Head of Operations - CDMO cGMP Manufacturing

• Head of Operations - CDMO / CMO cGMP Pharmaceutical Manufacturing or Contract Packaging
• 5 days a week on site presence near Mechelen, Belgium - if you are located further away, we can discuss staying away during the week, but you need to be open to this arrangement
• CDMO / CMO Pharmaceutical Manufacturing experience required
• Dutch / Flemish professional level / fluency is required

You will join a highly ambitious, evolving CDMO based near Mechelen, operating within a cGMP Pharma manufacturing environment. This opportunity aligns closely with senior operational leaders who bring deep experience in regulated manufacturing and thrive in fast paced, client driven organisations.

This business has strong foundations and history in the industry, and is now undergoing meaningful transformation. It will suit someone who enjoys being close to the operation - on the shop floor, with teams, and embedded in day to day decision making - while driving long term operational and commercial success. Reporting directly to the CEO, you will sit at the centre of the company’s next phase of growth. Playing a pivotal role in shaping strategy, culture, and operational execution at site level, with genuine autonomy, visibility, and influence.

As a senior operational leader, you will:

• Build, structure, and optimise site operations in Belgium, introducing clarity, consistency, and scalable processes suited to a growing CDMO
• Harmonise operations across business units, ensuring alignment, transparency, and best-practice adoption - you will have Operations, H&S, HR reporting into you, with dotted line responsibilities across other site functions like Finance, Quality, BD, IT etc.
• Take full P&L ownership, translating commercial strategy into operational execution with true start up style autonomy
• Lead and develop a high performing, empowered leadership team, setting clear expectations, accountability, and momentum
• Apply strong numerical and commercial insight to drive operational effectiveness—linking customer demand, cost, capacity, and performance directly to shop floor execution.
• Adapt commercial priorities into practical operational improvements, enhancing speed, quality, and reliability to meet client expectations

Who This Suits:

• Are an open minded, direct, and credible communicator, comfortable leading through change and engaging at all levels of the organisation. We are seeking someone forward thinking, open to adaption and can communicate achievements with clarity and passion
• Bring deep, hands-on knowledge of how a fast-paced CDMO GMP manufacturing business operates
• Are commercially and numerically strong with prior experience of high level budgetary or P&L responsibility
• Seeking someone more single site experience, multi-site / global experience isn't quite what we're seeking
• Enjoy hands on leadership, spending time on the shop floor and building systems, teams, and capability from the ground up
• You must be Dutch / Flemish speaking for this role (at least professional level)

Other relevant titles:

Operations Director / General Manager / Director of Manufacturing / Senior Director of Production / Head of Packaging Operations / COO / Senior Director of Operations / Head of Manufacturing / Contract Manufacturing / Plant Manager / Site Director / Site Manager / Chief Operating Officer

Commutable locations:

Antwerp / Brussels / Ghent / Bruges / Leuven / Sint-Niklaas / Netherlands / Breda / South Netherlands / Terneuzen / Hulst / Liège / Hasselt