Director, Packaging and Manufacturing Operations
Thermo Fisher Scientific · Allentown, PA
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Production
- Experience asked
- 10+ years
- Industry
- Pharma & life sciences
- Posted
- 8 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level production role at Thermo Fisher Scientific (pharma & life sciences) in Allentown, PA. Define equipment, engineering and capital requirements needed to sustain compliance, increase capacity, improve reliability and enable business growth; develop business cases and ensure effective operational implementation.
- They ask for
- 10+ years
- Tools it names
- Root cause
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Production Engineer roles in Pennsylvania: typical posted base $145k–$200k.
Median of the low and high ends of 6 live postings that list pay, out of 37 production engineer openings in Pennsylvania, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Pennsylvania plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 36 other live production postings in Pennsylvania.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (10+ vs 7+)
Typical $127k–$165k, from 5 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 7+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Team leadership 49%
- Lean 43%
- EHS / safety 27%
✓ = 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 Production team at Thermo Fisher Scientific
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: Thermo Fisher Scientific in Allentown
3 other open roles at this site.
- CNC Programmer Machinist · Manufacturing · Technician
- Lead Mfg Equipment Maintenance Technician · Reliability · Technician
- Process Engineer - Pharmaceutical Packaging · Process
Full description from Thermo Fisher ScientificAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Position Summary
The Director, Packaging and Manufacturing Operations is the senior operations leader accountable for safe, compliant, reliable and cost-effective execution of clinical packaging and labeling activities at the Allentown site. The role provides strategic and day-to-day leadership across primary and secondary packaging operations, managing technical operation team, and works closely with Quality, Project Management, Engineering, Operational Excellence, Finance and other site functions to deliver customer commitments while maintaining cGMP compliance and a strong safety and quality culture.
This leader translates site and division priorities into an operating strategy for the department; builds leadership capability; establishes capacity, staffing and capital plans; drives performance through tiered daily management and Practical Process Improvement (PPI); and owns escalation and recovery when safety, quality, delivery, cost or customer performance is at risk.
As a member of the Allentown Site Leadership Team, this role carries leadership responsibility beyond the Packaging and Manufacturing Operations function and is expected to actively shape the site’s culture, strategy and overall performance. The Director serves as a visible role model for leadership behaviors, drives cross-functional alignment and accountability, and plays a key role in advancing the site’s transformation and continuous improvement agenda. This leader is expected to challenge the status quo, strengthen organizational capability and help elevate the Allentown site to the next level of operational excellence, customer service and employee engagement.
Key Responsibilities
Operations Strategy & Execution
· Provide overall leadership for Packaging and Labeling Operations across all shifts, with accountability for safety, quality, service, productivity, cost and schedule performance.
· Translate site and business objectives into annual and multi-year departmental priorities, operating plans, resource requirements, budgets and measurable performance targets.
· Ensure production plans, labor, equipment and support resources are aligned to customer demand, backlog, capacity constraints and financial commitments; lead recovery plans when performance deviates from plan.
· Establish effective operating rhythms, including daily management boards, Gemba walks, performance reviews and escalation mechanisms that create visibility, accountability and timely decision-making.
Quality, Compliance & Risk
· Create and sustain a culture in which cGMP, SOP, data integrity, safety and regulatory
requirements
are embedded in daily operations and leadership behaviors.
· Ensure timely investigation, escalation and resolution of quality events, deviations, rejects and recurring operational issues in partnership with Quality; verify that corrective and preventive actions are effective and sustainable.
· Review and approve applicable SOPs, change controls and operational risk assessments; ensure risks, controls, owners and implementation plans are clearly defined.
· Maintain inspection and audit readiness within the organization and ensure leaders and employees are appropriately trained and qualified for assigned responsibilities.
People & Organizational Leadership
· Lead, coach and develop managers and leaders; set clear expectations, goals and accountability while building succession plans and a strong pipeline of operations talent.
· Develop staffing and organizational plans that match business demand, required capabilities and shift coverage; partner with Human Resources on workforce planning, performance management, employee relations and organizational effectiveness.
· Build an inclusive, engaged and high-performing culture characterized by ownership, disciplined execution, collaboration and continuous learning.
· Ensure consistent application of company policies and leadership standards throughout the organization.
Continuous Improvement, Engineering & Capital
· Own the operational excellence agenda for Packaging Operations and sponsor PPI/Lean initiatives that improve safety, quality, flow, right-first-time performance, labor productivity, equipment effectiveness, changeover performance and cost.
· Use data and root-cause problem solving to identify systemic constraints and recurring losses; prioritize improvement work based on business and customer impact.
· Define equipment, engineering and capital
requirements
needed to sustain compliance, increase capacity, improve reliability and enable business growth; develop business cases and ensure effective operational implementation.
· Partner with Engineering and technical functions on equipment lifecycle, process capability, new or changed processes, and operational readiness for upcoming projects.
Customer, Financial & Cross-Functional Leadership
· Partner with Project Management and other customer-facing functions to resolve operational questions, manage priorities and support dependable ex
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Work Schedule
Standard (Mon-Fri)
Environmental Conditions
Office
Job Description
When you are part of the team at Thermo Fisher Scientific, you'll do important work, like helping customers in finding cures for cancer, protecting the environment or making sure our food is safe. Your work will have real-world impact, and you'll be supported in achieving your career goals.
Location/Division Specific Information
Clinical Trials Division (CTD) partners with pharmaceutical and biotech customers around the world to ensure the right patients get the right therapies in the right doses at the right time - a concept we internally embrace as “There is a Patient Waiting.” Our unique blend of services includes project management, packaging, distribution, transportation management and specialty logistics, ancillary supply management, clinical supply optimization, bio-repository storage and much more. Our more than 3000 employees in over 15 countries work hard every day knowing what they do matters.
