Curia
Associate Director, Operational Excellence
- Compensation
- Not disclosed
- Location
- Springfield, MO, United States
- Work setup
- Not specified
- Seniority
- Not specified
- Employment
- Contract
- Experience
- Not specified
- Category
- Not specified
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- Bachelor’s degree in science, engineering, operations, business, or a related field.
- At least eight years of progressive experience leading operational excellence, continuous improvement, manufacturing excellence, or performance transformation initiatives in a manufacturing environmen
- At least two years of experience in a formal leadership or management role.
- Demonstrated success using Lean, Six Sigma, or comparable structured improvement methods to deliver measurable and sustainable business results.
- Experience leading complex, cross-functional projects from problem definition through implementation and sustainment.
- Demonstrated ability to influence leaders and employees without relying solely on direct reporting authority.
- Experience supporting organizational change, developing employee capability, and improving management systems.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to interpret operational data, identify trends, determine root causes, and translate findings into action.
- Strong project-management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a changing environment.
- Excellent written, verbal, facilitation, and presentation skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and other tools used for data analysis, reporting, project management, and performance tracking.
Nice to have
- Experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemical, or another highly regulated manufacturing environment.
- Experience supporting site remediation, operational turnaround, inspection readiness, or significant organizational transformation.
- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, change-management certification, Project Management Professional certification, or comparable credentials.
- Experience implementing OEE, tiered accountability, daily management, visual management, or leader standard work.
- Working knowledge of cGMP requirements and pharmaceutical quality systems.
Full description
Associate Director, Operational Excellence in Springfield, MO
Build your future at Curia, where our work has the power to save lives
Curia is a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with over 30 years of experience partnering with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to provide life-saving treatments to patients. At Curia, we are on a mission to advance our customers’ therapies from curiosity to cure and ultimately to improve patients’ lives.
We proudly offer
- Generous benefit options (eligible first day of employment)
- Paid training, vacation and holidays (vacation accrual begins on first day of employment)
- Career advancement opportunities
- Education reimbursement
- 401K program with matching contributions
- Learning platform
- And more!
Essential ResponsibilitiesOperational Excellence Strategy and Site Remediation
- Partner with the Site Leadership Team to develop and execute an operational excellence strategy aligned with site remediation priorities, business objectives, and customer commitments.
- Translate site goals into focused improvement plans with clear objectives, ownership, timelines, performance measures, and governance.
- Conduct operational assessments and diagnostics to identify risks, performance gaps, process inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement.
- Support the development and implementation of effective management systems, standard work, escalation processes, and performance routines.
- Ensure improvement efforts strengthen operational readiness, compliance, reliability, and the site’s ability to consistently execute the production schedule.
- Partner with Quality and other functional leaders to ensure operational improvements support cGMP requirements, inspection readiness, and sustainable remediation outcomes.
Continuous Improvement and Performance
- Lead projects that improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, capacity, productivity, and employee engagement.
- Establish and mature the site’s Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) program to identify, prioritize, and reduce sources of production loss.
- Use data and structured problem-solving methods to identify root causes, evaluate solutions, and drive measurable business results.
- Facilitate value stream mapping, process mapping, root cause analysis, and other improvement activities to simplify workflows and eliminate waste.
- Apply Lean, Six Sigma, 5S, visual management, and other appropriate tools based on the needs of the process and organization.