Associate Director, Engineering & Maintenance

Joining Moderna offers the unique opportunity to be part of a pioneering team that’s revolutionizing medicine through mRNA technology, with a diverse pipeline of development programs across various diseases. As an employee, you’ll be part of a continually growing organization, working alongside exceptional colleagues and strategic partners worldwide, contributing to global health initiatives.

Moderna’s commitment to advancing the technological frontier of mRNA medicines ensures a challenging and rewarding career experience, with the potential to make a significant impact on patients’ lives worldwide. Moderna’s mission is to establish a leading-edge research, development, and manufacturing facility at Harwell, as part of a long-term commitment to onshore mRNA vaccine production for respiratory diseases. This initiative will create a multitude of highly skilled jobs and foster collaboration with academic, NHS and government partners across the UK. We’re looking for global experts eager to join us in this endeavour, contributing to a future where access to life-saving vaccines is a reality for all.

Moderna is seeking an experienced and driven Associate Director of Engineering and Maintenance to lead site-wide engineering vendor management and operational maintenance excellence at our Harwell facility. This individual will play a crucial role in delivering reliable facility and utility operations that support both Research & Development and Manufacturing. Reporting directly to the Site Engineering Lead, this is a site-based role with a strong cross-functional footprint and responsibility for performance, quality, and compliance of technical services. The successful candidate will lead a small maintenance team, manage vendor partnerships, and drive improvements aligned with Moderna’s global engineering governance framework. It’s an opportunity to contribute directly to Moderna’s innovative mRNA platform, while shaping operational standards and gaining exposure to cutting-edge GenAI tools and technology.

Here’s What You’ll Do:

• Provide technical leadership for all hard service delivery, ensuring continuity and quality across facility and laboratory operations.
• Lead a small team of maintenance professionals delivering site-wide maintenance and reliability programs.
• Manage vendor technical performance by developing, implementing, and governing local service expectations aligned to global engineering strategies.
• Own the deployment and tracking of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) with service vendors to continuously enhance performance.
• Coordinate site maintenance activities leveraging internal and external resources, balancing global planning with local execution needs.

Your responsibilities will also include:

• Lead and contribute to critical projects including site shutdowns, CAPEX initiatives, and broader engineering business process improvements.
• Personally manage smaller site improvement initiatives and enhancements that strengthen operational resilience.
• Drive continuous improvement and proactive communication with R&D and Manufacturing stakeholders, identifying and implementing enhancements to support Moderna’s growth.
• Ensure compliance with Moderna’s operational and procedural standards in all engineering activities.
• Serve as the first technical point of contact for operational service issues with vendors, and support the onboarding/offboarding of service providers.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure quality, compliance, timeliness, and cost-effectiveness across all initiatives.

The key Moderna Mindsets you’ll need to succeed in the role:

• “We behave like owners. The solutions we’re building go beyond any job description.” This role demands full accountability and hands-on leadership to drive operational excellence across the Harwell site. You will act as the engineering owner for vendor relationships, maintenance outcomes, and continuous improvement.
• “We digitize everywhere possible using the power of code to maximize our impact on patients.” As Moderna scales, this role offers a unique opportunity to get close to Generative AI tools and digital platforms. You'll be encouraged to adopt innovative technologies and digital solutions that increase operational efficiency and impact.

Here’s What You’ll Bring to the Table:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (i.e. Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, or Civil Engineering) required. Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of Facilities and/or Engineering experience in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industries required. GMP facility experience required.
• Excellent negotiation, interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written) are required. Expected to be able to present work to peers and cross-functional managers and influence leadership decisions. Technical writing skills required.
• Must be able to use his/her technical background to investigate issues using a structured problem-solving approach to determine true root cause and develop effective corrective and preventative actions. Must be able to find true root cause and path forward for complex problems. Demonstrates strategic enterprise thinking, finding innovative ways to deliver results and build trust.
• Must possess outstanding communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills, and the ability to work with enterprise-wide information systems for effective stakeholder management and communication.
• Ability to interact well with other groups and must be able to take ownership of and follow through on assignments. Must be able to drive results on multiple complex assignments simultaneously with minimal required direction from his/her supervisor.
• Experience with Delta Controls (Enteliweb) and Siemens (Desigo) systems preferred.
• Ability to represent Moderna’s interests, objectives, and policies in a professional and responsible manner.
• This position is site-based, requiring you to be at Moderna’s site full-time. This position is not eligible for remote work.
• As part of Moderna’s commitment to workplace safety, this role may require an enhanced pre-employment check.

At Moderna, we believe that when you feel your best, you can do your best work. That’s why our global benefits and well-being resources are designed to support you—at work, at home, and everywhere in between.

• Quality healthcare and insurance benefits
• Lifestyle Spending Accounts to create your own pathway to well-being
• Free premium access to fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness classes
• Family planning and adoption benefits
• Generous paid time off, including vacation, bank holidays, volunteer days, sabbatical, global recharge days, and a discretionary year-end shutdown
• Savings and investments
• Location-specific perks and extras!

The benefits offered may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Moderna and the country where you work.

About Moderna

Since our founding in 2010, we have aspired to build the leading mRNA technology platform, the infrastructure to reimagine how medicines are created and delivered, and a world-class team. We believe in giving our people a platform to change medicine and an opportunity to change the world. By living our mission, values, and mindsets every day, our people are the driving force behind our scientific progress and our culture. Together, we are creating a culture of belonging and building an organization that cares deeply for our patients, our employees, the environment, and our communities. We are proud to have been recognized as a Science Magazine Top Biopharma Employer.