Vice President Operations

Senior Director / Vice President, Site Operations

Kelly® Science & Clinical is seeking a Senior Director / Vice President, Site Operations for a direct‑hire position at a cutting‑edge Client in Seal Beach, CA. If you’re passionate about bringing the latest scientific discoveries to life and are ready to take the next step in your career, trust The Experts at Hiring Experts.

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Salary: $200-270k  

Bonus potential  

Schedule: M-F Onsite

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Overview

The Client is an industry‑leading organization transforming the battle against cancer with innovative, personalized immunotherapy solutions. Their flagship work includes technologies leveraging a patient’s own immune system to fight disease.  

In this role, you will lead U.S. site operations for the Client’s commercial manufacturing facilities, providing strategic oversight, operational excellence, and cross‑functional alignment to meet production goals, quality standards, and business performance targets. This position offers broad strategic leadership across manufacturing, technical operations, quality, engineering, supply chain, and supporting functions.

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Responsibilities

• Ensure business processes, procedures, and resources are in place to compliantly, safely, and effectively manufacture the Client’s immunotherapy and other biotech products.
• Represent technical operations at the Steering Committee level and interface with external clients and regulatory bodies as needed.
• Manage technical operations across the Client’s commercial manufacturing sites and contracted manufacturing partners.
• Lead site EHS&S teams to maintain safety standards aligned with corporate programs.
• Collaborate across departments to ensure compliance with cGMP requirements for clinical and commercial manufacturing.
• Support audits and inspections by external customers and regulatory agencies.
• Develop and achieve enterprise and site performance goals; lead reviews of manufacturing, safety, engineering, quality, and materials metrics.
• Oversee department and site budgets, including cost of goods (COGS).
• Lead planning and execution of technical programs and corporate initiatives.
• Provide strong leadership; coach, develop, and retain talent across all levels.
• Build and maintain cross‑functional partnerships across Operations, Technical Operations, Supply Chain, Research, Manufacturing Sciences, Regulatory, and additional teams.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

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Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Engineering, or a related field required; advanced degree (MS, MBA, PhD) strongly preferred.
• 10–15 years of progressive experience in the pharmaceutical, biotech, or life sciences industry with a strong background in cGMP‑compliant manufacturing.
• 7–10+ years of leadership experience managing cross‑functional teams and multi‑site operations.
• Experience working with ADC (Antibody‑Drug Conjugate) programs within CDMO environments, including oversight of development, scale‑up, and GMP manufacturing activities required.

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• Proven experience leading large‑scale operational initiatives in regulated environments.
• Demonstrated success managing operational metrics, driving performance improvements, and managing COGS or departmental budgets.
• Experience with regulatory inspections and audits, including work with external manufacturing partners.
• Strong working knowledge of cGMPs, aseptic processing, quality systems, and environmental health and safety regulations.
• Skilled in strategic planning, team development, change management, and cross‑functional collaboration.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and presentation skills; comfortable engaging with senior executives, regulators, and cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Able to thrive in a fast‑paced environment and effectively navigate ambiguity.

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Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

• Travel required.
• Work takes place in laboratory, office, or utility (noisy) environments.
• Must be able to work near manufacturing areas with exposure to blood, blood products, or other potentially infectious materials while using required PPE.

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What Happens Next

Once you apply, you’ll proceed to the next steps if your skills and experience appear to be a strong match. Even if this particular role isn’t the right fit, you’ll remain in our network, giving our team of Science & Clinical recruiting experts access to your profile for future opportunities.