Hovione is an independent family owned international group of companies. From the beginning, we have set ourselves above and apart through our innovative technological and productive capabilities, reaching a top spot in the world market as an integrated Contract Development and Manufacturing Company dedicated to helping Pharmaceutical Customers bring new and off-patent drugs to market.
Our people are the main asset for our continued success. Reaching over 1950 team members, from 36 different nationalities, that are located across Asia, Europe and North America (Portugal, US, Macao, Ireland, China, Hong Kong, Japan, India, and Switzerland), including 4 production sites.
Working at Hovione means reaching for innovation and excellence in everything we do: for our clients, our partners and, above all, our patients. That is why we are In it for life.
As the Senior Director, HSE Operations, you will be responsible for driving the operationalisation of Health, Safety & Sustainability (HSS) strategy across all manufacturing sites. Within this critical global leadership role you will lead and partner closely with Site HSE Directors and Global HSE functions to ensure consistent deployment of standards, elevate performance, and embed HSS as a core enabler of operational excellence and business resilience.
Lead the global deployment of Health, Safety & Sustainability (HSS) strategy, translating enterprise vision into practical, site-level execution with measurable results.
Drive consistent implementation of HSS standards across all manufacturing sites while balancing global expectations with local regulatory and operational requirements.
Establish and strengthen governance frameworks to ensure regulatory compliance, corporate standards adherence, and readiness for emerging requirements.
Provide strategic oversight of risk management, audits, and incident investigation processes, ensuring robust root cause analysis and systemic corrective actions.
Champion proactive risk identification and continuous improvement to reduce high-hazard exposure and strengthen operational resilience.
Define and manage global HSS KPIs, leveraging data analytics and insights to benchmark performance and inform executive decision-making.
Foster transparency and accountability through regular performance reviews with site leadership and corporate stakeholders.
Build a strong safety leadership culture by developing and empowering Site HSE Directors as strategic partners within leadership teams.
Strengthen enterprise resilience through global emergency preparedness, crisis management, and coordinated scenario planning.
Act as a trusted advisor and external representative, influencing corporate strategy, capital investment decisions, and advancing the company’s reputation with regulators, industry bodies, and customers
15+ years of progressive HSE leadership experience, including senior multi-site or global roles within high-hazard, regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, or biotechnology.
Proven ability to translate HSE strategy into effective execution across complex organisations, aligning corporate standards with site-level delivery.
Strong expertise in designing and maturing HSE management systems, governance frameworks, and regulatory compliance programmes.
Deep capability in risk management, auditing, incident investigation, and root cause analysis, with a track record of driving sustainable, systemic improvement.
Demonstrated use of data analytics, KPIs, and leading/lagging indicators to improve performance, support decision-making, and strengthen accountability.
Strategic, influential leader with high emotional intelligence, experienced in cultural transformation, leadership development, emergency preparedness, and representing the organisation with regulators, industry bodies, and key customers
Hovione is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer
Inclusion and diversity are key to us. At Hovione, that means a work environment where differences are valued, and everyone is treated with fairness and respect. We want all our team members worldwide to feel supported, respected, and have the opportunity to achieve their full potential, regardless of their age, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation or ethnicity.
Hovione is an international company with over 60 years of experience in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing operations. As a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) with a fully integrated offering of services for drug substances, drug product intermediates and drug products. The company has four FDA inspected sites in the USA, Portugal, Ireland and China and development laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal and New Jersey, USA. Hovione provides pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative drugs, including highly potent compounds, and customized product solutions across the entire drug life cycle. In the inhalation area, Hovione offers a complete range of services, from API, formulation development and devices. Hovione´s culture is based on innovation, quality and dependability. Hovione was the first Chemical/ Pharmaceutical Company to become a Certified B Corp, is a member of Rx-360, EFCG and participates actively in industry quality improvement initiatives to lead new global industry standards.
