Manager, Operations Strategy & Excellence

Thermo Fisher Scientific · Morrisville

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Job Description

Job Description: Manager, Operations Strategy & Excellence
Department: Operations Strategy & Excellence

Thermo Fisher Scientific

As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you'll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond by developing solutions for some of the world's toughest challenges, like protecting the environment, making sure our food is safe or helping find cures for cancer.

This role supports the Biologicals & Chemicals Division and Production Chemicals and Services (PCS) business unit, operating within a highly regulated cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice), cGDP (Current Good Distribution Practice), and cGTP (Current Good Transportation Practice) environment.

Position Summary

The Manager, Operations Strategy & Excellence is responsible for defining and advancing the long-term Operations operating model while driving operational excellence, digital transformation, and continuous improvement across the PCS network. The role serves as the Supply Chain &Operations Center of Excellence (CoE), partnering with Operations, Commercial, Customer Operations, Supplier Strategy, Corporate Procurement, Corporate Logistics, Quality, IT, and Finance to improve service, efficiency, scalability, and resilience.

This position leads the development of supply chain and operations strategies, process governance, analytics, digital capabilities, operational master data, and enterprise improvement initiatives. The Manager ensures standardized processes, performance measurement, and best practices are deployed consistently across the organization while enabling future business growth.

Key Responsibilities

Supply Chain / Operations Strategy

Develop the long-term supply chain operating model that improves customer service, operational resilience, productivity, and business growth.

• Develop and deploy the supply chain strategy aligned with business objectives.
• Build and maintain the supply chain capability roadmap.
• Lead network optimization and material flow strategy.
• Identify opportunities to improve inventory performance and working capital.
• Develop supply chain technology, digital, and automation roadmaps supporting operational excellence.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices.
• Support strategic initiatives, acquisitions, product launches, and business expansion.
• Ensure strategic initiatives deliver measurable business value.
• Develop supply chain capability maturity assessments.
• Support supply chain due diligence for acquisitions and business expansion.

Business Process Excellence

Establish standardized, scalable, and compliant operational processes across the end-to-end supply chain.

• Own the business process architecture and governance framework across the end-to-end supply chain, including process ownership, standards, and accountability.
• Develop governance for standard operating procedures, work instructions, and operational standards.
• Establish documentation strategy and governance.
• Drive process harmonization across sites and business functions.
• Identify process gaps and implement sustainable improvements.
• Lead cross-functional process reviews and governance forums.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, quality, and operational requirements.
• Integrate Lean principles into standardized business processes.

Performance & Business Analytics

Provide actionable business intelligence that improves operational performance, customer service, and executive decision-making.

• Establish supply chain KPI governance and performance standards.
• Develop executive dashboards and operational scorecards.
• Lead operational analytics supporting service, inventory, productivity, and cost performance.
• Perform benchmarking to identify improvement opportunities.
• Conduct cost-to-serve, capacity, and operational performance analysis.
• Support business reviews through data-driven insights and recommendations.
• Promote data-driven decision making across the organization.
• Define reporting standards and analytical methodologies.
• Define KPI ownership and reporting governance.
• Develop predictive analytics and business insights supporting proactive decision making.

Continuous Improvement & Digital Transformation

Drive a culture of continuous improvement through Lean, digital technologies, and operational excellence.

• Lead the Supply Chain Lean/PPI program.
• Facilitate Kaizen events and Value Stream Mapping initiatives.
• Identify and eliminate operational waste and process variation.
• Lead process engineering and material flow optimization projects.
• Sponsor digital transformation and automation initiatives.
• Share best practices across sites and business functions.
• Drive operational productivity, quality, customer service, and cost performance through Lean, digital technologies, and automation.
• Measure and sustain improvement benefits through governance and performance management.

Operational Master Data Governance

Ensure operational master data is accurate, standardized, and governed to enable reliable supply chain execution and business analytics.

• Establish governance for operational master data.
• Define data ownership, standards, and maintenance processes.
• Govern Material Master, Warehouse Master, Planning Parameters, Routing Standards, and Transportation & Logistics Parameters.
• Improve operational data quality and integrity.
• Support ERP implementations, system enhancements, and digital initiatives.
• Develop data governance policies and auditing processes.
• Partner with IT to improve business systems and data architecture.
• Ensure master data supports standardized supply chain execution.

Enterprise Collaboration

Partner across the organization to improve end-to-end performance.

• Collaborate with Supplier Strategy and Corporate Procurement on supply chain strategies and supplier capability improvements.
• Partner with Corporate Logistics on network optimization and transportation strategy.
• Support Supply Execution & Integration during major supply disruptions.
• Partner with Distribution Operations to improve warehouse processes and operational efficiency.
• Collaborate with Quality, EHS, Customer Operations, IT, and Finance on enterprise initiatives.
• Lead organizational change management supporting strategic initiatives and operational transformation.
• Act as the Supply Chain Center of Excellence supporting operational functions across the organization.
• Provide strategic and analytical support to Operations and Commercial leadership.

People Leadership

Develop a high-performing Operations Excellence organization.

• Lead and develop Supply Chain Excellence professionals.
• Establish team priorities, objectives, and development plans.
• Foster technical expertise, innovation, and collaboration.
• Coach project leadership, problem-solving, and analytical capability.
• Promote Thermo Fisher 4i Values and Leadership Behaviors.
• Build organizational capability through mentoring and knowledge sharing.

Business Leadership

Support long-term business success through strategic leadership.

• Translate business strategy into operational capability.
• Lead strategic improvement initiatives across the network.
• Influence cross-functional decision making through analytics and business insight.
• Drive organizational alignment and operational governance.
• Support succession planning and capability development across Operations.

Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned, consistent with business needs and the general scope of the position.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business, Operations Management, or related field.

Leadership Experience

• 5+ years of progressive leadership experience in supply chain, operations, or continuous improvement.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects and organizational change.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and lead without direct authority.

Technical Expertise

• 8+ years of progressive experience in supply chain, operations, logistics, distribution, process excellence, or continuous improvement.
• Experience with supply chain strategy, process improvement, and digital transformation.
• Experience with ERP, business intelligence, and digital supply chain systems.
• Experience within regulated manufacturing or life sciences environments preferred.

Professional Skills

• Supply Chain Strategy
• Process Design & Governance
• Lean / PPI
• Value Stream Mapping
• Business Analytics
• KPI Development
• Inventory Optimization
• Digital Supply Chain
• Project & Change Management
• Master Data Governance
• Power BI and Business Intelligence
• Strong communication and executive presentation skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree (MBA, Supply Chain, Engineering, or Operations)
• APICS CPIM, CSCP, or CLTD
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
• PMP certification
• Experience leading ERP, WMS, automation, or digital transformation initiatives
• Experience with AI, advanced analytics, or supply chain optimization tools

Working Conditions

The Manager, Operations Strategy & Excellence performs work primarily within an office environment while regularly interacting with distribution, warehouse, and other regulated operational areas. The role requires adherence to applicable safety, quality, cGMP, cGDP, cGTP, and Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) requirements.

The position may require:

• Extended periods of computer-based work, meetings, data analysis, and communication with internal and external stakeholders.
• Periodic presence within warehouse, distribution, controlled storage, and regulated operational environments.
• Use of required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when entering operational or controlled areas.
• Compliance with site-specific safety, quality, security, and regulatory requirements.
• Occasional travel between sites, suppliers, or business locations based on operational needs.
• Flexibility to support supply disruptions, customer recovery activities, business continuity events, or other urgent operational requirements outside standard working hours.
• Participation in required safety, quality, regulatory, systems, and leadership training.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and respond effectively in a dynamic, customer-focused operational environment.
  
  

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