Director, Supply Chain (f/m/d)

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue of approximately $40 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, increasing productivity in their laboratories, improving patient health through diagnostics or the development and manufacture of life-changing therapies, we are here to support them. Our global team of more than 100,000 colleagues delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services, Patheon and PPD.

As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you’ll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond by developing solutions for some of the world’s toughest challenges, like protecting the environment, making sure our food is safe or helping find cures for cancer.

Fisher Clinical Services GmbH is a subsidiary of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. and is a market leader in Clinical Supply Chain Management Services and Clinical Supplies for patients worldwide.

You can find out more about our location in Weil am Rhein and Rheinfelden here:

For the support of our team we are looking for you as

The Director of Supply Chain – Germany & Switzerland leads all end-to-end supply chain operations across the Clinical Trials Division network in both countries, encompassing material availability, warehousing, fulfillment, distribution, import/export compliance, scheduling, SIOP, and supply chain transformation. The role ensures operational excellence, regulatory compliance (GMP/GDP/IATA), and business continuity, while driving strategy, digital enablement, and continuous improvement across a complex multi-site clinical supply chain network.

Sitting on the Supply Chain Leadership Team, the Director develops and executes regional supply chain strategies aligned with CTD EMEA transformation programs and Thermo Fisher’s operational standards. This leader enhances customer satisfaction, optimizes working capital, advances productivity, and enables business growth by building high-performing teams and strengthening end-to-end supply chain performance.

About the sites

Clinical Trials Division operates through multiple sites in Germany (Rheinfelden, Weil am Rhein) and Switzerland (Allschwil). Together, these sites employ over professionals focused on clinical trial labelling, packaging and distribution operations. The core of our supply chain business is in Germany, where our facilities are specialized in clinical supply distribution, secondary packaging, cold chain logistics and import/export management, all under cGMP/cGDP compliance and supported by advanced automation technologies. The overriding focus is agility, quality and on-time delivery to patients across Europe and global markets.

A day in the life

Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Develop and execute regional supply chain strategies aligned with CTD EMEA transformation and global supply chain initiatives
• Guide end-to-end supply chain planning, including material availability, inventory performance, demand forecasting and SIOP integration
• Lead the integration and optimization of warehousing, fulfillment, transportation, materials management and scheduling across Germany and Switzerland
• Translate strategic objectives into actionable operational plans that deliver world-class customer satisfaction, cost efficiency and regulatory compliance
• Ensure robust business continuity planning and operational resilience across all sites

Operational Excellence

• Oversee daily execution of supply chain operations including receipt, storage, fulfillment, distribution, staging and materials returns/destruction
• Maintain uninterrupted GMP/GDP/IATA compliance and ensure ongoing audit readiness
• Drive continuous improvement, Lean principles and productivity gains using the Practical Process Improvement (PPI) business system
• Utilize KPIs, capacity metrics and planning tools to optimize service levels and performance

Customer & Stakeholder Engagement

• Partner across global supply chain, commercial teams, Packaging Operations, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Finance, HR and Client Services
• Serve as the primary operational interface with global supply chain leadership, ensuring visibility, alignment and execution across the value chain
• Strengthen operational reliability and ensure seamless delivery of clinical materials to customers and patients

Financial & Business Performance

• Achieve growth, profitability and working-capital objectives through optimized inventory, capacity planning and cost structures
• Coordinate cost-relevant actions with the Sr. Director & General Manager impacting site, business line or divisional budgets
• Contribute to capital planning and strategic investment proposals focused on network modernization, automation and expansion

People Leadership

• Lead, inspire and develop a geographically dispersed multi-site team
• Build organizational capability through effective hiring, coaching, talent development and succession planning
• Champion a culture of inclusion, engagement, safety and alignment with Thermo Fisher’s 4i Values: Integrity, Intensity, Innovation and Involvement
• Develop high-performing teams adept at change leadership and continuous improvement

Keys to Success

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business Administration, or a scientific/technical discipline
• Advanced degree (MBA or Master’s) preferred
• APICS certification strongly recommended
• Lean, Six Sigma Green/Black Belt certifications preferred

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in supply chain or operations leadership in a complex matrix organization, ideally within the life sciences, pharmaceutical, or clinical trial services sector
• Proven track record in regulated logistics, distribution, and import/export compliance
• Experience driving operational transformation and digital enablement initiatives
• Preferred demonstrated success leading multi-country and multi-site operations

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Deep understanding of supply chain, logistics, and distribution processes
• Strategic and analytical thinker with strong execution focus
• Strong leadership, decision-making, and influencing skills in matrixed organizations
• People management experience (at least 5 years)
• Commitment to customer focus, operational excellence, and continuous improvement
• Very good language skills in English and German

What we offer

• Employment with an innovative, future-oriented organization
• Outstanding career and development prospects
• Company pension scheme and other fringe benefits
• Exciting company culture which stands for integrity, intensity, involvement and innovation