Head of QA Operations, Product & Batch Flow

At Bavarian Nordic, we are committed to saving and improving lives by unlocking the power of the immune system. Our commercial 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—working every day to protect people’s health and quality of life and protecting our tomorrow.

We are seeking an experienced Head of QA Operations with solid leadership and solid QA operations experience. Reporting to the Director QA Bern, Qualified Person, this role is based in Bern, Switzerland.

The role
As Head of QA Operations, Product & Batch Flow, you will lead a team of eight and drive operational QA activities that ensure compliant, timely, and inspection-ready batch execution across the Bern site.

You will own the Product & Batch Flow pillar, providing leadership across product and batch readiness, manufacturing documentation, raw material quality oversight, stability-related QA activities, and product disposition preparation. Acting as a key partner to Manufacturing, QC, Supply Chain, MSAT, FvP Support, Compliance, and Technical Quality, you will help ensure seamless execution, effective prioritization of quality-related risks, and strong cross-functional collaboration.

Leading a team of eight (Sr) QA Specialists, you will foster a high-performing, quality-focused environment while driving operational excellence, inspection readiness, and continuous improvement across QA operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Leading by example; ensure development and supporting the strategy by leveling the team

• Drive prioritization and governance of deviations, CAPAs, change controls, and validation activities, balancing compliance, business needs, and operational priorities

• Monitor and improve QA performance through KPI management, risk identification, workload balancing, and data-driven decision-making

• Strengthen inspection readiness by ensuring quality systems, processes, and documentation standards remain robust, compliant, and audit-ready

• Champion continuous improvement initiatives that simplify processes, enhance collaboration across functions, and increase the overall effectiveness of QA operations

What You Bring

To succeed in this role, you combine strong QA leadership experience with a solid understanding of GMP manufacturing environments. You are a collaborative and pragmatic leader who can balance operational priorities, compliance requirements, and stakeholder needs while driving quality excellence. Besides this, we are looking for someone who brings:

• A degree in Pharmacy, Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Engineering, or a related scientific discipline

• Proven experience in Quality Assurance within the pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical industry, ideally supporting manufacturing operations

• Strong knowledge of GMP, batch disposition, deviation management, change control, CAPA, and inspection readiness

• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams in a complex, cross-functional environment

• Confident communicator with the ability to influence stakeholders and make risk-based quality decisions

• Continuous improvement mindset with a focus on simplification, operational excellence, and quality culture

Given our global environment, fluency in English, both written and spoken, is essential – knowledge of German is a clear advantage.

Why this role
This is a unique opportunity to lead a critical QA function at the heart of product release and manufacturing operations. As Head of QA Operations, Product & Batch Flow, you will play a key role in ensuring quality, compliance, and operational excellence across the site while partnering with senior stakeholders across Manufacturing, QC, Supply Chain, MSAT, and Quality.

You will have the chance to shape the future of QA operations, lead and develop a talented team, drive continuous improvement, and make a visible impact on business performance. If you thrive in a dynamic GMP environment and enjoy combining strategic leadership with operational execution, this role offers both influence and growth.

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 we do not support any relocation package for this role. And we do not offer any cross-border contracts; hence you have to live and work in Switzerland.

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.

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