Are you passionate about building reliable, high-performing external manufacturing partnerships that protect supply, quality and business value?
IFF is a global leader in Flavors, Fragrances, and Health & Biosciences, delivering innovative and sustainable solutions that enhance everyday products and experiences around the world.
As Director, Contract Manufacturing, you will provide strategic leadership for IFF's contract manufacturing network across Health & Biosciences. You will drive operational performance, supply resilience, risk management, and long-term value creation by developing and executing a best-in-class external manufacturing strategy. Working across a complex global network of partners and stakeholders, you will play a critical role in ensuring a reliable, scalable, and competitive supply base that supports business growth.
This position can be based in one of our European hubs, preferably Leiden, Netherlands; Bruges, Belgium; or Lyngby, Denmark.
You will join a collaborative, forward-thinking operations organization committed to continuous improvement, innovation, and operational excellence. Together, we challenge the status quo, build sustainable solutions, and create lasting impact across our business.
Where You'll Make a Difference
- Lead contract manufacturing strategy, performance, and risk management, driving operational excellence across the external manufacturing network.
- Develop and continuously improve the contract manufacturer lifecycle framework to support long-term business growth, resilience, and supply continuity.
- Partner cross-functionally to evaluate make-versus-buy opportunities, assess supplier capabilities, and support long-range network and capacity planning.
- Develop sourcing and negotiation strategies for new and existing manufacturing partnerships, supporting key commercial and contractual decisions.
- Ensure external manufacturing partners deliver the capacity, capability, quality, and service levels required to meet evolving business needs.
- Establish and maintain robust governance processes covering intellectual property protection, regulatory compliance, contractual obligations, risk mitigation, and asset management.
- Lead, develop, and strengthen the Contract Manufacturing organization, advancing capabilities and best practices across the Probiotics, Cultures, and Enzymes business units.
- Drive strategic initiatives that enhance supply performance, supplier reliability, operational efficiency, and profitability through improved processes, systems, and data management.
How You'll Stand Out
- Extensive leadership experience across manufacturing, supply chain, external manufacturing, and operational excellence environments.
- Proven ability to translate complex challenges into actionable strategies and business outcomes.
- Experience working with suppliers and contract manufacturers, with exposure to contract management, governance, auditing, and risk mitigation best practices.
- Demonstrated success influencing stakeholders and driving alignment across functions, regions, and organizational levels.
- Strategic mindset combined with a strong bias for execution, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Exceptional communication and leadership skills, with the ability to simplify complex topics and support effective decision-making.
- Experience leading high-performing teams and building organizational capabilities in a global environment.
Why Join Us?
- Shape the future of contract manufacturing strategy within IFF's Health & Biosciences business.
- Build resilient supplier partnerships that support business continuity, customer satisfaction, and sustainable growth.
- Collaborate with a diverse global network across Supply Chain, Sourcing, Quality, Manufacturing Technology, Commercial, and Operations teams.
- Lead initiatives that drive operational excellence, digital enablement, and data-driven decision-making.
- Develop future talent and strengthen a critical organizational capability with broad business impact.
- Make a visible contribution to the growth, profitability, and long-term success of a global industry leader.
We are a global leader in taste, scent, and nutrition, offering our customers a broader range of natural solutions and accelerating our growth strategy. At IFF, we believe that your uniqueness unleashes our potential. We value the diverse mosaic of the ethnicity, national origin, race, age, sex, or veteran status. We strive for an inclusive workplace that allows each of our colleagues to bring their authentic self to work regardless of their religion, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, or disability.
Visit IFF.com/careers/workplace-diversity-and-inclusion to learn more