Lonza America Inc

Associate Director, Maintenance

Lonza America Inc$174K — $203K *
US-AnywhereRemote in Walkersville, MD
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field; advanced degree preferred
  • 10+ years in maintenance or reliability within pharma or API manufacturing
  • Experience with capital projects and facility start-ups
  • Strong knowledge of maintenance best practices and reliability engineering
  • Familiarity with CMMS platforms and predictive maintenance technologies
  • Understanding of GMP requirements and mechanical integrity
  • Leadership and communication skills with cross-functional influence

Responsibilities

  • Lead maintenance and reliability efforts throughout facility design and commissioning
  • Develop and implement maintenance strategies for asset performance
  • Collaborate with Engineering on serviceability and lifecycle considerations
  • Establish asset lifecycle management strategies and spare parts plans
  • Support the optimization of CMMS and maintenance technologies
  • Participate in operational readiness activities for equipment validation
  • Define future maintenance organization structure and training needs

Benefits

  • Performance-related bonus
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • 401(k) matching plan
  • Life and disability insurance
  • Employee assistance programs
  • Paid time off (PTO)
Full Job Description
Associate Director, Maintenance

Location: This position is currently remote. A future transition to an on-site location on the U.S. East-Coast/Mid-West is anticipated as the project progresses, with an expected timeline in 2027. This is a full-time role with a Monday-Friday schedule from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

What you will get:

The full-time base annual salary for this position is expected to range between $174,000 to $203,000. In addition, below you will find a comprehensive summary of the benefits package we offer:
  • Performance-related bonus.
  • Medical, dental and vision insurance.
  • 401(k) matching plan.
  • Life insurance, as well as short-term and long-term disability insurance.
  • Employee assistance programs.
  • Paid time off (PTO).


Compensation for this role will be determined by the candidate's qualifications, skills, experience, and relevant knowledge.

What will you do:

We are seeking an Associate Director, Maintenance to lead maintenance and reliability readiness activities for a U.S. growth investment project supporting small molecule drug substance manufacturing. This role will ensure the facility, equipment, utilities, process equipment, and maintenance systems are designed and implemented with long-term reliability, maintainability, mechanical integrity, and GMP compliance in mind. Working closely with Engineering, Operations, Automation, MSAT, and Quality, you will help establish the maintenance organization, systems, and processes required for successful site start-up and ongoing operations.
  • Provide maintenance and reliability leadership throughout facility design, construction, commissioning, qualification, and start-up activities
  • Develop maintenance strategies, including preventive, predictive, and reliability-centered maintenance programs to support long-term asset performance
  • Partner with Engineering and project teams to ensure maintainability, serviceability, accessibility, and lifecycle considerations are incorporated into facility and equipment design
  • Establish asset lifecycle management strategies, including spare parts plans, calibration programs, and equipment reliability initiatives
  • Support the selection, implementation, and optimization of CMMS and other maintenance technologies to enable effective planning and execution
  • Participate in commissioning, qualification, FAT/SAT, and operational readiness activities to ensure maintenance requirements are incorporated and validated
  • Define the future maintenance organization, including staffing plans, training requirements, operating procedures, and site support models
  • Identify and mitigate equipment reliability, maintenance, and operational readiness risks while providing updates and recommendations to project leadership


What we are looking for:
  • Bachelor's degree in engineering, Facilities Management, Reliability Engineering, or a related technical discipline; advanced degree preferred
  • 10+ years of experience in maintenance, reliability, engineering, or technical operations within pharmaceutical or API manufacturing environments. Experience with HPAPI, complex chemical synthesis, or chemical process manufacturing is preferred.
  • Experience supporting major capital projects, facility start-ups, manufacturing expansions, greenfield or brownfield investments, or large-scale operational readiness initiatives
  • Strong knowledge of maintenance best practices, reliability engineering, asset lifecycle management, and equipment performance improvement
  • Experience with CMMS platforms, predictive maintenance technologies, reliability-centered maintenance (RCM), and maintenance planning systems
  • Understanding of GMP requirements related to equipment maintenance, calibration, qualification, documentation, and inspection readiness and mechanical integrity principles
  • Demonstrated experience supporting small molecule drug substance, API, or HPAPI manufacturing operations preferred
  • Experience supporting containment-intensive manufacturing environments (e.g., HPAPI containment, isolators, contained material handling) preferred
  • Experience within a multi-product API manufacturing or CDMO environment is preferred
  • Strong leadership, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and stakeholders
  • Ability and willingness to transition to an East Coast or Midwest U.S. site location as project needs evolve
  • Travel: Willingness and ability to travel to EMEA and NA at approximately 25-30% of the time to meet business objectives


About Lonza America Inc

Lonza America Inc is a subsidiary of Lonza Group, a Swiss multinational company that provides products and services to the pharmaceutical, biotech, and specialty ingredients markets. Lonza America Inc is responsible for the North American market and offers a range of products and services, including custom manufacturing, research and development, and quality control testing. The company has a strong focus on sustainability and has implemented various initiatives to reduce its environmental impact. Lonza America Inc was founded in 1897 and has since grown to become a leading provider of products and services in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.
Learn more about Lonza America Inc
Size
16,218 employees
Industry
NASDAQ

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Lonza America Inc

More Pharmaceuticals & Biotech Jobs

Find similar Associate Director, Maintenance jobs: