Group Leader

Today, Lonza is a global leader in life sciences operating across three continents. While we work in science, there’s no magic formula to how we do it. Our greatest scientific solution is talented people working together, devising ideas that help businesses to help people. In exchange, we let our people own their careers. Their ideas, big and small, genuinely improve the world. And that’s the kind of work we want to be part of.

Lonza in Visp is looking for a Group Leader for a part of the Program Management Bioconjugates Business Unit (BU). Key role is to ensure consistent, flawless, project execution to our customers in their respective sites, via leading a local Program Management team. PM Group Leader is responsible for the recruitment, talent development and PM methodologies expertise. He/she is actively contributing to activities prioritization at the site level, in close collaboration with the PM BU Head.

Leadership, business acumen, and ensuring project profitability are key focus areas of the role. PM Group Leader fosters implementation of the Program Management best practises from the global PM organization and actively contributes to improvements areas identification.

In addition to the line management responsibility the Group Leader is managing complex projects, either within one technology, or within multiple technologies and oversees the complete life-cycle of all the projects.

He/she is the key interface between Sales and Operations organizations and the customer. During execution, key focus is on the customer centricity and internally on quality, cost, profitability, timeline and risk management.

Key responsibilities:

• At site level, leads and manages one Program Management group, maintaining, coaching and developing a customer focused Program Management organization.

• Actively drive harmonization and standardization across multiple sites and technologies. Drive change in this respect. Always ensure one face to customer.

• Support Program Managers in issues resolution and prioritization through the programs execution. Effectively manage resource to meet demand and keep programs on track.

• Lead project execution after deal closure for complex projects. Direct, lead and motivate multi-disciplinary project teams and hold team members accountable to deliver results within an agreed project governance structure to ensure customer satisfaction throughout the life of the program. Shared customer relationship management with Account Managers. Ensuring best in class service offering to complex customers with significant impact on future business opportunities

• Manage project scope, timelines and budget and program profitability together with core project team. Raise and prepare scope changes and communicate them to a customer in close collaboration with Account Manager. In collaboration with Account Management / Commercial Development, create mid-long term program strategies.

• Contribute to the local Sales & Operations meeting, by best in class forecasting and demand planning for the given programs.

Key requirements:

• Master’s degree with technical background, or equivalent experience within Life Sciences with strong commercial background and experience in the CDMO business model

• Demonstrated leadership skills, PM role model with recognized and successful experience as Program Manager. Motivational skills to maintain naturally high moral within the matrix team.

• Ability to communicate effectively and at all levels within an organization – be highly skilled at influencing others and negotiations. Has strength of character to have difficult conversations with senior stakeholders including customers, internal team members and senior management; excellent written, oral and presentation skills.

• Results-driven and proactive in mindset.

• Ability to understand complex business strategy and to apply it to the local Program Management structure and management.

• Strong customer and internal interpersonal skills; understands the value of building relationships based on trust.

• Pragmatic, organized and results oriented and with ability to manage multiple priorities.

• Excellent planning, organization and controlling skills.

Every day, Lonza’s products and services have a positive impact on millions of people. For us, this is not only a great privilege, but also a great responsibility. How we achieve our business results is just as important as the achievements themselves. At Lonza, we respect and protect our people and our environment. Any success we achieve is no success at all if not achieved ethically.

People come to Lonza for the challenge and creativity of solving complex problems and developing new ideas in life sciences. In return, we offer the satisfaction that comes with improving lives all around the world. The satisfaction that comes with making a meaningful difference.