Vice President Operations

Global Life Science Hub is searching for a Vice President of Operations in India with a deep Biologics Manufacturing background to provide executive leadership for a large-scale, fully integrated biologics manufacturing campus with up to 50,000L of drug substance and drug product capacity. This leader will own end-to-end site performance across manufacturing, engineering, facilities, automation, and capital expansion, supporting global clinical and commercial supply.

This role will be the senior-most operations leader in India, responsible for site build-out, start-up, scale-up, and long-term operational excellence, aligned with global supply strategy.

Responsibilities:

• Provide full executive leadership for India-based biologics manufacturing and engineering operations, covering upstream, downstream, formulation, and aseptic fill/finish.
• Own end-to-end site performance across safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people.
• Serve as primary site leader and strategic partner to global manufacturing, quality, technical operations, and supply chain leadership.
• Develop and execute the India site manufacturing strategy aligned with global clinical and commercial supply demands.
• Lead process scale-up, technology transfer, and commercial readiness for biologics products.
• Ensure robust capacity utilization and long-term expansion planning up to 50,000L.
• Own all engineering, facilities, utilities, validation, and automation functions.
• Lead major capital projects, including site expansions, new production lines, cleanroom build-outs, and infrastructure upgrades.
• Ensure facilities and systems are inspection-ready at all times for global regulatory agencies.
• Serve as executive site sponsor during regulatory inspections
• Drive a culture of compliance, data integrity, safety, and GMP excellence.
• Partner closely with Quality, Regulatory, and Global Technical Operations.
• Drive adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies, automation, MES, and digital plant initiatives.
• Champion continuous improvement, Lean Manufacturing, and Six Sigma across all functions.
• Build, mentor, and retain high-performing manufacturing, engineering, and facilities leadership teams.
• Own organizational design, succession planning, and leadership development for the India operations.
• Own site P&L performance, OPEX/CAPEX planning, and long-term capacity forecasting.
• Establish and manage critical vendor, equipment supplier, and CMO relationships in India and globally.
• Ensure materials readiness, production planning, and uninterrupted product supply.

Experience & Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Life Sciences, or related discipline; advanced degree (MS, PhD, MBA) strongly preferred.
• 20+ years hands-on biopharmaceutical manufacturing
• Proven success in site start-up, expansion, and commercial readiness in biologics manufacturing.
• Deep hands-on expertise in upstream/downstream biologics operations and aseptic fill/finish.
• Demonstrated leadership of engineering and facilities functions, including capital project execution.
• Experience spanning clinical to large-scale commercial supply environments.
• Strong track record of regulatory inspection success and inspection-ready site leadership.
• Demonstrated impact in process optimization, cost reduction, and advanced technology implementation.
• Skilled in organizational design, change management, and leadership development.
• Knowledge of biologics supply chain management and partnerships with CMOs preferred.
• Exceptional communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with a strategic, global mindset.