Head of Production – Drug Substance Manufacturing

About the role

We are partnering with an established Swiss pharmaceutical manufacturer to find a Head of Production for its chemical drug substance (API) facilities. This senior leader will own production performance, operational excellence, compliance and team development within a highly regulated GMP environment serving international pharma clients.

Key responsibilities

• Lead all production activities in GMP‑regulated chemical/API manufacturing sites.
• Achieve targets for quality, safety, delivery and cost.
• Oversee batch execution, production planning and resource allocation.
• Maintain compliance with cGMP, HSE, EHS and Swiss/international regulations.
• Mentor production managers, supervisors and operational teams.
• Drive continuous‑improvement, lean manufacturing and efficiency projects.
• Collaborate with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Validation, Maintenance and Technical Services.
• Support customer and regulatory audits and inspections.
• Contribute to scale‑up, process optimisation, technology transfer and capacity expansion.

Required profile

• Degree in Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Process Engineering, Chemistry or related field.
• Significant leadership experience in chemical pharmaceutical manufacturing, API production or CDMO environments.
• Proven track record managing production teams in GMP‑regulated facilities.
• Strong understanding of chemical synthesis, industrial manufacturing operations and process safety.
• Fluent in German and English.

Required skills

• cGMP compliance
• Process safety management
• Lean manufacturing principles
• Batch execution
• Production planning
• Resource allocation
• CAPA and deviation management
• Technology transfer
• Scale‑up projects
• Process optimisation