Job Title – Production Shift Leader (International Deployment)
Work Location – Years 1-2 (Rooting Phase): Shanghai / Wuxi / Suzhou, China (Deep immersion in WuXi system) Years 3+ (Assignment Phase): USA / Singapore (Based on business needs and individual preferences)
Reporting Line – (Rooting Phase) Upstream/Downstream Production Lead, China Site (Assignment Phase) Upstream/Downstream Production Lead, Overseas Site
Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship
Candidates must be bilingqual in English and Mandarin (B2 level minimal)
Career Opportunity
This is a fast-track global leadership program designed to cultivate future leaders with deep roots in China and global influence. To prepare for your future global role, you will first spend two years at China headquarters, deeply embedded in WuXi systems in action—leading local teams and delivering high-impact projects to build your foundation for global leadership. After this foundational period, you will be expatriated as a core leader to one of our overseas sites to assume a senior production management role, equipped with an intimate understanding of our systems and a strong trust network with headquarters.
Job Responsibilities
Phase 1: Frontline Operations & Team Leadership in China (Years 1-3)
- Shift Operations Management: Take full ownership of all shift production activities across staffing, task assignment, and on-the-floor coordination to ensure plans are delivered on time and with quality.
- Team Leadership & Development: Take direct ownership of production engineers development through daily training, skills assessment, and continuous work guidance, fostering a shift culture defined by positivity and strong motivation.
- Quality & Compliance Execution: Strictly enforce GMP standards. Monitor team members' adherence to SOPs. Promptly report and conduct initial handling of deviations and incidents. Participate in CAPA development and execution.
- Problem Solving & Continuous Improvement: Quickly respond to technical or personnel issues on the production floor, coordinating support from Maintenance, Quality, and other departments as needed. Participate in Lean, 5S, and other continuous improvement activities, contributing optimization suggestions.
- Handover & Communication: Lead shift handover meetings to ensure accurate information transfer. Maintain smooth communication with other shifts and support departments to ensure production continuity.
Phase 2: Expanded Leadership at Overseas Site (Years 3+, Long-term Deployment)
- Promoted to Production Supervisor/Manager at the overseas site, taking full responsibility for a broader scope of production teams or process units.
- Transfer frontline management expertise and operational culture from China sites to the overseas team, assisting in local management system setup and talent development.
- As a key frontline leader, lead cross-cultural teams to contribute to the successful delivery of projects at the overseas site.
Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor's degree or higher in Bioengineering, Biochemistry, Pharmaceutical Engineering, or related fields.
- 3+ years of experience in biopharmaceutical GMP production, including at least 1 year in a team leadership or supervisory role (e.g., team lead, group leader, acting supervisor).
- Familiarity with the core operations and equipment of production units: cell culture, purification, or formulation/filling (e.g., bioreactors, chromatography systems, filling lines).
- Experience in commercial production and having undergone FDA/EMA/NMPA inspections is preferred.
- Proficient in frontline tasks such as following production SOPs, completing batch records, and performing material balance calculations.
- Knowledge of international GMP requirements for the production floor (e.g., personnel hygiene, environmental monitoring, cleaning validation).
- Demonstrated ability to handle deviations and perform root cause analysis using common quality tools (e.g., 5 Whys, fishbone diagram)
- Bilingual Proficiency: Ability to use both Chinese and English as working languages. Guide frontline operators and manage shift communication in Chinese. Read technical documents, write basic reports, and participate in meetings in English.
- Cultural Adaptability: Open-minded and adaptable, with a genuine willingness to spend 2-3 years embedded in Chinese culture, working shoulder-to-shoulder with frontline teams to earn trust. Strong interest in global mobility and demonstrated capacity for cross culture growth.
- Leadership Potential: A "lead by example" mindset combined with a "teach by doing" coaching instinct. Skilled at motivating others, strong sense of responsibility, and ability to thrive in shift work environments.
WuXi Biologics is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.
