Sr. Manager, External Manufacturing Operations (Hybrid - Brookings, SD)

Solventum•Brookings, SD

13h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Sr. Manager of External Manufacturing Operations owns the operational performance and strategic relationships of external manufacturing partners supporting Brookings. The role is directly accountable for continuity and availability of externally supplied materials and products required for Brookings manufacturing, ensuring supplies are available when needed, meet specifications, and do not disrupt production. The position establishes CMO performance expectations across quality, delivery, capacity, cost, responsiveness, compliance, and supply continuity; maintains visibility into supplier production plans, materials, inventory, logistics, capacity, and constraints; and leads rapid response when supplier issues threaten Brookings operations. The manager drives containment, recovery, root cause analysis, corrective action, and prevention, while building accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence across the CMO network. The role is hybrid eligible, with duties requiring travel to Brookings and other sites, including suppliers and other Solventum locations. Travel may include up to 70% domestic and international travel. Relocation assistance may be authorized.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or higher, completed and verified prior to start.
Twelve years of combined experience in manufacturing, operations, external manufacturing, supply chain, quality, engineering, planning, and/or procurement.
Experience managing contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs), contract manufacturers, and/or strategic manufacturing suppliers.
Experience supporting medical device manufacturing in a regulated manufacturing environment.
Experience managing supply continuity, CMO capacity, production planning, supplier quality, asset strategy, and/or operational risk.
Must be legally authorized to work in the country of employment without sponsorship for employment visa status.

Nice To Haves

Experience applying medical device quality systems and applicable regulatory requirements.
Experience applying GMP, supplier quality, change control, specifications, CAPA, SCARs, Quality Agreements, and/or regulatory compliance requirements.
Experience developing and executing CMO risk mitigation and business continuity strategies.
Experience establishing supplier KPI dashboards, scorecards, and executive performance reviews.
Experience supporting CMO contracts, Quality Agreements, commercial negotiations, and supplier performance management.
Experience supporting budgeting, forecasting, capital expenditure (CapEx) planning, and business case development.
Experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives involving Manufacturing, Engineering, Supplier Quality, Value Stream Management, Supply Chain, Procurement, Quality, Regulatory, Finance, and/or external partners.
Experience communicating, negotiating, and presenting recommendations to cross-functional stakeholders and senior leaders.

Responsibilities

Own operational performance and strategic relationships with external manufacturing partners supporting Brookings.
Ensure continuity and availability of externally supplied materials and products required for Brookings manufacturing.
Ensure materials are available when needed, meet established specifications, and do not disrupt manufacturing.
Set clear CMO performance expectations for quality, delivery, capacity, cost, responsiveness, compliance, and supply continuity.
Maintain visibility into supplier production plans, materials, inventory, logistics, capacity, and constraints.
Lead rapid response and escalation for supplier quality, capacity, production, logistics, technical, or operational issues that threaten Brookings manufacturing.
Drive containment, recovery, root cause analysis, corrective action, and prevention to resolve issues sustainably.
Establish accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence across the CMO network.
Comply with corporate policies, procedures, and security standards while performing assigned duties.