Production Director - Formulation

Job Title: Production Director - Formulation

Reporting to: VP and General Manager Dunkirk

Location: Dunkirk, France

At AstraZeneca, we believe the best way to help patients is by advancing scientific progress. This is our DNA: we push the boundaries of science to deliver medicines that transform patients’ lives.

Dunkirk (Dunkerque)

Our Dunkirk manufacturing facility is a world-class site for the production of inhaled devices. Here, there are about 700 people, producing aerosol drugs in the field of respiratory diseases reaching patients in +75 markets across the globe. This is your chance to get involved in a truly exciting mission – to ensure our products are in the hands of patients that need them, as quickly as possible.

Introduction to role:

Are you ready to lead a high-performing formulation operation that turns scientific innovation into reliable supply for patients around the world? Do you want to shape a modern, agile manufacturing capability that delivers more medicines, faster, with uncompromising safety and quality?

As Production Director - Formulation, you will sit on the site leadership team and own the 5-year strategy for your area, including Ops 2030 priorities. You will lead end-to-end production with accountability for SQSCP outcomes across Safety, Quality, Service, Cost and People. From day one, you will guide a team of 100+ colleagues, ensuring regulatory-compliant, right-first-time manufacturing while modernizing how we plan, implement and continuously improve!

This is a chance to elevate performance and future-proof the operation—building flexibility for tomorrow’s portfolio, deploying digital tools where they matter most, and embedding sustainable practices that reduce natural resources usage, waste and carbon. How will you mobilize teams, data and standards to consistently improve every quarter while preparing for the next five years?

Accountabilities:

• Production Leadership and Compliance: Own end-to-end formulation operations to deliver the plan safely and on time, meeting cGMP and regulatory requirements with right-first-time quality.
• Strategic Direction and Execution: Define and deliver the 5-year strategy for the production area, aligned to Ops 2030, customer needs and site capabilities, including capacity, technology and skills roadmaps.
• Organizational Agility: Anticipate future needs and redesign the organization for flexibility, speed and efficiency to support the site’s transformation.
• People Leadership and Culture: Lead and develop a team of 100+ employees; set clear goals, coach leaders, and foster a collaborative, results-focused culture in a context of cost and productivity optimization.
• Performance Management (SQSCP): Monitor critical metrics and drive robust action plans to achieve Safety, Quality, Service, Cost and People targets; identify risks early and close gaps decisively.
• SHE and Quality: Ensure full adherence to SHE policies and quality standards; embed audit readiness and quality by design into daily operations.
• Standardization and Continuous Improvement: Implement and sustain standards across shifts and lines; remove waste, stabilize processes and scale standards to advance operational excellence.
• Change Leadership: Co-create, communicate and implement change programs; secure adoption of new systems, technologies and ways of working.
• Digital and Data Enablement: Leverage MES, ERP and advanced analytics to improve planning, yield, OEE and decision-making at the line and network levels.
• Stakeholder Influence: Partner with cross-functional and global collaborators; present insights and proposals that influence direction and unlock resources.
• Sustainability Integration: Reduce energy use, materials waste and carbon footprint within formulation operations, contributing to enterprise environmental commitments.

Essential Skills/Experience:

• Holding a degree in Pharmacy or from an Engineering School (or equivalent), you have proven experience in industrial production management, ideally in the pharmaceutical industry.
• You are recognized for your organizational skills and your ability to anticipate needs. You know how to foster team spirit in a matrix environment and are committed to developing your employees.
• Your leadership is characterized by your ability to unite teams, develop talent, and drive a strategic vision, while ensuring safety and quality.
• Your English proficiency and your experience in international environments enable you to present effectively and influence partners at a global level. You are able to communicate clearly and convincingly with different internal partners.
• Your focus on achieving goals, attention to detail, and adaptability will be key assets for success in this role.
• To succeed in this role, you need to bring a good level of French speaking, together with a strong understanding of the working culture in France and the ability to operate effectively within a French trade union and employee relations environment. You will be comfortable engaging with a broad range of internal and external customers across France, navigating local ways of working with credibility and sensitivity, and building trusted relationships in a unionised setting. Your ability to combine language capability with cultural awareness and sound judgement will be crucial in supporting effective collaboration, constructive dialogue, and successful delivery in this environment.

Desirable Skills/Experience:

• Demonstrated leadership of large manufacturing teams in a highly regulated, GMP environment.
• Proven delivery of Lean transformations and continuous improvement with measurable SQSCP outcomes.
• Experience implementing MES/automation and using analytics to drive yield, OEE and schedule adherence.
• Track record in technology transfer, scale-up and/or new product introductions.
• Experience integrating sustainability metrics and energy efficiency into production operations.
• Fluency in additional languages.

Why AstraZeneca:

Here, you will help turn molecules into medicines at scale, working with colleagues who put patients and performance at the center of every decision. Expect real investment in modern science, digital tools and Lean methods—unexpected teams in the same room unleashing bold thinking to solve sophisticated manufacturing challenges. We balance ambition with humanity, valuing kindness alongside high standards, and we act for a wider purpose by advancing our environmental commitments, including a path to zero carbon across sites by 2025 and a carbon-negative value chain by 2030. Your leadership will be visible, your ideas heard, and your impact felt from the shop floor to patients and communities globally!

Call to Action:

If you are ready to lead a large-scale formulation operation through its next step-change—delivering safer, faster, more sustainable supply while developing outstanding teams—take the next step and introduce yourself today!

Date Posted

27-May-2026

Closing Date

26-Jun-2026

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity.  We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills.  We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.  We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics.  We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.