JOB SUMMARY – To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.
The Director of Contract Manufacturing is responsible for developing and executing the company's contract manufacturing strategy to ensure reliable supply, consistent product quality, cost competitiveness, and operational scalability. This role oversees the selection, qualification, development, and ongoing performance management of external manufacturing partners to support current business requirements and future growth.
Working cross-functionally with Supply Chain, Procurement, Quality, Engineering, Research and Development, Finance, and Commercial teams, the Director ensures that contract manufacturing partners meet established standards for safety, quality, service, cost, compliance, and delivery.
The ideal candidate is a strategic and results-oriented leader with a strong background in external manufacturing, supplier relationship management, manufacturing operations, sustaining engineering, and continuous improvement. This individual will build strong partnerships, mitigate supply chain risks, drive operational efficiencies, and establish a scalable contract manufacturing network aligned with the company's long-term business objectives.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
1. Contract Manufacturing Strategy
Develop and implement the contract manufacturing strategy in alignment with company objectives, production requirements, and growth plans.
Evaluate and optimize the external manufacturing network, including capacity, capabilities, geographic footprint, cost structure, and risk exposure.
Identify, assess, and qualify new contract manufacturers to support new products, increased demand, and business expansion.
Lead make-versus-buy assessments and provide recommendations regarding outsourcing, insourcing, and manufacturing footprint optimization.
Develop long-term manufacturing partner strategies to ensure flexibility, scalability, and business continuity.
2. Contract Manufacturer Relationship Management
Establish and maintain strategic relationships with contract manufacturing partners, serving as the primary executive-level point of contact.
Negotiate manufacturing agreements, service-level expectations, pricing structures, capacity commitments, and performance objectives in collaboration with Procurement and Legal.
Establish clear governance processes, business reviews, escalation protocols, and performance improvement plans.
Drive accountability and transparency across external manufacturing partners.
Resolve complex operational, commercial, and relationship issues to protect business performance and customer commitments.
3. Operational Performance and Supply Assurance
Oversee contract manufacturer performance related to production planning, capacity utilization, on-time delivery, lead times, yield, and throughput.
Ensure manufacturing partners maintain adequate capacity, materials availability, staffing, and production readiness to meet forecasted demand.
Partner with Supply Chain and Planning teams to align demand forecasts, production schedules, inventory targets, and capacity plans.
Develop contingency plans and risk mitigation strategies for supply disruptions, quality issues, capacity constraints, and geopolitical or logistical challenges.
Lead recovery plans when external manufacturing operations fail to meet required service or production targets.
4. Quality, Compliance, and Regulatory Oversight
Partner with Quality and Regulatory teams to ensure contract manufacturers comply with applicable regulatory requirements, company standards, and contractual obligations.
Ensure appropriate supplier qualification, audits, corrective and preventive actions (CAPA), change control, and continuous compliance processes are in place.
Drive root-cause analysis and corrective actions for recurring defects, deviations, customer complaints, and manufacturing nonconformances.
Promote a culture of quality,…