Team Lead Production Planner

Job Description Summary

365 days a year, we aspire to be the best manufacturer of Cell & Gene therapies to ensure our patients have the treatments they need to live longer, healthier lives.

As a Team Leader, you will be responsible for ensuring operational efficiency, effective communication, and prioritization of patient batches across the value stream. Manage the media inventory for all products. You will also develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Work Procedures to ensure all activities align with industry best practices and regulatory standards.

This role is located on-site in Morris Plains, NJ. Novartis is unable to offer relocation support for this role.

Job Description

Major accountabilities :

• Planning & Process Optimization : Establish and optimize a planning process for key value stream functions (Supply Chain, QA, QC, Warehouse, Production Unit Teams) to ensure visibility, communication of priorities, and awareness of all batches manufactured at the plant.
• CMO Process Support : Assist in the development and implementation of CMO processes and governance to streamline operations.
• Project Leadership : Identify and lead projects focused on reducing throughput time and costs across the value stream, while ensuring alignment with company goals.
• Batch Coordination : Coordinate the dispatch of batches across the value stream, including incoming material, Aph handovers, QC testing, and final product packaging & shipping schedules to ensure a level load of tasks.
• Process Facilitation : Facilitate the establishment of new processes to ensure smooth execution of Make / Test / Release operations, contributing to overall production efficiency.
• Accountability & Performance Tracking : Drive accountability for teams meeting their targets. Ensure that missed targets are tracked, root causes identified, and improvement plans are developed and executed.
• Prioritization & Communication : Work closely with the CIM team and Value Stream Manager to ensure proper prioritization of patient batches is planned and communicated effectively across teams.
• Provide day-to-day coaching and decision-making, support end-to-end (E2E) planners to ensure effective production scheduling, issue resolution, and alignment with Value Stream objectives.
• Tool Implementation & Visualization : Support the implementation of tools and systems that allow for visualization, tracking, and prioritization of work throughout the value stream, improving operational transparency.
• SOP & Work Procedures : Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Work Procedures as necessary to ensure consistent and compliant operations.
• Other tasks as assigned

Minimum Requirements :

#LI-Onsite

EEO Statement :

The Novartis Group of Companies are Equal Opportunity Employers. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

Accessibility and reasonable accommodations

The Novartis Group of Companies are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or to perform the essential functions of a position, please send an e-mail to or call and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.

Salary Range

$85,400.00 - $158,600.00

Skills Desired

Bom (Bill Of Materials), Bom (Bill Of Materials), Business Networking, Business Scenario Planning , Change Control, Efficiency, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Erp Systems, excel, Flexibility, General Hse Knowledge, Including Gdp, Inventory Management, Knowledge Of Gmp, Master Data, Material Requirements Planning (Mrp), Microsoft Excel, Microsoft SharePoint, Order Management, Planning, power bi, Product Distribution, Risk Management, sap, SAP S / 4HANA {+ 6 more}