Manager, Operational Excellence

Manager, OperationAL Excellence

1.  Purpose of the Role

The Manager, Operational Excellence is the hands-on delivery engine of the OE function within a defined site and team perimeter. The role is accountable for translating Evotec's CI methodology into practical, measurable improvement across manufacturing operations, laboratory environments, and the broader R&D processes within its assigned scope, moving from analysis and plan to verified operational and financial outcome. Reporting directly to the EVP, Global Head of Operational Excellence and working in close alignment with the Senior Manager, OE. This role implements the three pillars of the OE function at site level: deploying OE methodology & solutions with consistency and rigour, defining and planning priority improvement projects within the assigned perimeter, and building, coordinating and sustaining CI communities among the operational teams they work with day-to-day.

2.  Key Accountabilities

1.  CI Methodology & Tool Deployment

• Implement Evotec's OE methodology and CI toolset consistently across the assigned site and team perimeter, deploying Loss & Waste Analysis, Value Stream Mapping, DMAIC, Kaizen, and standard work frameworks with practical rigour.
• Lead focused Loss & Waste and VSM exercises within assigned scope: facilitating cross-functional workshops, capturing current-state data, mapping improvement opportunities, and translating findings into prioritised action plans.
• Adapt methodology to the specific operational context, recognising that different operational teams require tailored deployment approaches while maintaining OE methodological consistency.
• Identify, document and champion the implementation of best practices within the assigned perimeter, ensuring proven solutions are captured in a replicable format and shared through the CI community and with the Senior Director for broader network adoption.
• Maintain a working knowledge of evolving CI tools and approaches, bringing new techniques to the EVP and Senior Director's attention where they offer material improvement potential within the assigned scope.

2.  Priority Project Delivery within Assigned Perimeter

• Take direct ownership of priority OE projects within the assigned segment and site perimeter, providing hands-on support from scoping and planning through to implementation and verified benefit realisation.
• Define project charters for each assigned initiative: scope, objectives, milestones, resource requirements, financial benefit targets, and governance cadence, in alignment with the framework set by the Senior Manager, OE.
• Manage multiple concurrent improvement projects with pace and rigour, maintaining momentum, resolving operational blockers and escalating risks as required.
• Ensure each project is delivered to outcome, tracking operational and financial benefit through implementation and holding the project team accountable for sustainable, verified results.
• Document project learnings, solutions applied, and benefit realised in a structured format, contributing to the OE function's growing library of replicable best practices across the Evotec network.

3. CI Community Coordination & Development

• Identify, recruit and develop CI champions within assigned sites and functions, providing ongoing coaching, technical guidance, and structured support that builds their capability to lead improvement locally.
• Facilitate community forums, improvement reviews, and problem-solving sessions, creating practical, energising engagements that reinforce CI habits and maintain momentum between projects.
• Connect CI community members across the assigned perimeter, fostering peer learning, shared problem-solving and the horizontal spread of successful practices without relying on top-down instruction.
• Monitor the health and engagement of CI communities within the perimeter, identifying declining participation or sustainability risks early and intervening with targeted support before momentum is lost.

4.  Training, Adoption & Sustainment

• Deliver OE training and capability-building programmes within the assigned perimeter, covering CI tools, structured problem-solving methodologies, and the behaviours that sustain improvement beyond individual projects.
• Tailor training delivery to the audience and operational context, engaging front-line teams, team leaders, and site managers in ways that connect methodology to their daily realities and build genuine adoption.
• Provide direct coaching and on-the-job support to operational team members and CI champions as they apply CI tools in practice, prioritising learning-by-doing over classroom instruction.
• Embed sustainment mechanisms within each project and community: standard work, visual management systems, regular review cadences, and clear ownership, ensuring improvements hold after the OE team moves on.
• Contribute to the development of the broader OE training curriculum by surfacing what works and what does not from live delivery experience, feeding practical insight back to the Senior Director to improve enterprise-wide tools.

5.  Financial & Operational Benefit Tracking

• Track financial and operational benefits rigorously within every project in the assigned perimeter, applying established frameworks and working with relevant stakeholders to ensure benefit claims are verified and credible.
• Set clear benefit baselines and targets at project outset, distinguishing genuine P&L impact from cost avoidance or efficiency improvement that does not flow through to the bottom line.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date benefit records for all assigned projects, providing the Senior Manager OE and EVP with reliable data for portfolio-level reporting and investment decisions.
• Challenge project teams to demonstrate sustainable benefit realisation, not point-in-time measurement, building the discipline of tracking outcomes through to the financial close, not just the operational milestone.
• Use benefit data to inform ongoing project prioritisation within the perimeter, escalating emerging high-value opportunities to the Senior Director for consideration in the broader OE portfolio.

6.  Cross-Functional Collaboration & Influence

• Build trusted working relationships with site leaders, operational team managers, and functional leads within the assigned perimeter, creating the conditions in which OE is welcomed as a valued partner.
• Engage effectively at every level of the adapting communication style and approach to context without losing methodological rigour.
• Connect across the broader OE team, sharing project learnings, co-delivering methodology in cross-site initiatives, and contributing to the collective intelligence of the CI network beyond the immediate perimeter.
• Optimize teamwork effectiveness within project teams and CI communities, building collaborative working habits, clear role clarity, and a shared sense of ownership over improvement outcomes.

3.  Knowledge and Experience

Operational Experience

•       Excellent experience in pharmaceutical or life sciences manufacturing operations, laboratory operations, or broader R&D and development processes, or equivalent experience in OE/CI roles within comparable environments.

•       Solid working knowledge of operational processes across production and/or laboratory environments.

•       Experience working across different operational realities demonstrating adaptability in applying CI methodology to varied process types, team cultures, and site contexts.

•       Familiarity with regulated pharma environments (GMP, GLP) is advantageous, understanding the constraints these create for CI deployment is important for effective site-level engagement.

OE & CI Project Delivery

•       Track record of successfully delivering Continuous Improvement projects from opportunity identification through to verified benefit realisation, with personal accountability for outcomes.

•       Hands-on experience implementing CI tools in operational settings: VSM, Loss & Waste Analysis, DMAIC, Kaizen, 5S, standard work, and related methodologies.

•       Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent improvement projects with pace and rigour, maintaining project momentum, managing stakeholder expectations, and escalating blockers effectively.

•       Experience developing and coaching CI communities or working groups at site or team level, understanding what it takes to build adoption and sustain engagement over time.

Financial Benefit Tracking

•       Ability to translate operational improvement into financial terms, building benefit baselines, tracking realised savings, and distinguishing genuine P&L impact from theoretical efficiency gains.

•       Comfortable working with Finance & GCPMO colleagues to verify benefit claims and present credible, auditable project outcomes to OSLT and other senior stakeholders.

Influencing & Coaching

•       Demonstrated ability to influence and engage teams at every level of an organisation without line authority, building credibility through technical expertise, practical support, and interpersonal effectiveness.

•       Experience coaching individuals and teams in CI tools and behaviours, bringing patience, adaptability, and a genuine commitment to building capability in others.

•       Self-starter with strong teamwork instincts: capable of working independently within the assigned perimeter while actively contributing to the wider OE team's collective effectiveness.

•       Systematic and analytical in approach, brings structure and rigour to problem-solving while remaining practically oriented and outcome-focused.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education

•       Bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering, life sciences, operations management, or a related discipline. Equivalent professional experience in OE/CI environments will be considered.

•       Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification required. Black Belt or progression towards it is advantageous.

Languages & Mobility

•       Fluency in English is essential. Working knowledge of French, or Italian is advantageous given the multi-site European footprint.

•       Willingness and ability to travel internationally across all Evotec quality sites (UK, Italy, Germany, France) as needed.

For Italy: In compliance with fundamental ethical and professional principles and with Legislative Decree 198/2006, Evotec is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering a safe, diverse, and inclusive workplace built on mutual respect. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified candidates and employees based on their skills, experience, and professional qualifications. In line with our ethical and professional principles, all employment-related decisions, including recruitment and selection processes, are made fairly and without any form of discrimination. All qualified candidates will be considered for employment regardless of race, color, sex, age, disability, genetic information, gender expression, gender identity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.

FR : Dans le cadre de sa politique Diversité, Evotec étudie, à compétences égales, toutes les candidatures dont celles des personnes en situation de handicap.

ENG : In the frame of our Diversity policy, Evotec considers, with equal competences, all applications including people with disabilities.