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Zoetis is seeking a manager of laboratory operations for its Kalamazoo labs. This is a full-time, mid-senior level position in business development and research in the pharmaceutical industry.

 

Provides leadership and management to the laboratory and oversees all activities to meet safety, quality, production, and cost objectives. It also includes working with sales, marketing and customer service to ensure revenue and customer satisfaction goals are met. 

 

The manager of laboratory operations is a member of the Genetics Operations Leadership Team (GOLT) and is a key contributor to decisions made by the Leadership Team, particularly in the areas of laboratory production and overall employee engagement.

 

The major duties will include but are not limited to:

• Manages process introductions, production schedule, production procedures and continuous improvement efforts for each area. 

• Manage direct and temporary labor services to provide maximum throughput while minimizing costs. Ensure products are produced in accordance with laboratory schedule and required product specifications. Instill accountability in employees to perform at a higher level. Cross train employees to facilitate flexibility and responsiveness. 

• Understands financial drivers in the form of budgets, cost, yields, operating plans, etc., and can schedule and manage laboratory production operations to ensure maximum production for minimum cost.

• Provide leadership within the process areas in an effort to drive process performance and improvements to achieve maximized business profitability by increasing throughputs, reducing losses, and improving overall morale.  

• Responsible for meeting budgeted financial plans, controlling expenses and minimizing facility repairs. Provide customer support and liaison with the customer support group to ensure that their needs are addressed satisfactory. 

• Prepare and analyze various weekly and monthly KPIs.

• Understand operational and technical issues and work directly with technical manager to identify required objectives and allocate resources appropriately. 

• Improves quality of operations and improves consistency by implementing company performance and operation procedures. 

• Implements processes to optimize productivity and quality of services

• Meets quality and deadline standards by the effective use of job scheduling practices

• Participates in the development and maintenance of a company culture characterized by highly motivated employees with clear understanding of their roles and a strong focus on customer satisfaction 

• Provides guidance and direction to production staff's training and development needs in order to maintain a competitive and competent workforce within the departments. 

• Maintains efficient workflow by holding direct reports accountable for quality and efficiency of their work. 

• Clearly communicates job expectations/consequences of employees by training, cross-training, coaching, counseling, directing, evaluating the work of subordinates to increase their work output and work quality.  

• Successfully completes all personnel departmental training and competency assessments.

 

• Bachelor’s degree plus the following:

 • 8-10 years of progressive leadership experience. 

 • Strong communication skills- both verbal and written. 

 • Conflict resolution skills. 

 • Effective employee engagement skills, including genuine employee reward and recognition ability.

 • Ability to work collaboratively with diverse personalities. 

 • Business planning and execution ability. 

 • Demonstrates critical thinking and expert decision making.

 • Knowledge of various genotyping and DNA extraction platforms and methods.

 • Keen understanding of high throughput genotyping laboratories.

 • Knowledge of various regulatory requirements ISO17025, cGLP, cGMP.

 • Strong computer skills, including proficiency with word processing and spreadsheets.

 • Comfortable in a rapidly changing environment. 

 • Self-motivated; ability to work independently and work as constructive team member

 • Lean Six Sigma experience a plus.

 

Zoetis, formerly a business unit of Pfizer, is a leading global animal health company dedicated to discovering, developing, manufacturing and commercializing a diverse portfolio of animal health medicines and vaccines to meet the needs of veterinarians and the livestock farmers and companion animal owners. Zoetis is based on 60 years of experience in delivering quality medicines and vaccines, complemented by diagnostics products and genetics tests and supported by a range of services. The company's mission is built on a six-decade history and singular focus on animal health to bring customers quality products, services and a commitment to their businesses. Zoetis is a $4.2 billion animal health business, with products sold in 120 countries globally.  The company has approximately 9,500 colleagues globally across diverse skills, capabilities functions, including, field force, research and development, manufacturing, and various global functions supporting our businesses globally.

 

 

• Overall responsibility is to manage and direct Production, Maintenance and Production Administration functions of the plant.

• Manage day-to-day operations of plant as well as assist in the development of long term goals for the plant.

• Coordination of production activities including job scheduling, staffing, etc.

• Transfer processes from CMOs and Davis lab to the newly retrofitted M3 plant.

• Run the processes for existing products at the plant for the first time. Debug the processes and make operational.

• For new products, spend time in Davis lab to understand the processes of MBI’s microbial and plant extracted products, then lead the scale-up development of the manufacturing processes for the at M3.

• At M3, optimize different fermentation downstream process parameters to improve performances and yields for reduction in COGs and improvement in gross margins.

• Lead scale up of existing and new formulations at M3.

• Hire plant staffing at M3 as needed.

• Gather and assist outside engineering firm with process design parameters during construction.

• Experience in plant extract large scale blending and packaging lines.

• Frequent travel from Bangor, MI to Davis, CA.  Travel to CMOs to learn the processes. Will need to spend several weeks in Davis, CA upon hiring before working at the M3 plant full time.

• Work with Supply Chain Department for purchasing, storage and inventory of raw materials and supply of final products to customers.

• Work with QC to ensure proper documentation of production and quality of end products.

• Ensure manufacturing operations comply with federal, state and local worker safety, public health and environmental requirements.
 

Education:

• B.S., M.S. or Ph.D. degree in Microbiology, Biochemistry, (Bio)Chemical Engineering or related field with a minimum of 10+ years of relevant experience in microbial production, including process optimization and scale-up with a minimum of 3 years in manufacturing operations supervision.

 

 

• Extensive experience in process development of microbial fermentation to increase biomass yield and the production of secondary metabolites in manufacturing scale.

• Extensive experience in downstream processing and formulations of microbial products at manufacturing scale.

• Experience in technical transfer of processes and formulations to manufacturing facilities.

• Thorough understanding of microbial physiology of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, filamentous bacteria, and fungi.

• Energetic and self-motivated individual able to work in a fast-paced team environment with tight schedule.

• Entrepreneurial creativity and innovation are necessary to solve unexpected problems with scale up, yield enhancement and process cost reduction of new microorganisms.

• Must have in-depth knowledge of commercial fermentation, downstream processing, and formulation.

• Must have a thorough understanding of analytics and statistics as applied to all processes.

• Must have strong written and verbal communications skills; Responsive; Able to work effectively as part of a team.

• Efficient at frequent and rapid email communication.

• Must be able to handle multiple priorities and delegate responsibilities while maintaining quality.

• Must be creative, highly organized, self-motivated, perceptive, and innovative.

• Excellent analytical, organizational and multi-tasking skills.

• Must be proficient using MS Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Project.

• Proficiency in good record keeping, writing and revising technical reports and SOPs. Excellent technical software skills, including fermentation control and data analysis.

• Perform with a significant degree of independence in conducting manufacturing.

• Work with team at Davis location to develop raw material specifications.

• Work with Process Engineering and Process Implementation team to design and implement manufacturing process from inception to completion.

• Follow cGMP practices and develop plan to train the staff for cGMP practices.

 

 

• The candidate should have experience at supervising and motivating more junior process staff (operators, engineers and microbiologists).

• Must have excellent team building and project management skills.

• Must have highly developed individual as well as team performance management skills.

• Management and coaching of group tailored to the specific skill sets and focus of the individuals.

• Responsible for preparing schedules for manufacturing processes and resource allocations.

• Oversight and management of training requirements.

• Technical Oversight of campaigns and projects to ensure expected performance.

• Ensure adequate process monitoring including real time review of process parameters and process data/trend analysis.

• Support of the safety program.

• Resolution of issues to ensure a safe operating environment.

• Ensure adequate resolution of operational variances, investigations, etc.

• Guide employees with knowledge and technical knowledge to lead troubleshooting activates, provide investigation support.

• Support of audits including walkthroughs, response, and driving closure of any observation.

• Provide support during audits and with audit observation closure.

• Promotion of an innovative culture.

 

 

Headquartered in Davis, Cal. and venture capital-backed, Marrone Bio Innovations (MBI), discovers, develops, and markets effective and environmentally responsible natural products for pest management in ag and water.  

 

M3 is seeking a person to lead the transfer and startup of the fermentation and other processes for manufacturing MBI’s plant extracted and fermented products at its newly retrofitted plant, Marrone Michigan Manufacturing (M3), in Bangor, MI, targeted to be operational in second half of 2013.  

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