Director, Global Manufacturing Learning & Capability Development

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!
As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets.

At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.
At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.
Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!
Your role:
As
Director, Global Manufacturing Learning & Capability Development
, you will shape and implement the strategic vision and roadmap for learning across our Small Molecule Manufacturing & Quality (MQ) network.
You will lead the transformation toward a unified, scalable learning approach that balances regulatory compliance, operational excellence, employee onboarding, leadership readiness and continuous capability development. Working across manufacturing sites and in close partnership with Global L&D and business leaders, you will ensure our people have the capabilities they need to deliver reliable supply with integrity and excellence.
This role provides direct leadership to MQ L&D resources across the network and will play a key role in transforming our learning ecosystem through process harmonization, digital learning, analytics and emerging technologies including AI.
Your Responsibilities:
Define and lead the
learning strategy and transformation roadmap
across the Small Molecule MQ network.
Lead and develop
MQ L&D resources
, ensuring clear accountability and effective collaboration across the network.
Translate business and site needs into
scalable learning solutions
that improve performance, compliance and employee engagement.
Drive
harmonization and optimization of learning processes
across manufacturing sites in partnership with Global L&D and MQ leadership.
Shape effective learning experiences across
live, virtual, on-demand and blended formats
, applying adult learning and behavioral science principles.
Drive
digital innovation
, including LMS optimization, AI-enabled learning, analytics and emerging technologies such as VR/AR.
Design and facilitate
frontline leadership development
initiatives supporting MQ transformation and continuous learning.
Establish
KPIs, analytics and dashboards
to measure learning effectiveness and impact on manufacturing outcomes.
Lead cross-functional learning initiatives and build strong partnerships with
site leaders, Global L&D, Quality, SMEs and external partners
, while managing relevant vendors, budgets and timelines.
What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):
Bachelor’s degree in
Life Sciences or a related field
.
7+ years of progressive experience
in pharmaceutical or biotech manufacturing site roles.
4+ years of direct people-management experience
.
Proven success developing and leading learning initiatives that support manufacturing sites and deliver measurable results.
Demonstrated
operational excellence mindset
, including experience with process harmonization and optimization.
Strong knowledge of global industry regulations and compliance requirements, such as
FDA, USDA and EU GMP
.
Experience leading and developing effective teams within a
virtual environment
.
Demonstrated ability to influence, collaborate and build effective partnerships across functions and leadership levels.
Strong facilitation and coaching capability, with experience developing and/or delivering
leadership training
.
Fluent written and spoken English.
What will give you a competitive edge (preferred qualifications):
Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification
.
Experience leading learning or training programs within
global, matrixed life sciences organizations
.
Expertise in
digital learning design, AI-powered learning solutions and performance analytics
.
Experience with
Learning Management Systems (LMS), content-authoring tools and multimedia learning solutions
.
Knowledge of emerging learning technologies, including
VR/AR and adaptive learning platforms
.
Certification or formal training in
adult learning theory
.
Additional Information:
Travel: 30% mainly in EU
Location:
Speke, UK on-site preferrable. Hybrid Work Environment possible
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!
Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status
Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our
Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.