Site Engineering Manager, Pharma Solutions

Build the Engineering Capability of a Growing Pilot-Scale Manufacturing Site

Pharma Solutions is a growing global business within Croda, supporting pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and veterinary-health customers through innovative excipients, vaccine adjuvants, peptide technologies, lipid technologies, and formulation expertise. As demand grows, the Alabaster site requires strong engineering practices that enable reliable supply, operational excellence, and scalable growth.

The Site Engineering Manager will establish and lead the engineering function at Croda Alabaster, with accountability for maintenance excellence, asset reliability, capital delivery, process engineering, and operational improvement.

This is a visible site leadership role for a hands-on engineering leader who can build sustainable systems, deliver major capital projects, and improve the capability and credibility of the engineering function.

What Success Looks Like

Maintenance Excellence & Asset Reliability

• Build a maintenance-excellence program supported by an effective computerized maintenance management system.

• Introduce stronger operational discipline through contract management, standardized work orders, technician scheduling, and improved wrench time.

• Implement a reliability-centered maintenance strategy that shifts the site from reactive work toward planned and preventive maintenance.

• Use failure-mode, lifecycle, and work-order analysis to define periodic review and maintenance requirements for critical GMP assets.

Capital Strategy & Project Delivery

• Build a scalable capital process from idea generation and prioritization through execution, benefits tracking, and financial closeout.

• Deliver value-preservation capital and major transformation projects, including programs exceeding $40 million.

• Identify and evaluate capital opportunities that improve capability, reliability, capacity, and product economics.

• Apply disciplined governance and ROI-based decision-making to capital investment and asset deployment.

Operational Excellence & Process Engineering

• Lead process engineering and operational-excellence activity across the Alabaster site.

• Improve OEE, manufacturing economics, asset performance, and visibility of operational decisions.

• Strengthen process control and reproducibility while improving technical writing and right-first-time execution.

• Champion the site cost-improvement program and convert improvement opportunities into measurable results.

Operating Style

• Build processes, governance, and ways of working from the ground up.

• Personally drive implementation and provide visible leadership in maintenance and capital planning.

• Influence stakeholders across functions without relying solely on formal authority.

• Balance strategic thinking with practical execution and direct problem-solving.

• Earn credibility through technical expertise, sustainable systems, and measurable results.

Core Capabilities

Strategic Perspective: Connect long-term business priorities with manufacturing assets, engineering capability, and growth requirements.

Delivery: Execute complex capital, reliability, and operational initiatives with clear accountability for business results.

Working Together: Build alignment across Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, Procurement, Commercial, and Technical Teams.

Curiosity: Challenge current practices, investigate root causes, and identify better technical and operational solutions.

Adaptability: Navigate changing priorities, transformation activity, and the demands of a growing GMP manufacturing site.

Authenticity: Build trust through transparent communication, sound judgement, and consistent leadership.

Experience & Expertise

• At least 10 years of engineering or operations leadership experience within pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, CDMO, or another regulated manufacturing environment.

• Proven success leading maintenance and reliability organizations and delivering major capital programs.

• Experience replacing or upgrading assets in a GMP environment, including assessment of product, regulatory, and customer impact.

• Strong capital-project governance, prioritization, and business-case development experience.

• Deep understanding of GMP operations, asset reliability, manufacturing readiness, operational excellence, and capacity planning.

• Bachelor's degree in chemical, process, mechanical, or a related Engineering discipline; an advanced technical qualification is advantageous.

What We Offer:

The successful candidate will receive a competitive salary and benefits package including:
• Excellent Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage, available immediately.
• Generous PTO
• 401K Match
• Wellness Reimbursement
• Parental Leave
• Career Development
• Company paid and voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance
• Short- and long-term disability
• Paid Holidays

Additional Information:

This is a site-based role located in Alabaster, AL.

If you require any reasonable adjustments during the hiring process or experience any issues with our online application process, please email [email protected].

Role Scope

Single-site accountability for Engineering within the Pharma Solutions business at Croda Alabaster. The role reports to the Site Director and leads maintenance, reliability, capital delivery, process engineering, engineering standards, and operational-improvement priorities for the site.