Director, Facilities & Engineering

The Role:

Agenus West is currently seeking an experienced and performance-driven Facilities Director to oversee the management and operation of Agenus Berkeley and Emeryville sites. The Facilities Director is a crucial member of Agenus site leadership team and reporting directly to Chief Manufacturing Officer.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experiences and technical expertise in managing Engineering, Maintenance, and Metrology operation and have exceptional leadership skills. The Director will be responsible for and lead a team of facilities maintenance, metrology and engineering professionals to ensure facilities systems and its operations are in compliance with cGMP regulations. Your main responsibilities will be to develop and execute department strategy/goals and provide high quality facilities and engineering services to the sites. Actively ensure company compliance with all Federal, State and local permits, licenses, and safety regulations. Additionally, you will provide oversight to site EH&S and laboratory support teams.

In the role you will:

• Direct day to day facilities operations in support of a commercial antibody manufacturing.

• Support the cGMP Manufacturing Operation, General Facilities Services and Workplace Management as required. Ensure 24/7 Plant operations, completion of daily logs, alarm reports, building inspections, operations-based preventative maintenance performed and documented accurately and compliantly in accordance with company cGMP records keeping standards.

• Develop and implementing department goals and strategy to align with company goals.

• Lead and manage facilities teams including technicians, mechanics, managers, supervisors and engineer. Regularly provide technical support, mentorship, and performance feedback to the team members. Offer career guidance and mentor staffs to help with making informed decision and career development. Recognize and reward as appropriate.

• Drive and source Facility Maintenance, Metrology and process control automation functions to ensure company compliance with all cGMP, Federal, State and local permits, licenses, and safety regulations.

• Relationship management and oversight of outsourced facilities and logistics services contracts, providing high quality workplace and building support.

• Support other key Facilities functions such as Site Services and Logistics, EHS and Laboratory Services, Security, Real Estate, Space Management and Capital projects.

• Responsible for the operational readiness of the plant working closely with cross-functional peers ensuring deficiencies are resolved timely and with finality.

• Oversee facility maintenance and repair activities, ensuring efficient operation of all building systems, equipment, and utilities, including WFI, chilled water, hot water, process gases, clean compressed air, vacuum, air handling unit, waste neutralization skid in support of development and manufacturing operations.

• Operate and assume ownership of BAS (Johnston Control) and EMS (Emerson Delta-V) as well as responsibilities for hardware and software upgrade/maintenance.

• Develop and execute preventative and planned maintenance services and strategies for manufacturing, development laboratory functions and office building infrastructure, ensuring high quality and efficient operation of the buildings and environment.

• Create or review SOP as required for new equipment. Manage engineering documentation including TOP, P&ID and relevant engineering drawings.

• Collaborate with functional departments to develop engineering specification and make recommendations for new capital equipment procurement.

• Ensure a safe work environment is maintained through adherence to safety guidelines and policies.

• Create and manage facilities operation and capital budget annually. Identify cost reduction opportunity and implement cost saving measures.

• Build and develop an on-site Facilities support team, comprising both internal and external resources as well as relationship with landlords.

• Manage capital projects for facilities and engineering from start to finish. Develop project scope, business case and manage budgets to ensure expenses remain within the allocated budget.

• Participate in site capacity expansion planning as necessary. Provide design review for facilities/utilities system, layout, personnel flow, and HVAC.

• A key member of our Crisis / Emergency Response Management Team

• Collaboration with others for environmental protection and energy conservation / reduction initiatives

• Prepare and lead site inspections by federal, state and local regulators or authorities

• Provide training to department personnel and ensure maintenance of GMP documentation including the resolution of deviation/CAPA resolution in support of product manufacture and release are completed timely.

• Perform regular inspection round to identify maintenance issue, safety hazards, and operational improvements opportunity.

• Oversee janitorial and day porter team to ensure general sanitary condition for common area and restroom.

• Be available for on-call and weekend duties on an as-needed basis.

• Perform other duties and assignments per recommendation from CMO/Site Head

Qualifications: About You

• Minimum engineering Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical, chemical, electrical, or equivalent.

• At least 15 years' experience in cGMP Facilities Management in Biotechnology or Pharmaceutical industry for commercial operation.

• Excellent leadership, mentoring and people soft skills.

• Minimum of 5 years in leadership role and management experience with the ability to motivate, influence, support staffs.

• Excellence written and verbal communication skills. Ability to collaborate effectively and influence cross-functional teams, peers and external partners. Must be able to make sound operation and management decision.

• Strong technical knowledge and experiences in sanitary and plant utilities system, such as CWFI/HWFI, plant steam, clean steam, compressed air, chilled water, waste neutralization, HVAC, and clean room.

• Strong knowledge and working experiences in change management, commissioning and qualification support for utilities and bioprocess equipment.

• Successful demonstration of supporting laboratory, office and campus or global sites

• Relationship management with suppliers and vendors and Master Service Agreements

• Ability to develop building services and maintenance strategies.

• Experience in energy management and control.

• Project Management / Operations experience

• Budgetary responsibility required.

• Experience in a start-up environment and culture, particularly in a pharma/biotech industry is strongly preferred.

• Experience in BAS and knowledge in process control, automation plus other engineering concepts in support of biologics manufacturing.

• Knowledge of EH&S in support of biotechnology development and manufacturing operations is highly preferred.

• Strong leadership, collaborative and cross-functional skills is preferred.

• Strong organizational skills are required.

• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.

• Experience with project management.

• Experience with Johnson Control and Emerson Delta V

#LI-JW1

The targeted salary range for this position is 170,000-202,500 per year. Agenus is making a good faith effort to be transparent and accurate around our hiring ranges. The salary offered is commensurate with Agenus's compensation philosophy and considers factors including, but not limited to, education, training, experience, external market conditions, critical needs of the role, and internal equity