Manufacturing Unit Head

Job Description Summary

Job Description

Sandoz is leading company in production of biosimilars, committed to shaping the future for an affordable healthcare for patients. With our cutting-edge technology and unwavering dedication, we are revolutionizing the accessibility to life saving biologic medicines. Join us in our mission to make a lasting impact on patients' lives while driving manufacturing efficiency and scientific excellence in field of biosimilars.

We're looking for the Site Manufacturing Unit Head who will be responsible for the leadership and strategic direction of our large scale manufacturing operations, ensuring excellence in quality, supply reliability, cost efficiency, safety, and compliance. This role will oversee end-to-end production processes, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and foster a high-performance culture that supports innovation, collaboration, and operational excellence.

Your key responsibilities:

Your responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Define and communicate the manufacturing vision and deliver on the objectives as a key member of the site leadership team.
• Build, lead, develop, and inspire manufacturing teams to deliver performance aligned with the supply goals.
• Drive a culture of safety, quality, and operational excellence across the production organization.
• Represent Manufacturing during site inspections and external audits, ensuring inspection readiness and compliance.
• Oversee all manufacturing operations to ensure reliable supply of high-quality drug substances in compliance with GMP.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance productivity and reliability, reduce costs, and optimize resource utilization.
• Champion the implementation of Lean principles, digitalization, and data-driven decision-making in manufacturing processes.
• Oversee the successful integration of new products, technologies, and process changes into the manufacturing area.

What you will bring to the role:

• Education: MSc in Biotechnology, Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related field.
• Industry Experience: Minimum of 10 years in biopharmaceutical manufacturing or manufacturing technology roles, with significant exposure to large-scale operations.
• Bioprocessing Expertise: Deep hands-on knowledge of mammalian cell culture, protein purification, and large-scale stainless-steel bioreactor operations, from seed train to drug substance manufacturing.
• Operational Reliability & Cost Acumen: Experienced in Opex tools delivering high manufacturing reliability and supply performance, while optimizing costs and driving operational efficiency.
• Regulatory & Compliance Acumen: Strong understanding of global regulatory expectations for GMP manufacturing, process validation, tech transfer, and biosimilar submissions; ability to lead effective investigations and make sound scientific decisions.
• Leadership & Cross-functional Collaboration: Proven ability to lead large teams and collaborate across departments in a matrixed, multinational environment.
• Communication & Stakeholder Management: Clear and influential communicator, skilled at managing large teams, stakeholders, regulatory bodies and global partners.
• Problem Solving & Innovation: Strategic thinker with a continuous improvement mindset; capable of driving innovation while ensuring compliance and operational excellence.
• Language Skills: Fluency in English is required; knowledge of the local language is a plus but not mandatory.

You'll receive:

Employment at the most reputable employer for biologics manufacturing offers Competitive salary, Annual bonus, Flexible working schedule, tailored to your needs, possibility to work from home, Pension scheme, Employee Recognition Scheme, Expanded program for the promotion of health in the field of physical, mental and social well-being (Energized for Life), Unlimited learning and development opportunities.

Possible job locations: Lendava, Slovenia

We offer permanent contract with a probationary period of 6 months.

You are kindly invited to submit your application in the English language, including your CV by December 6th, 2025.

Why Sandoz?

Generic and Biosimilar medicines are the backbone of the global medicines industry. Sandoz, a leader in this sector, touched the lives of almost 500 million patients last year and while we are proud of this achievement, we have an ambition to do more

With investments in new development capabilities, state-of-the-art production sites, new acquisitions, and partnerships, we have the opportunity to shape the future of Sandoz and help more patients gain access to low-cost, high-quality medicines, sustainably.

Our momentum and entrepreneurial spirit is powered by an open, collaborative culture driven by our talented and ambitious colleagues, who, in return for applying their skills experience an agile and collegiate environment with impactful, flexible-hybrid careers, where diversity is welcomed and where personal growth is encouraged

The future is ours to shape

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:

Sandoz is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse team's representative of the patients and communities we serve.

#BioRampUp #Sandoz

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Sandoz je vodilno podjetje na področju proizvodnje bioloških podobnih zdravil, zavezano oblikovanju prihodnosti dostopnega zdravstva za paciente. Z našo najsodobnejšo tehnologijo in neomajno predanostjo spreminjamo dostopnost do življenjsko pomembnih bioloških zdravil. Pridružite se nam pri naši misiji, da trajno vplivamo na življenja pacientov, hkrati pa spodbujamo proizvodno učinkovitost in znanstveno odličnost na področju podobnih bioloških zdravil.

Iščemo Vodjo proizvodnje (d/ž/m) na lokaciji Lendava na področju proizvodnje podobnih bioloških zdravil, ki bo odgovoren/a za vodenje in strateško usmerjanje naših obsežnih proizvodnih operacij, zagotavljanje odličnosti na področju kakovosti, zanesljivosti oskrbe, stroškovne učinkovitosti, varnosti in skladnosti. Ta vloga vključuje nadzor nad celotnimi proizvodnimi procesi, spodbujanje nenehnih izboljšav ter vzpostavljanje kulture visoke učinkovitosti, ki podpira inovacije, sodelovanje in operativno odličnost.

Vaše ključne odgovornosti:

Vaše naloge vključujejo, vendar niso omejene na:

• Opredelitev in komunikacija proizvodne vizije ter doseganje ciljev kot ključni član vodstvene ekipe lokacije.
• Gradnja, vodenje, razvoj in navdihovanje proizvodnih ekip za doseganje rezultatov v skladu z oskrbovalnimi cilji.
• Spodbujanje kulture varnosti, kakovosti in operativne odličnosti v proizvodni organizaciji.
• Predstavništvo proizvodnje med inšpekcijami in zunanjimi revizijami ter zagotavljanje pripravljenosti na inšpekcije in skladnosti.
• Nadzor nad vsemi proizvodnimi operacijami za zanesljivo oskrbo z visokokakovostnimi zdravilnimi učinkovinami v skladu z GMP.
• Spodbujanje nenehnih izboljšav za povečanje produktivnosti in zanesljivosti, zmanjšanje stroškov in optimizacijo uporabe virov.
• Podpora pri uvajanju principov Lean, digitalizacije in odločanja na podlagi podatkov v proizvodne procese.
• Nadzor nad uspešno integracijo novih izdelkov, tehnologij in sprememb procesov v proizvodno okolje.

Kaj prinašate v to vlogo:

• Izobrazba: Magisterij iz biotehnologije, biologije, farmacevtskih ved ali sorodnega področja.
• Izkušnje v industriji: Najmanj 10 let izkušenj v proizvodnji biofarmacevtskih izdelkov ali na področju proizvodnih tehnologij, z obsežnimi izkušnjami v obsežnih operacijah.
• Strokovno znanje o bioprocesih: Globoko praktično znanje o kulturi sesalskih celic, čiščenju proteinov in obsežnem delovanju bioreaktorjev iz nerjavečega jekla – od začetne kulture do proizvodnje zdravilne učinkovine.
• Zanesljivost operacij in stroškovna učinkovitost: Izkušnje z orodji Opex za doseganje visoke proizvodne zanesljivosti in učinkovitosti oskrbe, ob hkratni optimizaciji stroškov.
• Skladnost z regulativo: Močno razumevanje globalnih regulativnih zahtev za GMP proizvodnjo, validacijo procesov, prenos tehnologij in prijave bioloških podobnih zdravil; sposobnost vodenja učinkovitih preiskav in sprejemanja znanstveno utemeljenih odločitev.
• Vodenje in medfunkcijsko sodelovanje: Dokazana sposobnost vodenja velikih ekip in sodelovanja med oddelki v matričnem, mednarodnem okolju.
• Komunikacija in upravljanje deležnikov: Jasna in vplivna komunikacija, veščine vodenja velikih ekip, deležnikov, regulativnih organov in globalnih partnerjev.
• Reševanje problemov in inovacije: Strateško razmišljanje z miselnostjo nenehnih izboljšav; sposobnost spodbujanja inovacij ob zagotavljanju skladnosti in operativne odličnosti.
• Jezikovne spretnosti: Tekoče znanje angleščine je obvezno; znanje lokalnega jezika je prednost, ni pa nujno.

Kaj nudimo?

Zaposlitev pri najuglednejšem delodajalcu v Sloveniji vam prinaša konkurenčen plačni paket, letni bonus, fleksibilen način dela z možnostjo prilagajanja urnika in delom od doma, pokojninsko shemo, shemo nagrajevanja in priznanja dosežkov, razširjeni program promocije zdravja na področju telesnega, duševnega in družbenega počutja (Polni življenja) ter dogodke, neomejene priložnosti za učenje in razvoj. 

Možne lokacije dela: Lendava

Z izbranim kandidatom bomo sklenili delovno razmerje za nedoločen čas in s poskusno dobo 6 mesecev. 

Prijave z življenjepisom v angleškem jeziku lahko oddate najkasneje do 6. decembra 2025 preko spletne povezave. 

Zakaj Sandoz in Lek?6

Generična in podobna biološka zdravila so hrbtenica svetovne industrije zdravil. Sandoz se je kot vodilni v tem sektorju lani dotaknil življenj skoraj 500 milijonov bolnikov. Na ta dosežek smo ponosni, a si želimo še več

Z naložbami v nove razvojne zmogljivosti, najsodobnejše proizvodne lokacije, nove pridobitve in partnerstva imamo priložnost oblikovati prihodnost Sandoza in Leka ter še večjemu številu bolnikov omogočiti trajnostni dostop do cenovno ugodnih in visokokakovostnih zdravil.

Naša zagon in podjetniški duh temeljita na odprti kulturi sodelovanja, katere srce so naši talentirani in ambiciozni sodelavci in sodelavke. V okolju, kjer je raznolikost dobrodošla in kjer se spodbuja osebna rast, imajo v zameno za uporabo svojih znanj, možnost v celoti izkusiti delo v agilnem in povezovalnem okolju in z možnostjo fleksibilnega in hibridnega dela razvijati svojo kariero.

Prihodnost je v naših rokah 

Predani smo raznolikosti in vključenosti:

Sandoz se zavzema za raznolikost, enake možnosti in vključenost. Prizadevamo si za oblikovanje raznolikih timov, saj ti predstavljajo naše bolnike in skupnosti, ki jih oskrbujemo.  

#BioRampUp #Sando

Skills Desired