Associate Director, Operational Excellence

Purdue Pharma L.P. and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market medications to meet the evolving needs of healthcare professionals, patients, and caregivers. We were founded by physicians, and we are currently led by a physician. Beyond our efforts to provide quality medications, Purdue is committed to supporting national, regional and local collaborations to drive innovations in patient care. Privately held, Purdue is pursuing a pipeline of new medications through internal research & development and strategic industry partnerships.

For close to two decades Purdue has engaged in many initiatives to stem prescription opioid abuse. We are committed to bringing lifesaving relief to communities and individuals suffering from substance use disorder and overdose. We are currently developing or supporting the development of two essential life-saving opioid overdose reversal medications and have the capability to manufacture others for medication assisted treatment. Providing these medicines has the potential to improve and save countless lives.

We are driven by our purpose: Compassion for patients and excellence for science inspire our pursuit of new medicines.

We are building an exciting path forward, and we are committed to recruiting a dedicated team of professionals who advance our expertise through a commitment to Purdue's Values: Integrity and Courage, underpinned by Innovation, and always in Collaboration with each other.

At Purdue Pharma and our subsidiaries, you have a unique career opportunity to work differently, uncover and seize new opportunities, and take a hands-on, ownership approach to your work. We go beyond traditional roles and find creative ways to extend our skills and interests, challenging ourselves to contribute in different, meaningful ways. We strive to create an environment where you can bring your best to work each day. We welcome the opportunity to have you on our team!

Job Summary

Lead the Operational Excellence program to drive improvements in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Productivity, and Cost across the business. This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on execution, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making. Acting as a change agent, this position will foster a continuous improvement environment that is data-driven and results-oriented, collaborating with leadership teams to lead and guide Operational Excellence initiatives to achieve targets. Responsibilities also include capacity planning, headcount planning, process optimization, and training across all levels of the business to build organizational capabilities. This is a highly strategic and facilitative role that requires a combination of focus and flexibility, as well as a willingness to play an active, behind-the-scenes role (team over self). The role requires a highly resourceful individual with strong emotional intelligence, self-motivation, facilitation skills, and excellent communication skills.

Primary Responsibilities

Continue to develop the site Operational Excellence strategy aligned with business goals:

• Develop and execute the site Operational Excellence strategy to align with business objectives
• Diagnose and drive improvement opportunities using data and observations from a diverse range of external and internal sources
• Establish and monitor KPIs; facilitate operational performance reviews with senior leadership
• Prioritize areas (Elite 8 projects) and assist with removing hurdles that would hinder their completion by collaborating with site and Tech Ops leadership
• Establish and maintain productivity and quality metrics/measurements (KPIs) and facilitate weekly/monthly/quarterly operational performance reviews with senior leadership teams to track performance against baseline
• Build site capabilities through training on Lean tools (5S, SMED, Kaizen, DMAIC, Value Stream Mapping, etc.)

Build organizational capabilities:

• Champion Lean and Six Sigma principles; lead cross-functional teams to eliminate waste and improve productivity.
• Develop training materials and deliver training content to build site capabilities to address basic process improvement elements
• Create cohesive cross-functional teams capable of driving Operational Excellence projects in-line with business strategy and foster a culture of continuous improvement
• Build strong, collaborative relationships throughout the organization

Deliver impact related to the site strategy:

• Maintain the site capacity model to assist management in discussions on equipment utilization and planning to resolve bottleneck operations.
• Deliver quantifiable process performance improvements in Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Productivity.
• Support product transfers and new product introductions to ensure operational readiness
• Utilize TQM tools for problem-solving and implement best practices in GxP environments.
• Maintain and update production standards for current and new products
• Utilize cycle time metrics to highlight the site's ability to efficiently meet product supply demands

Additional activity to support the business:

• Prepare reports and presentations for senior management as required
• Partner with Cost Accounting to provide cost for new products and track cost savings.
• Utilize TQM tools for effective problem solving as well as apply 5S and SMED principles to eliminate non-value-added activity.
• Manage and continuously improve the OEE systems to report the effectiveness of processes
• Use the OEE system as a tool to drive performance improvements within Operations.
• Maintain strong relationships across all departments within the business

Education and Experience Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, or a related discipline, with at least 15 years of experience in manufacturing, operations, or supply chain roles; or
• Master's degree (strongly preferred) with a minimum of 12 years of experience in manufacturing, operations, or supply chain roles.
• Minimum 5 years of demonstrated experience driving Operational Excellence or Continuous Improvement initiatives within a manufacturing environment. Proven track record of leading Operational Excellence programs, applying Lean management principles and Six Sigma methodologies.
• Preferred: Knowledge of pharmaceutical manufacturing (GMP environment) or process manufacturing.
• Six Sigma Black Belt and/or Lean Certification strongly preferred.

Necessary Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to not only use, but also effectively instruct in the proper use of Operational Excellence principles such as Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, DMAIC, 5S, Visual Management and other process improvement and statistical problem-solving tools.
• Experience in both training and leading cross-functional teams on projects that utilize lean concepts (5S, SMED, Kaizen, etc.).
• Maintain high level of trust and integrity; and demonstrate discretion as necessary.
• Excellent project management skills/experience with sound technology skills, analytical ability, good judgment and strong operational focus
• Working knowledge of cGxP's and FDA guidelines and the ability to conceptualize and execute solutions to resolve problems.
• Proficiency in MS Excel, MS PowerPoint and MS Word is a must.
• Experience in SAP or related MRP systems is desired.
• Excellent communication skills, oral and written.

Supervisory Responsibilities (if applicable)

This position has no direct reports; and reports directly to the Executive Director of Operations.

Additional Information

Relocation is not offered for this position.

Purdue Pharma does not sponsor or facilitate any U.S. work or training authorization for this position. All applicants must have unrestricted and independent authorization to work or participate in an internship or training program at Purdue Pharma. Minimum required education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities are included in the posting. The position will be filled at the level commensurate with the successful candidate's education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. The job description is not an exhaustive list of all functions that the employee may be required to perform, and the employee may be required to perform additional functions. Additionally, the company may revise the job description at any time

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to: actual or perceived race, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, religion, color, age, creed, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law, genetic information, physical or mental disability, veteran status and military service, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws and ordinance.

For more information about your rights under Equal Employment Opportunity, visit:

• EEOC Know Your Rights
• USERRA Rights
• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
• Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA)
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• Right to Work (English and Spanish)

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Under certain state law, we may be required to provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range for the jobs covered by this description. Actual salary determinations will take into account factors such as work location, prior education or training and experience, job related knowledge, and demonstrated skills aligned with the Company's internal leveling guidelines and benchmarks. Resumes may be considered in the order they are received.