Site Operational Excellence Lead

Evotec · Toulouse

We’re excited to share this opportunity is part of the Sandoz acquisition of Just-Evotec Biologics in Toulouse. Through this opportunity you will impact the lives of hundreds of millions of people through bold ideas supported by an inclusive, agile company culture. Join us to help make healthcare fairer and faster, help us to pioneer access to medicine! Click to learn more.

Site Operational Excellence Lead is accountable to drive continuous improvement and operational excellence initiatives, enhancing manufacturing and business processes, efficiency, effectiveness, and reducing waste. Ensures the achievement of site performance targets while increasing OpEx proficiency across the site. The role acts as a change champion and facilitates transformation. In particular Site Perfomance & Operational Excellence Lead will support the deployment of the Toulouse Target Operating Model (TOM) and Site Performance System, ensuring sustainable performance improvement, productivity gains, and operational excellence. The role is accountable for implementing SQDCP management routines across all organizational levels, delivering the site's VSM/OPEX roadmap, and enabling a annual productivity improvement of 5-10% while supporting GMP readiness, PPQ execution and commercial manufacturing readiness.

Major Accountabilities

Site Perfomance & Operational Excellence Lead the transformation of site performance by embedding Operational Excellence principles across all functions and organizational levels. Drive execution excellence, performance management, and continuous improvement to ensure sustainable achievement of business, quality, compliance, HSE, and operational objectives.

The role is instrumental in establishing a high-performance culture through the deployment of robust performance management systems, including SQDCP governance, visual management, tiered accountability, problem-solving capabilities, and disciplined execution routines. The incumbent partners with site leadership and cross-functional teams to translate strategic objectives into measurable operational results.

A key responsibility is the development and execution of the site's long-term Operational Excellence roadmap, including implementation of the Target Operating Model (TOM), Value Stream Management (VSM), productivity improvement programs, and organizational capability building. The role ensures that Lean, Six Sigma, and Change Management methodologies are effectively applied to accelerate operational maturity and deliver sustainable performance improvements.

The position leads site-wide initiatives focused on:

Productivity and efficiency improvement

· Operational reliability and performance stability

· Safety, GMP and compliance-by-design practices

· End-to-end value stream optimization

· Cost competitiveness and waste elimination

· Continuous improvement culture and capability development

The incumbent is expected to identify, prioritize, and execute value creation initiatives that deliver measurable business impact (P&L relevant), supporting annual productivity improvements of approximately 5% to 10% and contributing to the site's long-term competitiveness and growth objectives.

This is a site-specific leadership role with accountability for driving strategic transformation initiatives, strengthening operational capabilities, and ensuring successful execution of the site's business priorities and future growth ambition.

1. Site Performance Transformation & Operational Excellence

Lead the deployment of the Toulouse Operational Excellence and Performance Transformation roadmap to support GMP readiness, commercial operations, network integration, and long-term site competitiveness.
Design and implement the site's Target Operating Model (TOM), ensuring clear governance, accountability, decision-making processes, and performance routines across all functions.
Deploy and sustain SQDCP performance management at all organizational levels, from shopfloor teams to Site Leadership Team.
Drive the implementation of visual management, tiered meetings, escalation processes, problem-solving methodologies, and performance review routines.
Lead Value Stream Management initiatives across Manufacturing, Quality Control, Warehouse, MS&T, Engineering, and supporting functions.
Identify and execute productivity improvement opportunities supporting the site's ambition to deliver sustainable year-on-year efficiency gains.
Support rapid performance recovery initiatives when required, including deviation backlog reduction, operational stabilization, GMP readiness actions, inspection preparedness, and operational excellence acceleration programs.
Ensure operational excellence principles are embedded in daily management rather than treated as standalone improvement projects.

2. Performance Management & Business Execution

Establish and maintain a robust site performance management system aligned with Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, People, and Sustainability objectives.
Partner with functional leaders to define meaningful standard KPIs, targets, and performance improvement plans. Analyze operational performance data and identify performance gaps, risks, trends, and opportunities for improvement.
Drive accountability through regular performance reviews and fact-based decision-making.
Support the Site Leadership Team in translating strategic priorities into actionable improvement roadmaps and measurable outcomes.
Develop site-wide visibility on critical business, GMP, supply, and operational performance indicators.
Embrace existing and emerging digital technology and data analysis

3. Continuous Improvement & Productivity

Lead high-impact cross-functional improvement initiatives focused on productivity, capacity, flow, efficiency, reliability, and waste reduction.
Facilitate Value Stream Mapping, Gemba activities, Kaizen events, root-cause analysis workshops, and operational problem-solving sessions.
Drive end-to-end process improvements across the site rather than isolated functional optimizations.
Collaborate with Finance to quantify, track, and validate benefits generated through improvement initiatives.
Develop and maintain the site's Productivity Roadmap and Value Creation Portfolio.

4. Leadership Capability & Change Management

Coach leaders at all levels in Operational Excellence principles, structured problem solving, performance management, and continuous improvement.
Support managers in building engaged, accountable, and high-performing teams.
Lead organizational change management activities associated with site transformation initiatives.
Foster a culture of ownership, transparency, continuous learning, and operational discipline.
Build internal Operational Excellence capabilities and identify future champions within the organization.

5. Strategic Projects & Transformation Programs

Lead or support strategic site transformation initiatives, ensuring alignment between business objectives, resources, risks, and implementation plans.
Provide project governance support for major site priorities including technology transfers, capacity expansion, GMP readiness initiatives, and operational transformation programs.
Ensure effective cross-functional coordination and escalation management for critical site programs.
Support leaders in prioritizing resources and improvement initiatives based on business impact and strategic importance.

6. Compliance, Quality & Sustainability

Ensure all improvement initiatives fully support GMP, Quality, HSE, and regulatory requirements.
Promote a compliant-by-design and quality-by-design mindset within operational excellence activities.
Use performance data and operational insights to improve compliance, inspection readiness, and risk management.
Support the integration of sustainability objectives into site operational performance and continuous improvement activities.

7. Stakeholder Management & Network Collaboration

Serve as a strategic partner to the Site Head and Site Leadership Team on performance transformation and operational excellence matters.
Collaborate with global functions, Operational Excellence communities, and network sites to share best practices and leverage internal expertise.
Provide clear communication on site performance, transformation progress, risks, and achievements.
Represent Toulouse in network Operational Excellence forums and contribute to the development of best practices across the organization.

Key Performance Indicators

Platform Compelling Business Needs
OpEx pipeline
SBS milestones achievement
People capability building plans achievement. On Time Certification.
Delivery of annual site productivity targets (5-10% efficiency improvement)
Measurable improvements in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and People performance
Reduction of operational inefficiencies, deviations and performance losses

Number of Associates:

Direct reports: 1
Indirect influence across all site functions (Manufacturing, MS&T, Quality, QC, Engineering, Supply Chain, Warehouse, HSE and Support Functions)

Financial responsibility

Works with Finance to validate and track business benefits generated through transformation and continuous improvement initiatives.

Impact on the organisation

High

Responsible for driving site-wide performance transformation and Operational Excellence deployment to support GMP readiness, commercial operations, and long-term competitiveness.

Ideal Background

Education:

Required : Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Biotechnology, Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline.
Preferred : Master's Degree in Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, or Operational Excellence related fields.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification (Black Belt preferred) or equivalent experience
Formal training in Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, Project Management, or Change Management methodologies.

Languages:

Fluent English required; French is a strong advantage.

Experience and Skills:

Advanced knowledge and practical application of Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence, Value Stream Management, and Continuous Improvement in a regulated GMP environment.

Why Sandoz?

Generic and Biosimilar medicines are the backbone of the global medicines industry. Sandoz, a leader in this sector, provided more than 900 million patient treatments across 100+ countries in 2024 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!

FR : Dans le cadre de sa politique Diversité, Evotec étudie, à compétences égales, toutes les candidatures dont celles des personnes en situation de handicap.

ENG : In the frame of our Diversity policy, Evotec considers, with equal competences, all applications including people with disabilities.

More jobs at Evotec · Operations jobs in Toulouse