Sr. Manager Manufacturing

bluebird bio • Somerville, MA

3d

About The Position

At Genetix Biotherapeutics every role has meaning, every team member is respected, and every day is a chance to make a difference. When you join Genetix, you're not just landing a new role, you become part of a company that's pursuing curative gene therapies to give patients and their families more days. We are doers, thinkers and collaborators who embrace and live by our values: Our innovation is rooted in the diversity of our teams and results are achieved through cooperation and the integration of multiple viewpoints. This is personal and we approach every challenge with radical care. Position Summary: The Senior Manager, Manufacturing is a newly created position responsible for driving value creation and cost savings for the manufacturing of our commercially approved products and managing a portfolio of continuous improvement projects and value creating initiatives. This individual will partner across Technical Operations to identify opportunities and deliver on key initiatives across the business. The role requires deep understanding of cell therapy manufacturing, strong leadership, and the ability to drive execution across internal and external stakeholders.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's degree in biotechnology, Chemical Engineering, or related field required; MBA/MS degree preferred.
• Experience: 8+ years of experience in biopharmaceutical manufacturing or technical operations, with at least 4 years in cell therapy or ATMP manufacturing.
• Proven experience leading CMO operations for commercial or late-stage products.
• Demonstrated success managing complex, cross-functional manufacturing projects.
• Strong project management and organizational skills with ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship management skills.
• Analytical and data-driven mindset focused on metrics and results.
• Ability to work effectively in a matrixed, fast-paced, and global environment

Nice To Haves

• Strong background in operational excellence, Lean or Six Sigma principles, and performance management preferred.
• Experience in technology transfer, process validation, and continuous improvement at commercial scale.

Responsibilities

• Operational Excellence and Governance Lead initiatives to optimize manufacturing performance at CMOs, focusing on yield improvement, cycle time reduction, and right-first-time execution
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for CMO operations—driving accountability and continuous improvement
• Align governance models for CMO oversight and coordinate with internal operational teams for execution
• Identify and mitigate risks proactively through structured operational reviews and risk management processes
• Support business continuity planning and execution for external manufacturing network
• Cost Optimization & Value Creation Identify and implement cost-saving opportunities across the external manufacturing network, including process efficiency, yield improvement, and material optimization initiatives.
• Lead value engineering and lean manufacturing efforts with CMOs to reduce cost of goods while maintaining product quality and compliance.
• Partner with Finance and Supply Chain teams to track cost drivers, develop annual manufacturing budgets, and achieve savings targets.
• Support contract negotiations by providing technical and cost insights to optimize pricing structures and service agreements.
• Parter with Manufacturing, Finance and CMO teams for maximizing manufacturing scheduling efficiency
• Evaluate make-vs-buy and sourcing strategies to ensure cost-effective use of manufacturing capacity
• Project Leadership Manage a portfolio of projects for the Manufacturing and Supply Chain organizations to enhance quality, improve delivery and efficiency, and lower operating costs
• Serve as the operational project lead for COGM reduction initiatives across Manufacturing and Supply Chain networks
• Apply structured project management tools (timelines, dashboards, risk logs) to ensure transparency and effective decision-making
• Represent manufacturing on critical projects in the CMC project portfolio
• Quality, Compliance & Technical Support Support investigations, change controls, CAPAs, and regulatory inspections as required
• Provide technical and operational input on process optimization, scaling strategies, and product lifecycle improvements

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees