Site Director

The businesses of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany•Branchburg Township, NJ

About The Position

The Site Director is the accountable leader for the Branchburg, NJ manufacturing campus, with full operational oversight and decision authority for manufacturing, packaging, and shipping of semiconductor patterning materials (photoresists, anti-reflective/underlayer coatings, and ancillary process solutions) as well as Environmental Health & Safety (EHS), Quality Control (QC), and Facilities Maintenance & Engineering (FME). The role delivers safe, compliant, reliable supply; drives continuous improvement; and advances site capabilities in alignment with Formulations strategy and customer requirements.

Requirements

Master’s degree or PhD in Chemical Engineering (or closely related discipline).
10+ years of experience across manufacturing, process development, supply chain, or adjacent functions in high purity chemical operations; semiconductor materials experience strongly preferred.
Proven leadership in high volume manufacturing with measurable results in safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
Demonstrated strength in EHS and Quality systems, change control/PCN, and customer qualification processes in regulated/ISO certified environments.
Fluency with data driven operations (SPC, root cause, CAPA) and continuous improvement methodologies.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading photolithography patterning material operations (photoresists, BARC/CUL, and ancillary process solutions such as EBR, rinses, and thinners).
Strong transformation and lean management skills especially to drive digital transformation
Proven success managing site infrastructure projects and production transfers/localization with tollers and partner sites.

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end site operations performance (safety, quality, delivery, cost) for patterning materials manufactured and shipped from the site.
Ensure robust production planning, campaign execution, and material flow from raw receipt to final QC release, packaging, labeling, and outbound logistics.
Authorize operational decisions (batch disposition, priority changes, expediting) to protect customer supply and service levels.
Champion digital & data-driven operations to reduce variability and strengthen process control.
EHS Leadership: set zero-harm culture, ensure compliance with corporate and regulatory standards.
Drive hazard identification, audits/6S, corrective actions; close gaps and verify effectiveness.
Maintain readiness for agency inspections and customer audits related to EHS and dangerous goods handling/packaging.
Quality & Regulatory: ensure semiconductor quality requirements and maintain ISO certifications; oversee QC lab readiness and timely release.
Govern changes via PCN/QDP; secure customer qualifications for material/process changes and transfers.
Facilities & People: own asset care strategy, prioritize reliability, sponsor CapEx, and lead a multidisciplinary team across Production, QC, EHS, and Engineering.