Site Program Lead

Date: 6 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 looking for a Site Program Lead to support and coordinate the Operational Readiness Programs of out new pharmaceutical manufacturing site in Nerviano (Milan). This individual will play a key role in translating strategic objectives into executional readiness across multiple streams.

The Program Lead will act as a program manager and integrator, working across functions (Production, QC, QA, Engineering, Supply Chain, IT, etc.), identifying readiness gaps, driving stream-level planning and execution, and enabling the site to transition from project to operational state in a GMP-compliant and business-ready manner.

Main Responsibilities

Act as program manager for selected readiness streams, such as the creation of QC laboratories or the setup of new production departments.
Define and manage stream plans, milestones, risks, and interdependencies.
Coordinate and align cross-functional contributors involved in each readiness stream (e.g. Engineering, Validation, HR, QA, Procurement).
Ensure timely delivery of stream outputs (e.g. procedures, layouts, equipment, documentation, people readiness).
Monitor the overall progress of operational readiness activities, escalating bottlenecks and proactively proposing solutions.
Interact with technical SMEs, project managers, and business owners to ensure cross-stream alignment.
Develop and maintain dashboards, reports, and governance routines for stream tracking and decision-making.
Support or lead risk assessments, implementation planning, and problem-solving related to GMP readiness.
Represent the operational readiness function in internal meetings and report regularly to site leadership.

Experience Required

Minimum 8–12 years of experience in pharmaceutical operations, technical operations, or manufacturing projects.
Proven experience in greenfield or brownfield site projects, tech transfer, or operational startup environments.
Solid understanding of GMP principles, pharmaceutical quality systems, and regulatory expectations.
Experience in or close interaction with QC labs, production departments, or MS&T is highly preferred.
Background in project or program management in complex, matrixed environments.

Education

Degree in Life Sciences, Engineering, or a related field.
Project management certification (e.g. PMP, Prince2) is a plus.

Languages

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

Technical & Soft Skills

Strong program management and organizational skills: able to track multiple workstreams and interdependencies.
Good knowledge of tech transfer dynamics, GMP documentation, and operational setup activities.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills – able to engage with senior leaders and operational teams alike.
Analytical, structured, and solution-oriented.
Capable of leading cross-functional meetings, facilitating decisions, and driving alignment.
Comfortable with ambiguity and capable of working in a fast-evolving project environment.

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.