Quality Operational Excellence Partner

At Bavarian Nordic, we are committed to saving and improving lives by unlocking the power of the immune system. Our commercial product portfolio includes market-leading vaccines against smallpox, mpox, rabies, tick-borne encephalitis, typhoid fever, and cholera. We excel in R&D innovation, manufacturing, and commercialization, striving to improve people's health and quality of life worldwide, protecting our tomorrow.

To support our growth journey, we are now looking for a passionate Quality Operational Excellence Partner, for our Drug Product (DP) production in Kvistgaard. You will report to the head of DP manufacturing and work in close collaboration with the DP management group.

The role
We need someone being passionate because that is what Operational Excellence is all about; driving continuous improvement and operational excellence in a pharmaceutical production environment.

To succeed in this role, you will need the ability to influence and engage others, strong communication and active listening skills, and the confidence to work closely with teams on the shop floor. As the role is centered around people, collaboration, alignment, and enabling sustainable change, your ability to build trust and create engagement will be key.

This is a hands-on role where your ability to engage, influence, and inspire will be just as important as your technical expertise. Your personality—curious, resilient, and people-oriented—will be your strongest asset, enabling you to build trust, lead change, and drive impact across the organization. You will help foster a culture of continuous improvement, efficiency, and quality, supporting our transition from project-based work to high-volume production. Rather than maintaining existing systems, you will be instrumental in building and evolving our operational foundation from the ground up.

Key responsibilities

In this role, you will work closely with DP management to strengthen leadership capabilities and embed a culture of operational excellence across the organization. You will be responsible for driving and communicating Operational Excellence initiatives across departments, ensuring alignment and engagement at all levels. A key part of your work will involve organizing and facilitating improvement events—such as Kaizen blitzes—to optimize production processes and support our transition to high-volume operations.

Additionally, you will deliver training and coaching in core Operational Excellence disciplines, equipping teams with the tools and mindset needed to continuously improve performance and quality., including:
 

• Performance boards
• Process confirmation
• Systematic problem solving (e.g., A3, root cause analysis)
• Flow mapping and optimization
• 5S implementation
• Role card development for production staff

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What you bring

• You hold an academic degree and bring hands-on experience with Lean manufacturing principles—though we also welcome candidates who are eager to grow and deepen their expertise in this area
• You have a solid foundation in training design and facilitation, and experience from the pharmaceutical industry is a plus
• Fluency in both Danish and English is essential to succeed in our cross-functional and collaborative setting
• You are analytical and structured, with a natural drive to optimize and improve. At the same time, you are communicative and collaborative, bringing a coaching mindset that helps others grow
• Your flexibility and opportunity-driven approach make you well-suited to thrive in a fast-growing organization where adaptability and initiative are key
• Most importantly, your personality—curious, resilient, and people-oriented—is your strongest enabler, allowing you to build trust, inspire change, and make a lasting impact

Why this role
This is a unique opportunity to be part of building something from the ground up in a fast-growing and evolving organization. As a Quality Operational Excellence Partner, you won’t just apply existing tools—you’ll help shape the way we work, influence our culture, and drive meaningful change across Drug Product operations. Whether you're already experienced in LEAN or looking to grow into it, this role offers the chance to expand your capabilities and take a step up in your Operational Excellence journey.

Application
If you are ready to take on a pivotal role in a growing organization and drive meaningful change in healthcare, apply now and join Bavarian Nordic in our mission to improve health outcomes and foster sustainable growth.

Please note that for this position, we do not support any relocation package.

We kindly request that headhunters or recruitment agencies refrain from contacting us regarding this position.

Bavarian Nordic is a global vaccine company with a mission to improve health and save lives through innovative vaccines. We are a preferred supplier of mpox and smallpox vaccines to governments to enhance public health preparedness and have a leading portfolio of travel vaccines. We are headquartered in Denmark and have manufacturing, research, and sales offices across Europe and North America.

Bavarian Nordic is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applications will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

For more information, visit www.bavarian-nordic.com

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