Site Engineering Manager

Site Engineering Manager – Pharma – CDMO

Belgium

A rare and genuinely exciting opportunity has emerged at a fast-growing, pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) based in the Flemish region of Belgium.

Backed by a specialist private equity investor, the business is at an exciting point, with capital committed for facility expansion and an ambitious plan to grow significantly in the coming years. The incoming Site Engineering Manager will be a cornerstone of that journey.

This is not a maintenance role in the traditional sense. This is a leadership position with real impact, real autonomy, and a platform to shape an entire technical function.

The company

Our client is a specialised pharmaceutical CDMO with an outstanding reputation for quality and reliability. Despite the institutional backing, the culture remains distinctly human. There is a genuine family feel here, a flat structure, fast decision-making, and a leadership team that listens. People are trusted to get on with things. If you know it’s right, you can make it happen, without navigating layers of bureaucracy.

The role

Reporting directly into the Plant Manager and sitting on the management team, you will take full ownership of the technical services function across the site. You will manage a team, with four direct report supervisors covering engineering, environmental controls, maintenance, and facilities.

Your responsibilities will span:

• Full ownership of GMP utilities — purified water systems (a critical raw material for this business), HVAC, clean rooms, and pressure differential management
• Equipment maintenance strategy, with a strong focus on preventive maintenance to ensure production continuity
• Capital engineering projects — new equipment installation, design, and commissioning
• Hosting and guiding client auditors through the facility - a key responsibility in a CDMO environment
• Driving continuous improvement and owning business continuity and disaster recovery planning
• Partnering cross-functionally with production, packaging, quality, and regulatory teams

This is an on-site role. Given the nature of the manufacturing environment, availability outside standard hours is expected on occasion. The organisation operates with flexibility and respect for people’s personal lives but this is a senior, business-critical position and proximity matters.

What we’re looking for

• Ideally 10 years’ experience in GMP environments
• Deep, hands-on knowledge of pharmaceutical GMP utilities
• Proven experience leading technical or engineering teams in a regulated pharmaceutical setting
• Fluent Dutch/Flemish (native level preferred) and strong English
• The maturity and credibility to lead a highly skilled, experienced technical team
• Strong audit experience
• Safety knowledge or formal safety qualifications — a natural companion to this technical remit
• Experience leading engineering or capital projects
• Comfort presenting to and engaging with external clients and regulatory bodies

Culturally, we are looking for someone who listens before they lead, earns respect rather than demanding it, and genuinely wants to work as part of a team — not above it. The person who thrives here will be calm under pressure, decisive when it counts, and passionate about doing things properly.