VP, Quality Operations (Ireland or U.S. based)

Zoetis is the world’s leading animal health company, driven by our purpose: to nurture our world and humankind by advancing care for animals. With a legacy of nearly 75 years, we help predict, prevent, detect, and treat animal illness, supporting veterinarians, livestock producers, and pet owners in over 100 countries.
We support 8 core species—dogs, cats, horses (companion animals) and cattle, swine, poultry, fish, sheep (livestock)—across 7 major product categories: parasiticides, vaccines, dermatology, anti-infectives, pain and sedation, other pharmaceutical products, and animal and human health diagnostics.
We have established Core Beliefs that are the foundation of the commitments we make to each other, our customers and our stakeholders every day:
• Our Colleagues Make the Difference
• Always Do the Right Thing
• Customer Obsessed
• Run It Like You Own It
• We are One Zoetis
You can read more about Zoetis in our 2025 annual report and by visiting:
Zoetis 2025 Annual Report
THE ROLE
Guided by Zoetis’ purpose—to nurture our world and humankind by advancing care for animals—this role ensures a reliable supply of high-quality products through a robust, compliant, and continuously improving Quality Management System across BioPharmaceuticals and BioVaccines internal manufacturing operations amid evolving global regulations.
Reporting to the SVP Global Quality, Sustainability & EHS (GMS), the VP is a core member of the Global Quality, Sustainability & EHS Leadership Team and the Global Manufacturing Operations Leadership Team, serving as the primary quality compliance leader and connector for the BioPharmaceuticals and BioVaccines GMS Platform.
The teams reporting into this role include:
Atlanta, US Site Quality Lead
Charles City, US Site Quality Lead
Lincoln and White-Hall US Site Quality Lead
Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium Site Quality Lead
Tullamore, Ireland Site Quality Lead
Suzhou, China Site Quality Lead
Overhalla and Klofta, Norway Site Quality Lead
Quality & Compliance Inspection Readiness Lead
POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES
Main responsibilities
Provide platform-level leadership and independent governance for Manufacturing Quality (QA/QC) across all internal BioPharmaceuticals (mAbs) & BioVaccines sites, ensuring the QMS and GMP controls are in place, in use, and in sustained control to deliver compliant, reliable supply.
Own and execute the platform Quality strategy, translating business needs into clear objectives/targets, a best-in-class quality culture, and measurable improvements in quality performance and operational excellence across the product lifecycle.
Lead end-to-end quality oversight of the commercial manufacturing lifecycle—from CMC registration of GMS-generated data through tech transfer, PPQ, launch, and ongoing supply—ensuring continued alignment with approved filings and evolving health authority expectations.
Partner with VMRD/DS&T and GMS Process Owners (GMT/Manufacturing) who own and execute process/analytical development and validation; Quality approves the validation lifecycle strategy, sets risk-based governance, and ensures rigorous documentation and quality decision-making.
Ensure continued compliance and robustness through CPV oversight, strong deviation investigations/CAPA, disciplined change control, data integrity, inspection readiness, and product release governance.
Co-lead platform Quality governance with the BioPharmaceuticals (mAbs) & BioVaccines Platform Lead, including establishing and facilitating the Platform Quality Council to embed Quality strategy into commercial manufacturing plans, targets, and business continuity planning, while ensuring compliance with licenses and local requirements.
Drive harmonization, learning, and innovation across sites by leveraging best practices and accelerating data/digital and predictive analytics in Quality Operations.
Build a scalable organization through talent development, retention, succession planning, and resourcing; represent BioPharmaceuticals (mAbs) & BioVaccines platform Manufacturing Quality with key external bodies as needed and contribute as a senior leader within Global Manufacturing and Global Quality, Sustainability & EHS leadership forums to enable Zoetis growth.
Success in this role is measured by:
A high-performing, aligned, and agile BioPharmaceuticals (mAbs) & BioVaccines Quality Operations community with a strong, embedded GMP and compliance culture that enables business growth and reliable supply.
A forward-looking platform Quality Operations strategy with the right policies, standards, QMS processes, systems, and tools to anticipate regulatory expectations and strengthen execution.
A strong, diverse, and recognized QA/QC organization with clear succession depth, sustained engagement, and the capability to scale with demand.
Operational continuity and supply reliability, evidenced by no critical quality events and effective control of deviations, investigations, and CAPA.
Strong CMC outcomes enabled by high-quality data generated at commercial manufacturing sites, including: first-pass approval of CMC registration packages, successful and on-time commercial launches, and a measurable reduction in CMC-related observations/deficiencies through a maturing GMS platform QMS—keeping operations aligned with approved filings and systematically embedding learnings from internal audits, regulatory inspections, CMC deficiency/incomplete letters, and evolving health authority expectations/interpretations.
Accelerated, compliant execution through digitalized Quality processes that improve batch disposition cycle time, strengthen decision-making, and enable proactive QA/QC capacity planning to meet increasing volume and customer demand.
EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION
Profile & Experience
Senior manufacturing Quality Operations leader (biologics/biopharma strongly preferred) with a proven record leading multi-site, international QA/QC organizations through complexity, change, and growth—delivering inspection readiness, reliable supply, and operational excellence in a collaborative leadership environment.
Demonstrated success building and optimizing cGMP operating models for BioPharmaceuticals (mAbs) and/or BioVaccines, including tech transfer, PPQ/validation governance, launch readiness, commercial supply, deviation/CAPA effectiveness, change control, data integrity, and product release.
Strong working knowledge of global Quality, Compliance, and Regulatory expectations across biologics manufacturing environments (GMP; GDP), with the credibility to influence Manufacturing/GMT, VMRD/DS&T, QC, Supply Chain, Regulatory CMC, and external stakeholders.
Animal Health experience is an advantage but not required; must show high learning agility and genuine interest in the industry and Zoetis’ purpose and customers.
Critical leadership competencies
Customer centricity & customer satisfaction: Anticipates and responds to customer needs (veterinarians, producers, and partners) by ensuring reliable supply, right-first-time quality, transparent quality decisions, and rapid issue resolution—strengthening trust, enhancing customer experience, and enabling Zoetis growth.
One Zoetis / platform alignment: Breaks silos across BioPharma/BioVaccines sites and functions to execute a unified Quality strategy and raise GMP maturity.
Inclusive, courageous leadership: Builds trust through listening and transparency; invites challenge and makes timely, high-quality decisions.
Talent and culture builder: Develops leaders, strengthens succession depth, and embeds a purpose-driven, speak-up, accountability culture.
Resilient and steady under pressure: Leads calmly through compliance risk, supply disruption, and ambiguity—holding high standards with clarity and empathy.
Enterprise influencer: Shapes outcomes through partnership and persuasion, not control; balances compliance, quality, and business priorities.
Data- and digital-minded operator: Uses analytics and digital enablement to improve compliance, throughput, and speed of decision-making.
Education & qualifications
BS in Pharmacy, Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences or related discipline; Master’s degree strongly preferred.
Significant senior leadership experience in pharmaceutical/biological Quality Operations, ideally including commercialization and launches of cGMP biologics and/or vaccines.
Track record delivering superior results through a combination of quality governance, operational excellence, organizational development, and business leadership.
Deep familiarity with relevant standards/expectations (as applicable): FDA cGMP (21 CFR), EU GMP (EudraLex Vol. 4), ICH, and animal health/biologics regulations such as USDA/APHIS.
Technical and executive presence requirements
Excellent analytical, written, and verbal communication skills; able to present to Executives with clear risk-based recommendations.
Proven ability to lead cross-site transformation, continuous improvement, and change management in a fast-paced digitalized manufacturing environment.
High personal credibility as a spokesperson for Quality Operations; strong stakeholder management across regions, cultures, and levels.
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