Chief Operating Officer

Mantell Associates is partnered with a leading global Pharmaceutical company headquartered in Switzerland, who is seeking a seasoned and visionary Chief Operating Officer to oversee its global operations.The COO will be responsible for ensuring operational excellence across manufacturing, supply chain, quality, and compliance while driving efficiency and enabling the company’s growth ambitions.COO - Responsibilities:Provide strategic leadership and oversight for all operational functions, including Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, and Facility ManagementDevelop and implement operational strategies that align with the company’s global business goals, ensuring robust, scalable, and compliant processes are in place across sitesLead cross-functional collaboration to optimize end-to-end product lifecycle - from R&D through commercial supply - delivering on time, within budget, and with high quality standardsDrive continuous improvement initiatives, operational excellence programs, cost optimization, and risk management to enhance productivity and maintain competitive advantageEnsure compliance with global regulatory requirements, GMP standards, and internal quality systems; maintain readiness for audits and inspectionsBuild, mentor, and inspire high-performing teams; promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and quality throughout operationsOversee capital projects, technology transfers, and capacity planning to support product portfolio expansion and global market demandsCOO - Requirements:Extensive leadership experience in operational roles within the pharmaceutical industry, ideally with a strong track record in global manufacturing, supply chain, or quality operationsDemonstrated ability to operate at senior executive level (COO or equivalent) with P&L responsibility, managing multi-site operations, and driving performance metricsDeep understanding of GMP, regulatory compliance, global supply chain dynamics, and the operational challenges of pharmaceutical manufacturing and distributionProven expertise in scaling manufacturing operations, overseeing tech transfers, capacity expansion, and process optimizationExcellent strategic thinking, decision-making, communication, and stakeholder management skills; capable of engaging with C-suite, board, regulatory bodies, and global functional leadersFluent in English; proficiency in German, French, or Italian advantageous, given Switzerland’s multilingual environmentBased in Switzerland, with legal eligibility to work there, and ability to maintain on-site leadership presence as requiredMantell Associates is a specialist Pharmaceutical and Life Science headhunting firm. For more information on this opportunity, contact us at +44 (0)20 3854 7700.