Director, Manufacturing - Cell Therapy at AstraZeneca

Santa Monica, California, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

20 Feb, 26

Salary

244023.0

Posted On

22 Nov, 25

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

GMP Compliance, Batch Execution, Capacity Planning, Change Management, Financial Acumen, Budget Management, Cost Optimization, Lean Principles, Continuous Improvement, Tech Transfer, Scale-Up, Process Robustness, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Operational Excellence, Team Development, Strategic Vision, Hands-On Leadership

Industry

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Description

Are you ready to lead and shape the future of life-saving cell therapies? We are seeking a visionary and results-oriented Director of Cell Therapy Manufacturing to oversee and scale GMP manufacturing operations across our Santa Monica and Tarzana sites. This role offers a unique opportunity to make a direct impact on patients’ lives by delivering high-quality autologous and allogeneic cell therapy products globally. As a key member of the Site Leadership Team, you will combine strategic vision with hands-on leadership to build and sustain world-class operations. You will drive site readiness, operational excellence, and cross-functional collaboration to ensure safe, efficient, and compliant manufacturing of innovative therapies. What You’ll Do Lead end-to-end GMP manufacturing at both sites, delivering on clinical and commercial production goals. Drive a culture of accountability, safety, compliance, and quality, fostering ownership and excellence across teams. Translate enterprise manufacturing strategy into site-level execution, including new product introductions (NPIs), scale-up, and capacity expansions. Design and evolve site governance, organizational structures, and operational interfaces to support multi-product operations and a growing commercial pipeline. Contribute to global capacity planning, resource forecasting, and scenario-based planning. Lead operating model implementation across sites, including change management and effective communication. Partner across functions—MS&T, Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Regulatory Affairs—to ensure seamless tech transfers, scale-up, and process robustness. Champion Lean principles and continuous improvement, driving efficiency, throughput, and cost competitiveness. Ensure inspection readiness and support health authority interactions. Mentor and develop a high-performing team of manufacturing leaders, building succession readiness and a culture of engagement. Apply lessons learned across sites to support network standardization and continuous improvement initiatives. What We’re Looking For Education: Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Engineering, or related field; Master’s or MBA preferred. Experience: 10–15 years of progressive leadership in Cell/ Gene therapy manufacturing or GMP biologics, including multi-site or network exposure. Proven track record in clinical and commercial operations, tech transfer, scale-up, or launch readiness. Skills & Competencies Strategic thinker with a hands-on approach to execution. Deep expertise in GMP compliance, batch execution, capacity planning, and change management. Strong financial acumen and experience managing budgets and cost optimization. Experience leading operations through site build-outs, expansions, or digital transformation. Familiarity with MES, LIMS, and ERP systems in regulated manufacturing environments. Successful in matrixed, global organizations with cross-site responsibility. Why Join Us Make a tangible impact on patients’ lives worldwide. Lead and develop a dynamic, high-performing team. Drive innovative cell therapy manufacturing at the forefront of the industry. Collaborate across a cutting-edge, multi-site operation and influence the future of cell therapy production. If you’re ready to bring your leadership, vision, and expertise to a role that truly makes a difference, we want to hear from you. The annual base salary for this position ranges from $162,682.40 - $244,023.60. However, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition, our positions offer a short-term incentive bonus opportunity; eligibility to participate in our equity-based long-term incentive program (salaried roles), to receive a retirement contribution (hourly roles), and commission payment eligibility (sales roles). Our Benefits: Benefits offered include: A qualified retirement program [401(k) plan] Paid vacation, holidays, and paid leaves Health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans. Additional details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. #celltherapy #LI-Onsite Date Posted 21-Nov-2025 Closing Date 11-Dec-2025 Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form. AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-focused biopharmaceutical company. We focus on discovering, developing and commercialising prescription medicines for some of the world’s most serious diseases. But we are more than one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. At AstraZeneca, we’re dedicated to being a Great Place to Work. Where you are empowered to push the boundaries of science, challenge convention and unleash your entrepreneurial spirit. To embrace differences and take bold actions to drive the change needed to meet global healthcare and sustainability challenges. There is no better place to make a difference in medicine, patients, and society. An inclusive culture where you will connect different thinking to generate new and valuable opportunities. Where you will find a commitment to lifelong learning, growth and development for all. Our Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) mission is to create an inclusive and equitable environment where people belong, using the power of our diversity to push the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines to patients. Inclusion and diversity are fundamental to the success of our company, because innovation requires breakthrough ideas that only come from a diverse workforce empowered to challenge conventional thinking. We’re curious about science and the advancement of knowledge. We find creative ways to approach new challenges. We’re driven to make the right choices and be accountable for our actions. As an organisation centred around what makes us human, we put a big focus on people. Across our business, we want colleagues to wake up excited about their day at the office, in the field, or in the lab. Along with our purpose to bring life-changing medicines to people across the globe, we have a promise to you: to help you realise the full breadth of your potential. Here, you’ll do work that has the potential to change your life and improve countless others. And, together with your team, you’ll shape a culture that unites and inspires us every day. This is your life at AstraZeneca.

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end GMP manufacturing at both sites, ensuring safe, efficient, and compliant production of cell therapy products. Drive operational excellence and cross-functional collaboration to meet clinical and commercial production goals.