Senior Director, Head of Transformation Operations US

Lonza•Walkersville, MD

17h•$197,000 - $280,000•Remote

About The Position

The Senior Director, Head of Transformation Operations US is responsible for enabling the successful growth, integration, and long-term operational effectiveness of the US ADS Operations organization. The role serves as the strategic transformation leader, and strategic partner to Head Operations Growth Projects US ensuring that growth initiatives are supported by scalable organizations, robust governance, lean operating systems, and effective change management. While End-to-End (E2E) Leaders are accountable for the holistic delivery of individual growth projects—including scope, schedule, budget, operational readiness, and startup execution—the Senior Director is accountable for building the organizational, cultural, and operational foundation that enables sustainable success and scalability across the organization. The role drives organizational transformation, workforce strategy, operational excellence, M&A integration, governance, and deployment of the ADS operating model and strategic priorities across the United States in close alignment and collaboration with global ADS Operations. This role could potentially relocate within the U.S.

Requirements

Strong and proactive leader who provides guidance, sets high expectations, and measures performance
Bachelors degree in Science, Engineering and/or Business.
Master`s degree and Experience with 6S and Lean Manufacturing, Lean Six Sigma green belt or black belt preferred.
Ability to effectively deal with ambiguity, translate long term objectives into short term tactical plans and balance risk for overall plant and business success
Provides clear definition of workstream scope, roles and responsibilities, and resolves disputed areas
Ability to build working relationships and effective partnerships at all levels in the organization
Active communicator which communicates effectively with Project Team, Workstream Leaders, Site Leadership Team, and external partners
Proactive, self-starter with the ability to take on several projects at one time, lead workstream level daily tasks, as well as being responsible for a program with cross-functional projects
Expertise running large scale, capital projects within a matrix organization
Ability to work to tight deadlines in a fast-moving environment
Demonstrates ownership, delivers results, and achieves targets
Strong ability to negotiate and influence
Data driven decision maker and problem solver, with strong problem-solving skills
Understanding of operational excellence, including continuous improvement methodologies (e.g. Lean, Six Sigma, etc.)
Strong understanding of and proven experience with cGMP requirements for biologics manufacturing
Strong knowledge of current industry trends and can use the latest technologies
Strong interpersonal and executive presence

Nice To Haves

Lean Six Sigma green belt or black belt preferred

Responsibilities

Serve as the transformation leader and strategic partner to the Head of Operations ADS Growth Projects US.
Lead transformation initiatives supporting organic growth, acquisitions, and operational expansion in the US.
Develop and execute transformation roadmaps aligned with ADS and Lonza strategic priorities.
Drive cross-functional alignment across Operations, Engineering, HR, Finance, Quality, EHSS, Supply Chain, Legal, ADS Transformation and Corporate functions.
Drive Innovation and establish a scalable ADS US Production System aligned with Lean principles, Operational Excellence methodologies, and global ADS strategy.
Drive standardized management systems, governance routines, visual management practices, performance management frameworks, and continuous improvement processes.
Act as the primary coordination point between US growth initiatives and global ADS Head of transformation.
Identify opportunities for standardization, replication, and organizational leverage across ADS.
Ensure consistency of operating models and leadership systems across current and future US growth sites.
Lead business-side integration efforts for acquisitions and strategic investments.
Coordinate assessment and integration assumptions in close collaboration with LONZA Strategy team.
Coordinate integration activities across Operations, HR, Engineering, Quality, Finance, Supply Chain, Legal, and IT.
Develop integration governance, Day-1 readiness plans, synergy capture plans, and long-term integration roadmaps.
Ensure cultural integration and organizational alignment across acquired businesses.
Translate global ADS strategic priorities into actionable implementation plans for the US organization.
Ensure alignment between growth projects, operating organizations, and global ADS objectives.
Champion a culture of accountability, problem-solving, continuous improvement, and operational discipline.
Establish Capability and Training Frameworks ensure successful scaling of organization of growth ambitions
Partner with E2E Leaders to embed operational excellence principles during facility design, startup, and transition to operations.
Establish governance frameworks supporting effective oversight of transformation and M&A initiatives in alignment with global PMO and strategy function.
Ensure visibility of strategic risks, resource constraints, organizational readiness, and cross-project dependencies.
Develop standardized project governance methodologies and reporting structures.
Support prioritization and resource allocation decisions across the portfolio.