Head of Respiratory Product Manufacturing

Date: 5 Aug 2025

Department: Plant Operations Nerviano

Business Area: Industrial Operations & HSE

Job Type: Direct Employee

Contract Type: Permanent

Location:

Milano, IT

About us

Based in Parma, Italy, Chiesi is an international research-focused pharmaceutical and healthcare group with over 85 years’ experience, operating in 30 countries with more than 6,000 employees (Chiesi Group). To achieve its mission of improving people’s quality of life by acting responsibly towards society and the environment, the Group researches, develops and markets innovative drugs in its main therapeutic areas: Discover more here

We are proud to be the largest global pharmaceutical group to be awarded B Corp Certification, a recognition of high social and environmental standards. We are a reliable company that adopts and promotes a transparent and ethical behavior at all levels.

We believe that the success of Chiesi is built and shaped by our people and our strong set of shared Values and Behaviors. Our people make a critical difference to our success, which is why it is vital that we attract and retain the right talent who will continue to enrich our culture by living and breathing our values and behaviors.

We are committed to embrace diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities. In fact, we are a global family made up of different cultures, different genders, generations, ethnicities, abilities, sexual identities and many other enriching diversities.

Chiesi Global Manufacturing Division

Chiesi Group has three production plants:

Parma (Italy), the strategic hub for the production and distribution of our products, serving as an international supply center with exports to over 80 countries. Here, solid medicines such as tablets and dry powders for inhalers, solutions and suspensions for inhalations and sterile suspension vials for endotracheal administration are produced.

In 2024, a new Biotech Centre of Excellence has launched in Parma. The new facility is dedicated to developing and producing monoclonal antibodies, enzymes, and other proteins.

Blois-La Chaussée Saint Victor plant (France), a center of excellence specializing in the production of Dry Powder Inhalers and Metered Dose Inhalers (MDIs). The site manages direct distribution to customers in the French market and exports to other markets, effectively meeting both local and international needs.

Santana de Parnaiba (Brazil), specialized in the production of pressurized solutions and suspensions for inhalation therapy (pMDIs). Additionally, it has an area dedicated to nasal sprays for the European market. Santana produces pressurised solutions and suspensions for inhalation therapy (MDI).

In 2025, a new investment in Nerviano (Italy) has been announced with the construction of a new facility which will be primarily dedicated to manufacturing carbon minimal inhalers (reinforcing the company’s commitment to both patients’ health and sustainable healthcare solutions), dry powder inhalers and sterile biological products.

Who we are looking for

Purpose

We are seeking an experienced and visionary Head of Respiratory Product Manufacturing to lead the establishment of two new production departments (Spray/p-MDI and Dry Powder Inhalers) within a new pharmaceutical facility currently under construction in Nerviano (Milan).

This is a pivotal role responsible for the design, organizational setup, and operational readiness of the departments. The selected candidate will play a key role in defining the layout, equipment URS and will lead the recruitment and development of the production team, from supervisors to operators.

The successful candidate will join a cross-functional project team and will also spend time in other company sites to gain expertise on similar technologies and processes.

Key Responsibilities

Actively contribute to facility design, layout definition and review, and participate in design qualification processes.
Lead the drafting and review of User Requirements Specifications (URS) for production equipment and systems.
Oversee FAT/SAT execution and equipment commissioning activities in alignment with GMP standards.
Build the organizational structure of the production departments from scratch, including the hiring and training of supervisory and operational staff.
Develop and implement production-related procedures (SOPs, batch records, cleaning protocols, logbooks, etc.) in collaboration with QA and Compliance.
Support process validation, cleaning validation, and batch release preparation.
Collaborate with Engineering, QA, EHS, Regulatory Affairs, and Supply Chain to ensure full integration and compliance across functions.
Participate in knowledge transfer activities at existing group facilities to learn about and adapt mature processes and technologies.
Drive a culture of operational excellence, GMP compliance, and continuous improvement.
Ensure high standards in EHS, product quality, and production performance during ramp-up and after go-live.

Education

Degree in Pharmacy, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical/scientific discipline.

Experience Required

Minimum of 8–10 years’ experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Proven experience with p-MDI and/or Dry Powder Inhalers (DPI) technologies.
Experience in greenfield or brownfield projects (facility or line startup) is strongly preferred.
Track record in team building, including recruitment and management of supervisors and operators.

Languages

Fluent English and Italian (written and spoken) is mandatory
Knowledge of French will be considered a plus

Technical Skills

Deep knowledge of GMP regulations, pharmaceutical manufacturing standards, and qualification protocols.
Familiarity with URS drafting, equipment qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ), and process validation.
Strong documentation skills and understanding of production workflows.

Soft Skills

Strong leadership and project ownership mindset.
Entrepreneurial spirit with a hands-on and solution-oriented approach.
Excellent planning, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Ability to operate in dynamic, fast-changing, and international environments.
Willingness to travel domestically and internationally for technical training and knowledge transfer.

What we offer

You would join a dynamic, fast-growing, challenging and friendly environment.
In Chiesi we firmly believe that our people are our most valuable asset, that is why we invest in continuous training, learning and development. Therefore, we strive to continuously promote and satisfy development needs, paying particular attention to the quality of our working environment and to collective well-being.
We want our people to come to work happy every day, and we know how important it is to find the right work-life balance in order to be able to give our best. That is why we offer flexible working approach, remote working, support in the relocation process, tax assistance service for foreign colleagues and many other people-care services.