Job Description

Manager, Production Operations in Springfield, MO (Night shift)

Build your future at Curia, where our work has the power to save lives

Curia is a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with over 30 years of experience partnering with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to provide life-saving treatments to patients. At Curia, we are on a mission to advance our customers’ therapies from curiosity to cure and ultimately to improve patients’ lives.

We proudly offer

•    Generous benefit options (eligible first day of employment) 
•    Paid training, vacation and holidays (vacation accrual begins on first day of employment)
•    Career advancement opportunities 
•    Education reimbursement
•    401K program with matching contributions
•    Learning platform
•    And more! 

The Production Operations Manager is a key driver of safety, quality, compliance, and operational excellence within Curia’s cGMP manufacturing environment. Partnering closely with the Associate Director of Production, this role oversees Production Supervisors and helps ensure consistent execution of manufacturing activities across shifts. The Production Operations Manager establishes clear expectations, develops leaders, addresses performance and operational challenges, and promotes accountability throughout the Production organization.  From strengthening procedures and implementing best practices to developing employees and monitoring meaningful performance metrics, this position helps build a Production department that performs at a high standard every day. Through strong leadership and cross-functional collaboration, the Production Operations Manager helps ensure every batch is manufactured safely, compliantly, efficiently, and with the quality our customers and patients depend on.

The ideal candidate is a collaborative and visible leader who enjoys developing people, improving systems, and solving complex operational problems. This individual uses data, practical cGMP knowledge, and effective communication to identify root causes and implement sustainable improvements in safety, quality, compliance, and operational performance.

Essential Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop Production Supervisors, establishing clear expectations and consistent practices across shifts and operating areas.
• Hold supervisors accountable for safety, quality, compliance, schedule execution, employee performance, training, documentation, and timely escalation of concerns.
• Support supervisors in addressing staffing, attendance, performance, conduct, and employee-relations matters in partnership with Human Resources.
• Evaluate team capabilities, identify development needs, and develop plans to strengthen leadership effectiveness and operational readiness.
• Foster a culture of accountability, engagement, collaboration, continuous learning, and shared ownership of safety and quality.

Operational Leadership

• Oversee daily Production activities and work with supervisors to ensure appropriate staffing, work assignments, communication, and execution of the production schedule.
• Monitor department performance using safety, quality, compliance, productivity, and schedule-attainment metrics; identify trends and implement improvements.
• Serve as an escalation point for operational, staffing, safety, quality, and compliance issues, ensuring concerns are resolved or elevated promptly.
• Participate in production planning and partner with the Associate Director of Production on department priorities, staffing, resource allocation, and organizational needs.
• Provide backup operational, payroll, and timekeeping support during planned or unplanned Production Supervisor absences.
• Ensure facilities, equipment, processes, and employees operate safely and in accordance with applicable requirements.

Quality, Compliance & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure Production activities and documentation comply with cGMP, GDP, approved procedures, batch records, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Lead or support investigations, root cause analyses, deviations, CAPAs, change controls, and validation activities, ensuring actions are completed thoroughly and on time.
• Author, review, revise, and approve Production SOPs, work instructions, master batch records, and other controlled documents.
• Standardize procedures and operating practices to improve consistency across shifts and strengthen safety, quality, compliance, and operational performance.
• Maintain department readiness for customer visits, audits, and regulatory inspections and represent Production during these activities as needed.
• Oversee hazardous-waste-handling activities in accordance with Curia procedures and applicable regulatory requirements.

Collaboration, Communication & Training

• Partner across the site and company with other functions to resolve issues and achieve department objectives.
• Communicate operational risks, performance trends, resource needs, and recommended solutions to the Associate Director of Production and key stakeholders.
• Partner with the Training Manager and Production Supervisors to identify training needs, develop or deliver effective training, and confirm employees are qualified to perform assigned work.

• Reinforce expectations through visible leadership, employee engagement, coaching, and follow-up in Production areas.

  Good Manufacturing & Documentation Practices

Quality is something we take pride in together. You’ll perform your work in alignment with cGMP requirements and Curia’s standards, which means:

• Perform all documentation in compliance with ALCOA++ principles and site SOPs.

• Adhere to applicable cGMP documents including SOPs, batch records, protocols, change controls, and controlled forms.

• Keep all required cGMP training current and escalate quality concerns along with proposed solutions to the Quality department.

Qualifications

Required

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum of 5 to 8 years of manufacturing experience within a cGMP-regulated environment.
• Demonstrated leadership experience overseeing supervisors, team leads, or manufacturing employees, including coaching, performance management, and employee development.
• Demonstrated experience leading or contributing to continuous improvement, procedural development, operational excellence, or compliance initiatives.
• Thorough knowledge and practical understanding of current Good Manufacturing Practices and Good Documentation Practices.
• Ability to foster a culture of safety, quality ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement within a regulated manufacturing environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to perform root cause analysis and interpret and present operational data.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to explain technical or regulatory information clearly to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders, facilitate change, and build effective working relationships across organizational levels and functions.
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills, with the ability to manage multiple initiatives and respond effectively to changing operational needs.

Preferred

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant scientific, engineering, manufacturing, business, or operations-related field.
• Leadership experience within pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Familiarity with FDA, DEA, and other regulatory requirements applicable to pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Experience supporting regulatory inspections, customer audits, investigations, CAPAs, and validation activities.

Physical requirements

This role regularly requires sitting, standing, and using hands to handle or feel materials. The employee will frequently use hands and arms and communicate verbally and in writing. Occasional walking, climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, and crouching may be required. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Work environment

This position operates in a regulated manufacturing environment. The employee may be occasionally exposed to fumes, airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals (Personal Protective Equipment required), wet or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts, high or precarious places, and moderate noise levels. Risk of electrical shock may be present.

The employee will help manage handling of hazardous waste for treatment, storage, and disposal, and must be familiar with applicable training requirements under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, including waste labeling, secondary containment, chemical compatibility, storage time limits, container integrity, and proper disposal protocols.

Other Qualifications

•    Must pass a background check
•    Must pass a drug screen
•    May be required to pass Occupational Health Screening

Education, experience, location and tenure may be considered along with internal equity when job offers are extended.

We do not accept unsolicited assistance from any headhunters or recruitment firms for any of our job openings. All resumes or profiles submitted by search firms to any employee at Curia, in any form without a valid, signed search agreement by an authorized signatory in place for the specific position, approved by Talent Acquisition, will be deemed the sole property of Curia. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Curia because of the unsolicited referral.

All interested applicants must apply online. Please be aware of scammers. Curia will only send offer letters and requests for sensitive personal information from a curiaglobal.com email address. Curia is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. Curia is an E-Verify employer.