Senior Director, Business Operations & Portfolio Controls

Genentech · South San Francisco, CA

Level: Director+
Team: Controls
Base pay: $189k–$352k
Degree: Required
Experience asked: 15+ years
Industry: Pharma & life sciences
Posted: 30+ days ago

The role in 30 seconds

A director-level controls role at Genentech (pharma & life sciences) in South San Francisco, CA. In this pivotal role, you will be accountable for enterprise‑level workplace delivery systems and tools, integration of data, processes, and digital capabilities to support decision‑making and strategic planning, and overall business operations excellence.

They ask for: 15+ years · degree required
Tools it names: Tooling
Base pay: $189k–$352k
Day to day: relocation help

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026

Controls Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $127k–$179k. This one lists $189k–$352k.

Median of the low and high ends of 66 live postings that list pay, out of 122 controls engineer openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 121 other live controls postings in California.

Base pay: About 79% above similar roles
Experience asked: More than usual (15+ vs 5+)

Skills these teams ask for most

Automation 67%
Robotics 44%
PLC 43%
Python 34%
Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 34%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

It asks for 15+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone doing this work there first.

At a glance

Promotion path mentionedRelocation help

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 Controls team at Genentech
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?
- 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: Genentech in South San Francisco

3 other open roles at this site.

Lead Automation Engineer, Autonomous Lab Science & Technology · Controls · Manager
QMS Process Engineer · Process
Product Engineering Manager - Commercial Pharma US Targeting, Recommendation, Optimization and Measurement · Manufacturing · Manager

Full description from GenentechAs posted on their careers site.Show

Key Responsibilities

◆Define and maintain the business operations and portfolio controls strategy for Workplace Delivery, ensuring alignment with the overall workplace and campus vision.
◆Build and lead integrated Business Operations and Portfolio Controls teams, bringing together subject matter experts in project controls, estimating, scheduling, capital governance, safety, and business process design.
◆Define and maintain standardized business processes across Workplace Delivery (e.g., intake, prioritization, approval workflows, change control, risk management, financial approvals, and close‑out).
◆Oversee the Portfolio Controls function that embeds industry best practices for estimating, scheduling, cost control, and risk management across the Workplace Delivery portfolio.
◆Lead the digital enablement strategy for Workplace Delivery in coordination with Campus Development and IT, including program dashboards, analytics platforms, and integration with Building Information Modeling (BIM) and asset management tools.
◆Collaborate with Procurement to align contract structures, vendor selection, and payment terms with Workplace Delivery’s portfolio controls and governance requirements.
◆Identify, assess, and proactively mitigate risks across Workplace Delivery, developing contingency plans to preserve business continuity.
◆Lead the definition and delivery of annual business outcomes for Workplace Delivery Business Operations & Portfolio Controls, ensuring alignment with Site Services, Finance, and enterprise objectives.
◆Oversee business services that support Workplace Delivery operations (e.g., administrative support, reporting cadence, tooling, standard templates), ensuring they enable consistent, high‑quality execution.

Who You Are

✓Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Organizational Systems, Architecture, Planning, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, or related field.
✓Graduate degree in Business, Engineering/Systems, Architecture/Planning, Real Estate, or a relevant discipline is highly desirable.
✓PMI or equivalent Project Management certification is highly desirable; IACCM or similar contract management certification is a plus.
✓15+ years of experience in systems environment, engineering, construction, and/or project management.
✓5+ years in senior project services, portfolio controls, or business operations leadership roles, ideally in complex corporate or campus environments.
✓Proven track record establishing and leading project controls, portfolio management, and/or business operations functions for large portfolios and major capital programs.
✓Experience delivering large projects (>USD 50M) or programs (>USD 100m aggregate) in complex campus or industrial environments.
✓Significant experience in corporate engineering, large engineering/construction management organizations, or real estate/campus development functions.
✓Biotech/pharmaceutical experience and sound knowledge of and equivalent industry regulations strongly preferred.

Show full description ↓

The Position

Why Genentech

We’re passionate about delivering on Our Promise to improve the lives of patients and create healthier communities for all. We foster a culture of inclusivity, integrity and creativity while boldly pursuing answers to the world’s most complex health challenges and transforming society.

The Position

Genentech is establishing a strategically focused Workplace Delivery Team responsible for the end‑to‑end delivery of all workplace solutions for the South San Francisco campus and key satellite sites. Within this function, Business Operations and Portfolio Controls are critical enablers of disciplined execution, financial integrity, and operational excellence.

We are seeking a visionary, enterprise‑minded senior leader to lead Business Operations and Portfolio Controls within Workplace Delivery. This strategic and operational role is responsible for designing the business operations architecture and ensuring its effective implementation across a large, complex portfolio of workplace projects and programs.

The Opportunity

In this pivotal role, you will be accountable for enterprise‑level workplace delivery systems and tools, integration of data, processes, and digital capabilities to support decision‑making and strategic planning, and overall business operations excellence, ensuring standardized, scalable processes and governance.

Additionally, you’ll provide a robust, data-driven backbone for Workplace Delivery strategy and execution, act as a strategic integrator of systems, controls, and governance, and shape and continuously improve the enabling infrastructure.

Location

•This position is based in South San Francisco, CA campus
•Relocation assistance is not available at this time.

Benefits