We are looking for a visionary and execution-driven Director of Cell Therapy Manufacturing to lead and scale GMP manufacturing operations across our Santa Monica and Tarzana sites overseeing clinical and commercial manufacturing of autologous and/or allogeneic cell therapy products. You will be both strategic and hands-on—accountable for building and sustaining world-class operations that deliver high-quality, life-saving cell therapies to patients globally.

You will be responsible for site readiness, operational execution, team leadership, and cross-functional integration to ensure delivery of safe, high-quality therapies to patients.

The Director will be an important member of the Site Leadership Team, driving network readiness, operational excellence, and cross-site alignment to support an expanding clinical and commercial pipeline. You will report to General Manager of Santa Monica and Tarzana location site.

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end GMP manufacturing across Santa Monica and Tarzana sites, ensuring execution of clinical and commercial production goals.
Improve accountability for safety, compliance, and product quality while promoting a culture of excellence and ownership.
Translate enterprise manufacturing strategy into site-level execution, ensuring seamless integration of new product introductions (NPIs), scale-up activities, and capacity expansions.
Design and evolve site governance, organizational structures, roles, and interfaces to support growth, multi-product operations, and a scaling commercial pipeline.
Contribute to global capacity planning through modeling, resource forecasting, and scenario-based planning.
Lead operating model implementation across both sites, including change management, communication, and team agreement.
Be a voice in long-range planning (LRP), network optimization, and facility readiness plans.
Use data and operating model to inform strategic decisions on staffing, capacity, and technology deployment.
Lead and mentor a high-performing team of manufacturing leaders; build leadership bench strength and succession readiness.
Cultivate a high-engagement environment through empowerment, recognition, and performance management.
Partner with MS&T, Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Regulatory Affairs to lead seamless tech transfers, scale-up, and process robustness.
Champion Lean principles and continuous improvement across both sites—driving efficiency, cost competitiveness, and throughput gains.
Ensure inspection readiness and support health authority interactions (e.g., PAI, HA responses).
Identify and mitigate risks through deviation management, CAPA oversight, and quality culture reinforcement.
Apply lessons learned across sites and contribute to network standardization and continuous improvement efforts.

Education And Experience

Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences, Engineering, or related field; Master's or MBA.
10–15 years of progressive leadership experience in GMP biologics or cell/gene therapy manufacturing, with multi-site or network exposure.
Experience leading clinical and commercial operations through scale-up, tech transfer, or launch readiness.

Leadership & Technical Skills

Enterprise mindset with a balance of strategic thinking and hands-on execution.
Expertise in GMP compliance, batch execution, capacity planning, and change management.
Financial and business acumen; experience with budget ownership and cost optimization.
Experience leading operations during site build-out, expansion, or digital transformation.
Familiarity with MES, LIMS, and ERP platforms in a regulated manufacturing environment.
Prior success working in a matrixed global organization with cross-site responsibility.

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $162,682.40 - $244,023.60. However, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition, our positions offer a short-term incentive bonus opportunity; eligibility to participate in our equity-based long-term incentive program (salaried roles), to receive a retirement contribution (hourly roles), and commission payment eligibility (sales roles).

Our Benefits

Benefits offered include:

A qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]
Paid vacation, holidays, and paid leaves
Health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans. Additional details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.

#celltherapy

Date Posted

26-Jun-2025

Closing Date

24-Jul-2025Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.

AstraZeneca

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