scenario analysis and trade-off evaluations for network, asset, and portfolio decisions by making assumptions, options, and implications transparent, without owning execution.
• Enable data-driven governance by ensuring decisions, assumptions, and outcomes are traceable, measurable, and reviewable in CMTO and enterprise governance forums.
• Prepare executive-ready materials, performance narratives, and recommendations for governance reviews and leadership decisions.
• Embed learning, improvement discipline, and change execution into CMTO governance and operating rhythms using insights and performance signals from Business Analytics and Network Performance.
• Ensure improvements are sustained through robust change management, control plans, and performance monitoring.
• Identify and deploy AI, automation, and advanced analytics solutions to improve operational performance and analytics scalability.
• Lead a community of practice for manufacturing operational excellence across internal manufacturing and supply chain, driving common standards, methods, and ways of working.
• Mentor teams on lean processes, problem-solving tools, and data fluency, and benchmark industry best practices to inform innovative approaches.

Benefits

• Annual bonus and annual equity awards.
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• Generous paid time off, including a week-long company shutdown in the Summer and the Winter.
• Educational assistance programs, including student loan repayment.
• Commuting subsidy.
• Matching charitable donations.
• 401(k).

What This Job Offers

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