Director Non-Sterile Operations
Thermo Fisher Scientific · Greenville, NC
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Production
- Travel
- 25%
- Degree
- Required (or equivalent experience)
- Experience asked
- 10+ years
- Industry
- Pharma & life sciences
- Posted
- 23 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level production role at Thermo Fisher Scientific (pharma & life sciences) in Greenville, NC. As part of the Drug Product Division (DPD), the Greenville, North Carolina site is a multi-purpose pharmaceutical development, manufacturing, and packaging campus.
- They ask for
- 10+ years · degree required (or equivalent experience)
- Tools it names
- CAPA, FDA / GMP, Packaging lines
- Day to day
- about 25% travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Production Engineer roles in North Carolina: typical posted base $98k–$145k.
Median of the low and high ends of 7 live postings that list pay, out of 35 production engineer openings in North Carolina, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
North Carolina plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 34 other live production postings in North Carolina.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (10+ vs 8+)
Typical $98k–$145k, from 6 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 8+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Lean 51%
- Team leadership 40%
- Six Sigma 29%
- EHS / safety 23%
- Root cause 20%
- Automation 20%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for CAPA, Packaging lines, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with 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 Production team at Thermo Fisher Scientific
We found 1 person at this company and state: 1 in this kind of role. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See 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.
Write to Beth → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- The posting says about 25% travel. Between which sites?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
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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: Thermo Fisher Scientific in Greenville
11 other open roles at this site · 1 person we found in production roles at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
- Quality Specialist II - Complaints · Quality · Specialist
- Senior Operational Excellence and Digital Specialist · Lean / CI · Senior
- Quality specialist III · Quality · Senior
- Sr. Mfg. Equipment Maintenance Technician (Steriles South) 12hr nights (2-3-2 rotation) · Reliability · Technician
- Engineer III, Validation · Quality · Senior
- Director, Steriles Operations · Production · Director+
Full description from Thermo Fisher ScientificAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Position Summary
The Director, Non-Sterile Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for non-sterile manufacturing operations, with primary accountability for packaging, inspection, and device assembly, including Auto Injector Assembly. The role also oversees Oral Solid Dose (OSD) and Continuous Manufacturing (CM) platforms as part of the site’s non-sterile portfolio.
This position ensures the safe, compliant, and efficient execution of manufacturing and packaging activities from development through commercialization. The Director drives operational excellence and continuous improvement while partnering cross-functionally to deliver performance across safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people in alignment with evolving site priorities and growth platforms.
Key Responsibilities
- ◆Lead and oversee non-sterile operations with primary focus on primary and secondary packaging, inspection, and Auto Injector Assembly, while maintaining operational excellence across OSD and Continuous Manufacturing platforms.
- ◆Own operational performance across safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people, driving accountability and measurable results.
- ◆Strengthen packaging, inspection, device assembly, OSD, and CM capabilities through operational rigor, process robustness, and appropriate technology enablement.
- ◆Ensure sustained cGMP compliance through strong quality systems, documentation practices, investigations, CAPA, and risk management.
- ◆Support technology transfer, scale-up, and commercialization activities across packaging, device assembly, OSD, and CM programs.
- ◆Develop high-performing teams and foster a culture of engagement, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Qualifications
- ✓Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or related field (or equivalent experience).
- ✓10+ years of progressive operations leadership experience in pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical manufacturing, including sterile manufacturing in a regulated environment.
- ✓Demonstrated experience in a cGMP-regulated environment, including strong understanding of regulations governing sterile injectable packaging, combination products, and medical device manufacturing (e.g., FDA 21 CFR Parts 210/211, 820, EU GMP, and applicable ISO standards).
- ✓Experience with automated assembly systems, high-speed packaging lines, continuous manufacturing technologies, and continuous improvement methodologies preferred.
- ✓Strong leadership, financial, and strategic acumen with the ability to influence stakeholders and build high-performing teams.
- ✓Ability to travel up to 25% including international locations.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Work Schedule
Standard (Mon-Fri)
Environmental Conditions
Adherence to all Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Safety Standards
Job Description
As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you’ll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond by developing solutions for some of the world’s toughest challenges, like protecting the environment, making sure our food is safe or helping find cures for cancer.
Location/Division Specific Information
As part of the Drug Product Division (DPD), the Greenville, North Carolina site is a multi-purpose pharmaceutical development, manufacturing, and packaging campus. The operation specializes in taking both sterile injectable and oral solid dose drug products from development phase through to commercialization.
