Director Production / Produktionsleiter (m/w/d) - Pharma

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.

At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

Your Role: Production Director/Produktionsleiter (m/w/d)

As a Production Director/Produktionsleiter, you will be a part of our production team.  In this role you’ll be responsible for managing the production department in our manufacturing site in Cuxhaven.

Your Responsibilities:

• Direct management of Process Team Leaders: Oversee and develop the Process Team Leaders and, indirectly, their respective teams in vaccine production

• Member of the site management team: Collaborate closely and trustfully with site leadership and cross-functional departments, co-shaping and executing the overall production strategy

• Strategic development of production processes: Initiate and implement improvement projects focused on operational excellence, digitalization, and innovation

• Ensure compliance with all GMP standards and regulatory requirements across the entire area of responsibility

• Responsible for capacity and resource planning, ongoing analysis and optimization of key process indicators (e.g., productivity, quality, cost)

• Review and approval of batch documentation, with overall responsibility for manufacturing instructions and SOPs

• Promote a high-performance, appreciative corporate culture and advance leadership capabilities of the Process Team Leaders in areas such as teamwork, feedback, and collaboration

• Serve as a reliable point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, e.g., Quality , Engineering

What You Need to Succeed:

• University degree (MSc or equivalent) in biology, (bio-)process engineering, chemistry, pharmacy, engineering sciences, or a comparable field

• Min. 7 years of experience in a strategic leadership role, ideally with direct management of other leaders (e.g., team leads/department heads) in the pharmaceutical or biotech sector

• Strong knowledge of vaccine production and regulatory requirements (GMP)

• Proven skills in stakeholder and change management, including introduction of improvement initiatives and digitalization projects

• Excellent German and English language skills, both spoken and written

• Outstanding leadership competencies: strategic mindset, passion for people management, empathy, assertiveness, and role model behavior

• Excellent organizational skills, self-motivation, and a solution-oriented, structured approach

What we can offer you:

• An attractive compensation package, including a performance-related bonus and participation in our stock program

• An interesting and varied working environment in a modern, growing, and global pharmaceutical company

• Plenty of room for initiative, flexibility, and new ideas

• Exciting development opportunities for your personal and professional growth

• Access to corporate fitness programs

• Subsidized meals

• Corporate Benefits schemes and discounts

• Employer-funded pension scheme for your future

• Regular team events to foster collaboration and engagement

• 30 vacation days per year to maintain work-life balance

Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status

Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.