Site Head

Job

Are you looking for a patient-oriented, innovation-driven company that inspires you and promotes your career? Then take your future in your hands and become part of Takeda as the Site Head for our Singen, Germany Vaccines Manufacturing site.

The Site Head will lead the Singen Plant through a significant investment, transformation and growth phase to become the Global Hub for supply of Takeda’s dengue vaccine, Qdenga.

• Build and develop a strong and capable team to lead the Site. Activities cover the full range of activities from in line commercial supply operations, to commissioning and qualification of new facilities, to construction of expanded capacity via new projects.

• Guide the site through a transformation to become a world class Vaccine Manufacturing Hub using state of the art technology. Develop understanding of vaccines technology and business dynamics, and build the operational skills and ways of working to support this change.

• Ensure that processes and products are safe and effective and consistently meet customer needs and regulatory requirements. Build and manage financial plans and budgets, including headcount plans, for the Site. Develop and implement strategic plans and drive continuous improvement.

• Represent the Site within VBU and GMS Leadership teams and ensure close cooperation and alignment with peers in the Vaccine Manufacturing & Supply Team (e.g., Business Excellence, Supply Chain & Network Strategy, External Supply, etc.)

Your main responsibilities:

• Implement and execute Singen strategy to be the Global Hub for Qdenga and enable the plant to fulfill its role in the VBU manufacturing network as a centre of excellence for Vaccines. Establish good relationships with all customers, Quality Management, HR, Finance, and all other functions.

• Create an environment that inspires and enables people to perform, where at all levels people are empowered and informed, being collaborative and striving for excellence. Elevate the capabilities of staff through on-the-job experiences and development and training activities as needed.

• Ensure the production of quality products in regulatory and quality compliance and at competitive cost. Host inspections by third parties and assure timely implementation of commitments to regulatory agencies.

• Deliver project milestones and product supply commitments on time and schedule. Manage follow-up activities in case of critical issues with impact on quality, cost and supply in coordination with internal and external functions.

• Develop and maintain organizational structures that reduce complexity, enhance collaboration and provide opportunities to leverage people’s capabilities in accordance with German Labour law and trustful collaboration with trade unions and work council.

• Drive Operational Excellence programs by leveraging Takeda’s eAGILE capabilities and through direct daily interaction and presence (e.g. Gemba walks). Sustain a culture of quality, continuous improvement, and manage the shift from project focus to commercial production focus.

• Manage the collaborative interactions at local and Global level between various functions, some of which have alternative reporting lines (e.g. Quality, MS&T) and active in networking across functions in Takeda.

• Take full responsibility for legal requirements associated with overall production and for EHS requirements according to law and Takeda standard. Assure implementation of Takeda’s Business Ethics/Code of Conduct.

• Deliver annual performance in line with established targets, making appropriate trade-offs whilst maintaining safety, quality, and a focus on patients. Develop plans for continuous improvement via operational excellence and value capture initiatives, in alignment with Site and VBU strategy.

Profile

• Master of Science or Engineering, or other Life Science educational background, with minimum 15 years of experience in relevant roles.

• Solid understanding of the pharmaceutical industry including full end-to-end production, disposition, and supply of finished products.

• Deep familiarity with cGMP standards and Quality Management in EU and FDA regulated production environment, including for sterile products.

• Experience in vaccine manufacturing and technology is highly preferable, or at minimum, strong experience in manufacturing of Biological products.

• Outstanding leadership capabilities, with excellent people and change management skills, communications, and proven ability to align stakeholders at all levels.

• Mature personality with high credibility as an organizational leader; clear evidence of ability to lead an organization of Singen Site’s scale and complexity.

• Track record of driving change and building agile organizations, with a culture of continuous improvement through process excellence, and focus Patients, Quality and Safety.

• Good commercial knowledge, negotiation skills, and experience with budgeting, strategic planning, and working to resolve conflicts with internal and external stakeholders.

• Fluent in written and spoken German and English.

Benefits

• Attractive and competitive salary

• Open-minded and modern working environment

• Hybrid working model

• 30 vacation days

• Company pension plan

• Further education and training

• Company Car

• Attractive Relocation Package including brokerage fees

• Subsidized canteen

• Subsidized sports programs

• Disability insurance

• Long-term account with various possible uses

• Employee discounts

• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

• Group accident insurance

• Performance-related bonus

• Long Term Incentive Plan

• Trusted working hours

• Employee Referral Program

• Deferred compensation as desired

• Global Wellbeing Program

• Interactive online courses for employees' children

• Employee Recognition Program

Company profile

Takeda is focused on creating better health for people and a brighter future for the world. We aim to discover and deliver life-transforming treatments in our core therapeutic and business areas, including gastrointestinal and inflammation, rare diseases, plasma-derived therapies, oncology, neuroscience and vaccines.

In Singen, around 1,300 employees specialize in the production of liquid, semi-solid and freeze-dried medicines. Singen is the only production site in the global Takeda network for the manufacture of our new dengue fever vaccine. Takeda Singen is a regionally significant employer and has been awarded the independent Top Employer certificate several years in a row. The site is characterized by its high level of diversity (e.g., more than 55 nationalities and over 40% of leaders are women), its long company history and its excellent development opportunities. The town of Singen (Hohentwiel) is located on the beautiful Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg with a view of the Alps and close proximity to France, Liechtenstein, Austria, and Switzerland.