External Manufacturing Innovation Technical Lead

About the role

Opella, a self-care brand group with over 100 brands and 13 manufacturing sites, is looking for an External Manufacturing Innovation Technical Lead based in Istanbul. As the technical lead for innovation projects across its external manufacturing network, you will work with CMO/CDMO partners and internal stakeholders to deliver manufacturing solutions that are robust, compliant, cost-effective and aligned with quality, supply and business needs. You will also assess and due diligence potential partners, identify supply chain risks and define mitigation strategies.

Key responsibilities

• Lead innovation initiatives from concept and feasibility through launch readiness and post-launch review
• Plan, carry out and document technical visits to CMOs/CDMOs covering capabilities, equipment, process readiness, capacity, packaging and technology requirements
• Lead or contribute to technical due diligence for licensing, buy, make-externally and partner-supply opportunities
• Organise and run CDMO Innovation Showcase workshops to advance innovative concepts
• Manage end-to-end execution plans, milestones, risks, resources, governance and cross-functional coordination
• Maintain technical risk assessments and mitigation plans covering formulation, packaging, process transfer, validation, material qualification, regulatory readiness, capacity and CAPEX
• Coordinate with Innovation, R&D, Regulatory, Quality, Procurement, Supply Chain, Legal/IP and external partners
• Prepare weekly meetings for project governance and drive sustainability initiatives such as COGs reduction
• Manage sourcing cases, promote the preferred CDMO network and contribute to CMO rationalisation
• Capture lessons learned and turn them into checklists and guidance, and identify productivity gains and sustainability opportunities

Required profile

• Experience in pharmaceutical, consumer healthcare, food supplement, OTC or related regulated manufacturing environments
• Strong understanding of CMO/CDMO operations, technology transfer, scale-up, validation, packaging, quality systems and launch readiness
• Proven ability to conduct technical assessments, due diligence and partner evaluations
• Project management discipline: milestone planning, risk management, stakeholder alignment and governance
• Ability to work across complex cross-functional networks and influence decisions without direct authority
• Commercial awareness linking technical choices to cost, timeline, supply continuity and gross margin
• Science degree; 5+ years in project management and 3+ years in production or a related field