Sr. Director of Engineering

Avid Bioservices

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Looking to join a passionate team dedicated to developing and manufacturing life-saving biopharmaceuticals? Avid Bioservices is a leading clinical and commercial biologics CDMO focused on creating innovative solutions to meet the needs of our clients and improve patient outcomes. Your Role: The Sr. Director of Engineering is accountable for the strategic leadership, governance, and execution of engineering across operations and capital programs. This role serves as the senior technical authority for facilities, utilities, process engineering, automation, and project engineering, ensuring assets are designed, delivered, and operated in compliance with global GMP, safety, quality, and business requirements. The role spans the full asset lifecycle from portfolio planning and concept development through design, execution, CQV, handover, and sustained operational performance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, or related discipline).
15+ years of experience in pharmaceutical or biotechnology engineering and capital project delivery.
Proven leadership of large engineering organizations and complex capital programs.
Deep expertise in GMP facility, utility, and manufacturing system design.
Experience operating in owner-side, EPCM, or integrated project delivery environments.
Strong executive communication, judgment, and stakeholder management skills.

Nice To Haves

You have a "bring it on!" team player approach and an unshakable positive attitude, always ready to tackle anything that comes your way.
Your written and verbal skills are out of this world, and you communicate with clarity and confidence.
You have exceptional multitasking skills and an unparalleled attention to detail that ensure the smooth running of everything.
You are a master at building relationships, capable of establishing connections with anyone, be it team members, clients, vendors, or suppliers.

Responsibilities

Define and maintain the overall engineering strategy, standards, and governance model for pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Establish and enforce global and site-level engineering standards, specifications, and design guides.
Serve as final technical authority for major design, technology, and execution decisions.
Ensure alignment between business strategy, manufacturing demand, and engineering investments.
Drive consistency, scalability, and reuse across sites, platforms, and capital programs.
Provide executive engineering oversight for capital projects across all phases: concept, FEED, detailed design, construction, CQV, and handover.
Ensure technical scope, design intent, and GMP requirements are clearly defined, communicated, and controlled.
Sponsor and chair design reviews, constructability reviews, technical risk reviews, and readiness assessments.
Support value engineering and cost optimization while preserving compliance, safety, and long-term operability.
Partner with Project Management, Project Controls, and Finance to align technical scope, schedule, and budget.
Ensure all engineering activities comply with FDA, EU GMP, Annex 1, and applicable global regulatory requirements.
Partner with Quality to embed data integrity, contamination control, and aseptic design principles into facilities and systems.
Support regulatory submissions, inspections, audits, and responses related to facilities and engineering systems.
Ensure inspection-ready facilities through robust documentation, traceability, and engineering change control.
Serve as senior engineering representative during regulatory interactions and inspections.
Oversee the design, delivery, and lifecycle management of manufacturing facilities and critical utilities.
Provide governance for HVAC, cleanrooms, WFI, clean steam, process gases, electrical systems, and automation infrastructure.
Establish asset lifecycle, reliability, and capacity strategies aligned with operational needs.
Ensure maintainability, operability, and safety considerations are addressed early in design.
Govern transition from capital project execution into routine plant operations and technical operations organizations.
Lead, develop, and mentor multi-disciplinary engineering organizations across sites or programs.
Define engineering organizational structures, roles, responsibilities, and operating models.
Build internal engineering capability and determine make-versus-buy strategies.
Establish competency frameworks, training strategies, performance expectations, and succession planning.
Foster a strong culture of safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Serve as a senior technical partner to Operations, Quality, EHS, Finance, Procurement, MSAT and IT/OT.
Support manufacturing strategy, capacity expansion, tech transfers, and new product introductions.
Partner with Procurement on EPC and EPCM strategy, vendor selection, and technical evaluations.
Ensure engineering solutions support operational excellence, reliability, and business continuity.
Own technical risk management across engineering, capital projects, and operational systems.
Ensure robust safety-in-design practices including HAZOP, PHA, biosafety, and constructability reviews.
Oversee engineering change control, deviations, investigations, and technical decision documentation.
Ensure EHS, process safety, and biosafety principles are embedded throughout the asset lifecycle.
Drive adoption of new manufacturing, facility, and utility technologies.
Champion digital engineering tools, data-driven decision making, and smart factory initiatives.
Support sustainability, energy efficiency, and decarbonization programs.
Evaluate emerging technologies for technical readiness and strategic value.
Capital project performance: safety, schedule, cost, and quality
Engineering technical risk profile and mitigation effectiveness
Asset reliability, availability, and utility system performance
Change management and deviation trends
Inspection readiness and compliance health
Engineering standardization, reuse, and productivity metrics