Vice President Operations

Overview

A fast-growing, strictly regulated life sciences manufacturing company in the Greater Sacramento region is seeking a Vice President of Operations to lead all site operations. This senior executive role reports directly to the CEO and holds full responsibility for operational and financial outcomes at the manufacturing site. The position encompasses leadership over manufacturing, quality, facilities, engineering, supply chain, environmental health and safety, capital projects, and overall site performance, driving business results, regulatory compliance, operational excellence, and strategic expansion.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic guidance for site operations aligned with corporate goals and long-term growth strategies.
• Manage full P&L accountability, including budgeting, forecasting, capital expenditure, and cost optimization.
• Set yearly objectives and monitor key metrics for safety, quality, delivery, productivity, customer satisfaction, and financial health.
• Report operations updates, financial results, and strategic plans to senior leadership.
• Develop a high-performing leadership team fostering accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee all manufacturing activities to ensure compliance, safety, and efficiency.
• Manage production planning, capacity, resource allocation, and scheduling to meet customer needs.
• Collaborate with Quality and Engineering to solve production issues and implement process enhancements.
• Drive initiatives to increase productivity, reduce costs, optimize throughput, and improve operational efficiency.
• Facilitate new product launches, technology transfers, and process readiness.
• Ensure compliance with FDA, cGMP, OSHA, EPA, and other regulatory requirements.
• Oversee Quality Assurance and Quality Control with a focus on compliance and operational excellence.
• Lead regulatory inspections, customer audits, and internal compliance efforts.
• Manage quality systems, risk management, CAPA programs, change control, and continuous improvement.
• Maintain a state of readiness for inspections.
• Provide leadership for facilities, utilities, maintenance, engineering, and capital projects.
• Drive facility expansion, equipment installation, infrastructure upgrades, and long-term capital planning.
• Ensure preventive maintenance maximizes equipment reliability and uptime.
• Coordinate with Engineering and Validation for facility qualification and manufacturing readiness.
• Manage procurement, inventory, warehousing, logistics, and supplier performance.
• Develop supply chain strategies enhancing resilience, inventory control, and risk reduction.
• Work with Finance, HR, IT, and Commercial departments to support organizational goals.
• Ensure scalable business processes supporting growth and operational excellence.
• Promote workplace safety and environmental compliance, ensuring OSHA and EPA standards are met.
• Lead safety programs, emergency preparedness, and risk mitigation initiatives.
• Establish metrics to promote continuous safety and environmental performance improvements.
• Build and mentor leadership teams with robust succession planning.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and ongoing improvement initiatives.
• Cultivate a culture centered on operational excellence, customer focus, employee engagement, accountability, and innovation.
• Balance growth, compliance, efficiency, and profitability for long-term success.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Engineering, Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Operations Management, Business Administration, or a related field; advanced degree desirable.
• At least 12 years of progressive leadership experience in a highly regulated manufacturing environment.
• Minimum 5 years leading site-wide manufacturing operations with full operational and financial accountability.
• Proven expertise managing manufacturing, quality, engineering, facilities, supply chain, and cross-functional business operations.
• Deep knowledge of FDA regulations, cGMP, OSHA, EPA, and quality management systems.
• Successful track record leading regulatory inspections, customer audits, and operational excellence programs.
• Experience managing capital projects, manufacturing expansions, organizational growth, and transformational initiatives.
• Familiarity with ERP systems, manufacturing planning tools, and performance reporting.
• Preferred experience in new facility startups, major site expansions, or operational transformations.
• Demonstrated use of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement practices.
• Proven ability to scale manufacturing while ensuring regulatory adherence and customer satisfaction.
• Executive experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, or similar regulated manufacturing sectors favored.

Additional Information

• Must possess strong financial skills including P&L ownership, budgeting, forecasting, and cost control.
• Capable of influencing and leading cross-functional teams across diverse functional areas.
• Excellent communication abilities, experienced in engaging with senior executives, customers, and regulators.
• Leadership approach combining strategic vision with hands-on management.
• Passionate about building high-performance teams and fostering a culture of operational excellence, compliance, safety, and sustained growth.