Senior Manager, Quality Centers of Excellence

The Senior Manager, Centers of Excellence (CoEs) is responsible for establishing, leading, and optimizing one or more prioritized CoEs within the Global Quality Operations organization—such as Inspection Readiness, Audit Effectiveness, or other strategic focus areas. This role drives execution of CoE initiatives, develops tools and frameworks, and delivers performance metrics and dashboards to support continuous improvement and operational excellence. The ideal candidate will have strong global collaboration skills and experience working across cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment.

Key Responsibilities

Centers of Excellence Leadership

• Lead the development and execution of one or more CoEs (e.g., Inspection Readiness, Audit Effectiveness) aligned with global quality priorities.
• Establish CoE charters, operating models, and governance structures to ensure clarity and accountability.
• Develop and maintain tools, templates, and guidance documents to support CoE objectives.
• Collaborate with global and regional quality teams to ensure consistent implementation and adoption of CoE practices.

Execution & Delivery

• Drive the day-to-day operations of assigned CoEs, ensuring timely delivery of initiatives and measurable outcomes.
• Coordinate cross-functional working groups and facilitate workshops to gather input and share best practices.
• Support the development and rollout of training and communication materials related to CoE initiatives.

Metrics & Performance Tracking

• Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure CoE impact and effectiveness.
• Develop dashboards and reporting tools to provide visibility to leadership and stakeholders.
• Analyze data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.

Global Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

• Partner with stakeholders across Regulatory Affairs, Clinical, Manufacturing, Compliance, and IT to align CoE efforts with broader quality strategies.
• Serve as a point of contact for CoE-related inquiries and support global engagement and alignment.
• Contribute to enterprise-wide business excellence initiatives as needed.

Team & Project Support

• May supervise or mentor junior staff or contractors supporting CoE activities.
• Provide project management support for CoE-related initiatives.
• Promote a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, engineering, business, or related field.
• 5–7 years of experience in pharmaceutical quality, operations, or business excellence roles.
• Solid understanding of GxP principles and global regulatory expectations.
• Experience supporting audit or inspection readiness programs.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills across global teams.

• Proficiency in MS Office and data visualization tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI, Tableau).

Preferred

• Experience establishing or managing Centers of Excellence or similar operational frameworks.
• Lean Six Sigma or similar continuous improvement certification.
• Familiarity with quality management systems and digital tools.

Competencies
Accountability for Results - Stay focused on key strategic objectives, be accountable for high standards of performance, and take an active role in leading change.
Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving - Make decisions considering the long-term impact to customers, patients, employees, and the business.
Patient & Customer Centricity - Maintain an ongoing focus on the needs of our customers and/or key stakeholders.
Impactful Communication - Communicate with logic, clarity, and respect. Influence at all levels to achieve the best results for Otsuka.
Respectful Collaboration - Seek and value others’ perspectives and strive for diverse partnerships to enhance work toward common goals.
Empowered Development - Play an active role in professional development as a business imperative.

Minimum $131,153.00 - Maximum $196,075.00, plus incentive opportunity: The range shown represents a typical pay range or starting pay for individuals who are hired in the role to perform in the United States. Other elements may be used to determine actual pay such as the candidate’s job experience, specific skills, and comparison to internal incumbents currently in role. Typically, actual pay will be positioned within the established range, rather than at its minimum or maximum. This information is pr