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Job Description
About the role:
We are looking for a dynamic Head of Maintenance and Reliability to lead and optimize our maintenance operations at our Lessines site. If you have a passion for innovation, compliance, and operational efficiency, and want to make a difference in the pharmaceutical industry, this is your opportunity to shine.
How you will contribute:
Reporting to the Engineering Site Head, you will oversee the day-to-day operations of internal and external teams that ensure the functionality, safety, and reliability of our manufacturing systems, operating 24/7. You will drive compliance, performance, and continuous improvement strategies in alignment with global standards and ensure our teams perform at their best. Your responsibilities will include:
Operational Leadership: Manage preventive and corrective maintenance, calibration, and metrology activities to ensure our operations run smoothly without interruptions.
Reliability & Continuous Improvement: Develop and implement a strategic Reliability Engineering program to enhance operational efficiency, minimize downtime, and exceed industry standards.
Compliance Governance: Ensure all operations meet stringent EHS and cGMP guidelines, while driving legal compliance for all equipment across the facility.
Documentation & Systems Management: Own and lead the management of CMMS systems, maintenance schedules, and essential M&R documentation.
Inventory & Budget Oversight: Efficiently manage spare parts inventory, prepare site-level budgets, and ensure optimal resource allocation while meeting cost targets.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Actively liaise with global M&R teams, vendors, and site operators to influence and integrate best practices.
Audit and Investigation Leadership: Represent the team during site audits and lead technical investigations related to maintenance or reliability issues.
Shutdown Planning: Strategically plan and execute maintenance activities during plant shutdowns in collaboration with production teams.
What you bring to Takeda:
- Master’s degree in engineering or related technical discipline.
- Minimum 10 years of relevant technical and management experience in a cGMP manufacturing environment.
- Hands-on experience in managing teams, budgets, and maintenance workflows within a regulated industry environment.
- Profound knowledge of engineering operations, including specialized equipment (e.g., bulk purification and filling lines), reliability programs, and calibration.
- Working experience with GMP, FDA/EMA guidelines, Quality Systems, and EHS standards.
- Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, negotiate effectively, and inspire collaboration both internally and externally.
- Strong decision-making and problem-solving skills for addressing complex scenarios while aligning with business, compliance, and performance goals.
- Language Skills: Fluency in French with a good command of English.
What Takeda can offer you:
We want our employees to succeed in everything they do – at work, at home, and in the community. This is why we offer world-class benefits and access to resources that can support people.
Our sector and the needs of our patients are constantly changing, which is why we emphasize continuous training. We actively support and invest in the development of our employees through a 50/40/10 training model.
We offer a comprehensive benefits package, prioritizing wellbeing, career growth, and work-life balance:
- Generous Time Off: 20 days of paid vacation in accordance with Belgian legislation and 12 Working Time Recovery days with additional days granted based on seniority and age.
- Health & Wellbeing: Comprehensive health and hospitalization insurance, annual check-ups starting at age 45, and support for preventive healthcare.
- Family Support: Paid leave for maternity, paternity, and adoption, along with dedicated spaces for nursing mothers.
- Career Development: Access to a Learning Catalog, language courses, and opportunities for internal and international mobility.
- Transportation & Eco-Benefits: Contributions for public transport, incentives for cycling, and on-site charging stations for electric vehicles.
- Additional Perks: Meal vouchers, eco-cheques, a flex plan, a 13th-month salary, and pension support.
Important Considerations:
At Takeda, our patients rely on us to create quality products, and we aim to create a safe environment for our team members. As a result, we must follow strict rules in our manufacturing facilities to ensure we are not endangering the quality of the product or putting anyone at the site in harm's way. In this role, you may:
- Work in a controlled environment requiring special gowning and wear protective clothing over the head, face, hands, feet and body. This may include additional hearing protection for loud areas.
- Need to remove all make-up, jewellery, contact lenses, nail polish and/or artificial fingernails while in the manufacturing environment.
- Work in a cold, hot environment and load manual handling.
- Work multiple shifts, including weekends, or be asked to work supplemental hours, as necessary.
- Work around chemicals and biologicals products that may require specific protection (respiratory, skin, etc.).
More About Us:
The Takeda Lessines manufacturing site plays a vital role in the production of Takeda’s plasma-based therapies. With over 75 years of pioneering legacy, Takeda is a global leader in rare diseases and ranks in the top three for plasma-derived products. Our Lessines manufacturing site is a state-of-the-art biotechnology production facility with over 50 years of experience, specializing in immunoglobulin purification, plasma-derived therapies, and packaging for treatments targeting blood disorders. Serving more than 250,000 patients worldwide, we are dedicated to delivering high-quality therapies that make a significant impact. As Takeda's third-largest global production site, Lessines plays a pivotal role in our international operations, producing and distributing million vials annually to more than 80 countries.
At Takeda, we are transforming patient care through the development of novel specialty pharmaceuticals and best in class patient support programs. Takeda is a patient-focused company that will inspire and empower you to grow through life-changing work.
Certified as a Global Top Employer, Takeda offers stimulating careers, encourages innovation, and strives for excellence in everything we do. We foster an inclusive, collaborative workplace, in which our teams are united by an unwavering commitment to deliver Better Health and a Brighter Future to people around the world.
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