Chief Operating Officer (COO) / VP Manufacturing and Technical Operations

CONFIDENTIAL RETAINED SEARCH | SAN DIEGO LIFE SCIENCES

We are conducting a confidential, retained search for a life sciences COO, also titled VP of Manufacturing and Technical Operations. The client is a commercial-stage or late clinical-stage biopharma or medtech company in the San Diego / CaliBaja region. This executive reports to the CEO and oversees commercial-scale production, supply-chain resilience, and cross-functional operations. As a result, we seek leaders with 15+ years of manufacturing and technical operations leadership in biopharma or medtech.

Search Reference: TNF-LS-COO-2026 | Manufacturing and Operations Leadership Mandate, Life Sciences

ABOUT THIS SEARCH

Top Notch Finders holds an exclusive, strictly confidential retained search for a COO / VP of Manufacturing and Technical Operations in the San Diego / CaliBaja life sciences corridor. To protect our client and every candidate, we disclose the company’s identity and the specifics of its location only to qualified candidates under a confidentiality agreement. In addition, Top Notch Finders receives and manages every inquiry and application directly.

THE LIFE SCIENCES COO OPPORTUNITY

The COO or VP/SVP of Manufacturing and Technical Operations oversees commercial-scale production, supply-chain resilience, and cross-functional operations. As a result, this executive guides the company through its transition from clinical development to commercial launch. For example, the role partners with CMC and Process Development leadership on tech transfer and scale-up.

MARKET CONTEXT

Life sciences companies in the San Diego / CaliBaja region move from clinical development to commercial launch. Because of this, operations leaders must scale manufacturing and build supply-chain resilience at the same time. In addition, cross-border manufacturing experience, including CaliBaja and Mexico maquiladora operations, differentiates candidates for San Diego-region roles.

For a deeper look at how we evaluate and hire senior leaders in this industry, read The 2026 San Diego Life Sciences Executive Search Hiring Guide. It explains our approach to executive search for manufacturing and technical operations leadership roles.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee end-to-end manufacturing operations, including commercial-scale production and quality systems.
• Lead supply-chain strategy, including de-risking single-source dependencies and building redundancy.
• Manage cross-functional operations across manufacturing, quality, and technical operations.
• Partner with CMC and Process Development leadership on tech transfer and scale-up execution.
• Oversee capital planning and facility investment decisions for manufacturing capacity.
• Ensure GMP compliance and inspection readiness across all manufacturing sites.
• Build and lead the broader technical operations organization as the company scales commercially.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• 15+ years of manufacturing and technical operations leadership experience in biopharma or medtech.
• Demonstrated experience scaling manufacturing from clinical to commercial volume.
• A strong track record managing complex, multi-site supply chains, including advanced-therapy (cell/gene) manufacturing where applicable.
• Experience with GMP compliance and successful health authority manufacturing inspections.
• An advanced degree in engineering, life sciences, or business (preferred); an MBA is a plus.
• Cross-border manufacturing experience, including CaliBaja and Mexico maquiladora operations, is a differentiator.

HOW TO APPLY IN CONFIDENCE

Because this is a discreet, retained engagement, we will never present your candidacy to any organization without your explicit prior authorization. In addition, the hiring company cannot see any application at this stage.

If you are an accomplished manufacturing and operations executive and want to be considered as our next life sciences COO, please submit your resume in confidence through the Top Notch Finders website. Reference search code TNF-LS-COO-2026 in your submission. However, do not include patient-identifiable, trial-blinded, or other confidential clinical information of any kind in your application materials. We will contact only the candidates whose backgrounds align closely with the mandate.