Associate Director Parenteral Packaging & Delivery Systems

at  Novartis

SUMMARY

Are you looking for a challenging and rewarding career in pharmaceutical packaging development? Do you want to lead a team of talented and passionate packaging engineers and scientists who are responsible for the development of parenteral packaging containers and combination products to ensure that our delivery systems fulfill the highest customer expectations? If yes, then this is the opportunity for you! The Packaging Technology Solution Center is seeking the Group Head for Parenteral Packaging & Delivery Systems within the Global Device and Packaging Development (GDPD) department in Schaftenau, Austria. As Group Head, you will lead a team up to 10 packaging engineers and scientists who develop innovative packaging containers and combination products like vial kits, syringes, needle safety devices and cartridges. You will be part of the Packaging Technology Solution Center leadership team.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s, Master or PhD degree in engineering or material science or equivalent
• Minimum 7 years of experience working in a primary packaging containers / medical device and combination product; preferred in pharmaceutical area or similar
• Leading and influencing in global matrix organization; strong communication / negotiation skills & listener, actively reaching out, able to understand and connect across functions
• Mentors and inspires others to solve technical issues / problems
• Leads / co‐leads novel projects within the team
• Excellent skills in English, verbal and written. Other language skills, e.g., German are of advantage
• Experience in scientific, technical publications and to present topics / knowledge gained at external / internal conferences

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Build and lead the Parenteral Packaging & Delivery Systems Group in Schaftenau consisting of Packaging Engineers and Scientists by setting up people and assets, to best serve project needs according to priority, and ensure timely delivery of high-quality products.
• Closely collaborate and partner with the Parenteral Packaging Group Head and Team in Basel.
• Foster a culture of innovation, empowerment, trust, learning, diversity and inclusion and high performance.
• Provide strategic direction, coaching and mentoring to your group members, ensuring their professional development and performance.
• Responsible for needle safety devices, parenteral containers, syringe, cartridge, and vial-based packaging systems design including device accessories where applicable and timely delivery of technical aspects of all projects and LCM of commercial products.
• This includes ensuring work meets the relevant regulatory requirements and standards, is built on strong scientific and engineering rationale, and recorded accurately within the project documentation through Novartis documentation systems.
• Responsible for maintenance of up-to-date knowledge in the following areas: Materials (i.e., glass, polymers, rubbers, silicone/lubricants, sterile barrier systems, adhesives).
• Manufacturing processes (i.e., injection moulding, glass converting, rubber moulding, device assembly, fill & finish, transport validation).
• Ensures maintenance progression of development tools (rapid prototyping/ rapid tooling, technical drawings, tolerance stacks, statistics, modelling and simulation, CFD/FEA).
• Support internal & external audits on packaging and medical devices related matters and provide input to health authority questions.
• Additional mutually agreed roles defined by trainings assigned.