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Thorne is a health and wellness company delivering science-backed solutions to empower individuals to take a proactive approach to their well-being. The company employs over 750 team members committed to providing superior health solutions across all life stages.
The Operations Engineering Manager reports to the Director of Engineering and leads a team of Engineering Technicians, Controls Technicians, and Manufacturing Engineers. This role is responsible for ensuring prompt resolution of technical issues on the production floor and driving data-driven, long-term corrective actions.
Key responsibilities include:
- Attending daily production stand-up meetings and maintaining active presence on the shop floor to monitor processes, troubleshoot urgent technical issues, and manage production downtime situations
- Conducting daily reviews of production pass-downs to identify equipment and process issues, using data-driven approaches to target permanent corrective actions
- Developing and driving operational excellence (OpEx) initiatives to improve efficiency, reduce labor costs, and maximize product yield, working with the Continuous Improvement Group on Kaizen and Root Cause Analysis (RCA) events
- Building partnerships across departments to create a collaborative structure that anticipates and permanently resolves chronic production and technical issues, improving Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
- Documenting current capabilities of all production equipment using floor-support data and providing executable improvement recommendations to leadership
- Collaborating with peers on new manufacturing equipment specifications, User Requirements Specifications (URS), acceptance testing (SAT & FAT), SOP reviews, and qualifications, including vendor site visits domestically and internationally
- Building and leading a high-performing engineering team, recruiting top talent, developing staff capabilities, and building future leaders through coaching and feedback
- Creating a positive, empowered work environment where the technical team can make decisions confidently and be held accountable for task completion and quality
- Providing technical oversight and guidance for equipment qualifications and re-qualifications, including resource assignment and review/approval of engineering studies, protocols, and documentation
- Reviewing and approving production equipment SOPs, forms, work instructions, and specifications
- Supporting manufacturing-related Corrective and Preventative Actions (CAPAs)
- Submitting regular, accurate engineering status reports to the Director of Engineering
- Conducting formal and informal performance assessments of staff, evaluating performance against expectations, behaviors, and leadership potential
- Assessing the technical skill sets of the team and recommending training to close gaps or upgrade capabilities to state-of-the-art standards
Requirements:
- BS in Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering (required)
- 15+ years of experience in Pharmaceutical, Dietary Supplement Manufacturing, or similar regulated industry
- 5+ years of experience in a management position
- 3+ years of experience in an FDA-regulated environment
- Experience with ISO and/or cGMP standards (required)
- Capability to write detailed technical procedures, documents, and training materials that support production and systems improvements
- Ability to acquire knowledge across all areas of Thorne manufacturing including mixing, high-speed encapsulation, bottling lines (capsule and powder), labeling, production components, raw materials, and product powders
- Working knowledge of SolidWorks and AutoCAD required for technical drawing reviews
- Working knowledge of mechanical systems, equipment controls, instrumentation, sensors, and vision systems; ability to guide technicians and engineers in effective technical problem-solving
- Ability to compile detailed project timelines and actively manage resource allocation
- Ability to guide and lead cross-functional teams in developing Process Failure Mode and Effects Analyses (PFMEAs) at a subject matter expert level
- Prior experience working with and mentoring junior engineers or engineering interns (required)
- Comfort with and extensive experience interacting with senior management, company staff, and third parties
- Ability to supervise and manage others, delegate appropriately, and follow up on work assignments
