Associate Director, Engineering

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. 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. 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.
Lead and contribute to critical projects including site shutdowns, CAPEX initiatives, and broader engineering business process improvements.
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 solutions we’re building go beyond any job description.” You will act as the engineering owner for vendor relationships, maintenance outcomes, and continuous improvement.
“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.
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.
Technical writing skills required.
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 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.
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
Generous paid time off, including vacation, bank holidays, volunteer days, sabbatical, global recharge days, and a discretionary year-end shutdown
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, a Fast Company Best Workplace for Innovators, and a Great Place to Work in the U.Moderna champions the significant benefits of in-office collaboration by embracing a 70/30 work model. This 70% in-office structure helps to foster a culture rich in innovation, teamwork, and direct mentorship. Moderna is committed to equal opportunity in employment and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry or citizenship, ethnicity, disability, military or protected veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, or any other personal characteristic protected under applicable law. We consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.
Moderna is committed to offering reasonable accommodation or adjustments to qualified job applicants with disabilities. Any applicant requiring an accommodation or adjustment in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should contact the Accommodations and Adjustments team at leavesandaccommodations@modernatx.