Regional Operations Manager (Pharma - North West)

Regional Operations Manager (Lab & Production Services) – West/North-West of Ireland

Our client is seeking an experienced and motivated Regional Operations Manager to join their Lab & Production Services (LPS) leadership team in Ireland. The person will be ideally based within reach of Longford/ Sligo as this is where the biggest customer accounts are currently.

Role/Responsibilities:
Operational & Customer Leadership
• Provide overall leadership across a portfolio of customer accounts and operational sites.
• Act as the primary operational point of contact for designated customer accounts, building trusted relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
• Conduct regular site visits to ensure service delivery, compliance, customer satisfaction and operational consistency.
• Lead operational reviews and customer business reviews, presenting performance metrics, service improvements and development plans.
• Ensure all services are delivered safely, efficiently and in accordance with customer requirements, contractual obligations and company standards.
• Monitor and manage site performance through KPI measurement, SLA adherence and operational reviews.
• Manage customer operational queries, including Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) programmes and service-related escalations.
• Identify opportunities to improve customer experience, operational efficiency and service delivery.
• Develop account-specific improvement plans and support service expansion opportunities.
• Act as the operational owner for strategic customer accounts, ensuring consistency of service delivery across all associated locations.
• Support the mobilisation, integration and ongoing management of new customer sites and service contracts as the business grows.

Business Development & Commercial Support
• Support the growth and development of the Lab & Production Services business across Ireland.
• Attend customer roadshows, networking events and business development meetings.
• Work closely with Commercial and Business Development teams to identify and develop new opportunities.
• Support tender submissions, RFP responses, customer presentations and contract renewal activities.
• Support customer site assessments, solution development and operational planning activities for new business opportunities.
• Identify opportunities to expand existing services and increase customer value.
• Support the development of strategic account plans and service growth initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with commercial and operational leadership teams to support the development of future service capabilities, including technical and scientific support solutions where appropriate.
• Ensure service scope, responsibilities and customer expectations are clearly defined and managed, proactively addressing scope creep and protecting operational teams from non-contractual work requests.

Financial Responsibility & Commercial Accountability
• Support account profitability through effective operational management, resource utilisation and service delivery optimisation.
• Monitor operational expenses and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
• Conduct inventory reviews, consumption analysis and Bill of Materials (BOM) reviews with customers where appropriate.
• Support annual service price increase communications in line with company-approved pricing strategies and guidance provided by Executive Leadership.
• Provide operational insights and performance data to support tenders, proposals and contract renewal discussions.
• Support the preparation of business cases and operational proposals for new customer opportunities and service expansions.
• Support customer retention and account growth through the delivery of high-quality services and operational excellence.
• Utilise operational and financial data to support informed business decisions and continuous improvement initiatives.

People Leadership
• Lead, coach and develop a geographically dispersed team operating across multiple customer locations.
• Provide direct line management to 6 site-based associates and the Regional Business Support Coordinator.
• Manage recruitment, onboarding, training, performance management and succession planning activities.
• Conduct regular one-to-one meetings, development reviews and employee engagement discussions.
• Manage workforce planning, holiday scheduling, sickness absence and contingency coverage.
• Foster a culture of accountability, professionalism, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Partner with HR to effectively manage employee relations matters and support organisational development initiatives.

Compliance, Governance & Continuous Improvement
• Ensure full compliance with Health & Safety, Environmental, Quality and customer-specific requirements.
• Develop and maintain SOPs/GWI’s, Risk Assessments, Statements of Work (SOWs), training records and audit schedules.
• Drive a culture of operational discipline, accountability and compliance across all sites.
• Maintain accurate records of customer interactions, employee discussions, operational decisions and service commitments.
• Ensure customer commitments, employee discussions, operational decisions and service changes are appropriately documented and communicated to maintain effective governance and accountability.
• Ensure clear audit trails and appropriate documentation are always maintained.
• Effectively manage stakeholder expectations and ensure responsibilities remain aligned with agreed service scope and contractual obligations.
• Protect operational teams through clear communication, documented decision-making and appropriate escalation processes.
• Analyse operational, inventory and service performance data to identify trends, risks and improvement opportunities.
• Produce accurate reporting for customers and internal stakeholders.
• Support budget management, profitability objectives and customer inventory reviews.
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement projects that enhance customer value, operational efficiency and the future development of the managed services portfolio.
• Identify opportunities to utilise digital solutions, automation and AI-enabled tools to improve operational efficiency, reporting and customer service delivery.

Education/Experience:
Essential
• Proven experience leading teams within an operational, customer service, service delivery, customer-facing or multi-site environment.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with customers and internal stakeholders.
• Experience managing operational performance through KPIs, service levels, metrics and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong people leadership skills
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities across different locations and customer accounts.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with a data-driven approach to decision making.
• Experience producing reports, analysing trends and presenting operational performance information to stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong commercial awareness and an understanding of how operational performance contributes to customer retention and business growth.
• Ability to work independently, manage ambiguity and make sound decisions in a fast-paced environment.
• High attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining accurate documentation, audit trails and operational governance.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and business reporting systems.
• Full clean driving licence and willingness to travel regularly throughout Ireland.

Desirable
• Experience within Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical, Laboratory Services, Supply Chain, Inventory Management, Facilities Management or other regulated environments.
• Experience supporting customer tenders, RFP submissions, contract renewals or business development activities.
• Knowledge of Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) programmes, inventory management or procurement support services.
• Experience developing SOPs, Risk Assessments, Statements of Work (SOWs) and other operational documentation.
• Experience managing third-party service contracts or outsourced service operations.
• Experience utilising Microsoft Copilot or other AI-enabled productivity tools to support reporting, analysis, communication and operational efficiency.
• Third-level qualification in a scientific, operational, logistics, business or related discipline.
Personal Attributes
• Customer-focused with a passion for delivering service excellence.
• A proactive and solutions-oriented leader who takes ownership and drives results.
• Comfortable challenging existing processes and identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Resilient and adaptable, with the ability to balance operational, customer and commercial priorities.
• Collaborative and relationship-focused, with the ability to build trust and credibility quickly.
• Innovative mindset with a desire to continuously improve services and create value for customers.

For further information please contact:
Karen Shiel on 087 745 2487 or send CV in confidence to [email protected]