Sr. Director - Site Quality Lead
Elanco · Fort Dodge, IA
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Quality
- Travel
- 10%
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 10+ years
- Industry
- Pharma & life sciences
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level quality role at Elanco (pharma & life sciences) in Fort Dodge, IA. 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.
- They ask for
- 10+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- FDA / GMP, Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ)
- Day to day
- about 10% travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Quality Engineer roles in Iowa: typical posted base $88k–$112k.
Median of the low and high ends of 3 live postings that list pay, out of 9 quality engineer openings in Iowa, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Iowa plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 8 other live quality postings in Iowa.
- Experience asked
- More than usual (10+ vs 5+)
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Lean 44%
- ✓ FDA / GMP 33%
- Six Sigma 22%
- GD&T 22%
- AS9100 22%
- Supplier quality 22%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Quality team at Elanco
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Which standards drive the work here: ISO 13485, IATF 16949, AS9100?
- How much of the job is customer complaints versus prevention?
- The posting says about 10% travel. Between which sites?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Elanco in Fort Dodge
1 other open role at this site.
- Director, Technical Services/Manufacturing Science · Manufacturing · Director+
Full description from ElancoAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Your Role: Sr. Director, Site Quality Head
Provide strategic leadership and oversight for quality and compliance initiatives across Fort Dodge Vaccine Manufacturing, Quality Control, and Site Contract Manufacturers to support the global distribution of the product portfolio.
Your
Responsibilities
- ◆Strategic Leadership: Establish global quality and compliance strategies for biological vaccines, providing site-level leadership to drive operational improvements and define validation policies.
- ◆Regulatory Compliance & Liaison: Serve as the primary liaison between Corporate QA and Regulatory Affairs, managing regulatory inspections and ensuring technical compliance across US and global markets.
- ◆QA/QC Operational Oversight: Direct all biological Quality Assurance and Quality Control functions, including budget management, vendor certifications, and the testing and release of components and finished products.
- ◆Product Safety & Surveillance: Lead the global investigation of all product quality complaints and adverse events to ensure continued product safety and regulatory adherence.
- ◆Standards & Training: Maintain rigorous Elanco quality standards and direct regulatory training programs for operations teams to ensure organizational compliance and excellence.
to Succeed (minimum qualifications)
- ✓Education : Bachelor’s degree in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, virology or science-related field.
- ✓10+ years’ experience in a commercial pharmaceutical and/or vaccine manufacturing environment and 5+ years’ leadership experience in directing employees, projects and business/functions
- ✓Demonstrated competency developing partnerships with regulatory authorities to amiably resolve quality & compliance issues.
- ✓Sound business acumen to include previous budget process design and management.
What will give you a competitive edge (preferred qualifications)
- ✓Advanced degree
- ✓Understanding of USDA, FDA, 9CFR, Australian, Canadian and EU GMP regulatory requirements.
- ✓Versatility in conflict resolution, problem solving and working with cross functional teams. Sound business acumen and strategic mindset required.
- ✓Ability to network and build strong, collaborative relationships across functions / geographies.
- ✓Strong mentoring and coaching skills.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
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!
Additional Information
- •Travel: 10%
- •Onsite Location: Ft. Dodge, IA Manufacturing Facility
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrecognized groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!
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.