Director of Facilities and Engineering

Job details

Job Type: Full-time Exempt

Number of hires for this role:1

Qualifications

    • Bachelor’s/Master’s in Engineering / Science (Preferred)
    • Pharmaceutical / Medical Device Experience: Minimum 15 years

Position Overview

 

The Director of Facilities and Engineering is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing all aspects of facilities management, engineering operations, and capital projects within Rion’s labs and manufacturing environment. This position ensures the reliable and compliant operation of manufacturing, laboratory, and administrative facilities, supporting the organization's mission to deliver high-quality products. The ideal candidate brings a strong engineering education, extensive industry experience, and proven leadership in regulated environments.

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead and manage the facilities and engineering activities, fostering a culture of safety, compliance, innovation, and continuous improvement.
  • Develop and implement strategic plans for facility operations, preventive maintenance, utilities, and capital projects to support business objectives and regulatory requirements.
  • Oversee the design, construction, commissioning, and validation of new facilities and utilities, ensuring alignment with cGMP, EMA, OSHA, and other relevant regulations.
  • Manage facility budgets, vendor relationships, and service contracts to optimize operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Quality, EHS, Manufacturing, R&D, Supply Chain) to ensure facility readiness and operational excellence.
  • Lead risk assessments, emergency preparedness, and business continuity planning for all facilities and critical systems.
  • Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in pharmaceutical engineering and facility management.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, or related field) required.
  • Minimum of 15 years of progressive experience in facilities and engineering roles within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or life sciences sector.
  • Demonstrated expertise in managing complex, regulated facilities (GMP, GLP, etc.), including laboratory and manufacturing environments.
  • Proven leadership ability with experience building and managing high-performing teams.
  • Strong knowledge of regulatory requirements, quality systems, validation, and EHS standards.
  • Excellent project management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
  • Outstanding communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management abilities.

Preferred Skills and Attributes

  • Professional certifications (e.g., PE, PMP, LEED AP, IFMA) are a plus.
  • Experience with digital facility management systems, automation, and smart building technologies.
  • Track record of implementing sustainability and energy conservation initiatives.

Work Environment

This position is based at our primary pharmaceutical manufacturing and R&D locations in Rochester, MN. Occasional travel (10%) may be required to audit or inspect equipment manufacturers or testing.

Application Process

Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit their resume and cover letter detailing their relevant experience and leadership accomplishments in the pharmaceutical or life sciences sector.

About Rion

Rion is a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Rochester, Minnesota. Rion was founded as a Mayo Clinic Employee Entrepreneurial Program startup company. Rion’s mission is to develop clinically impactful and accessible therapies using innovative regenerative medicine technologies based on extracellular vesicle science. Our proprietary exosome platform has the ability to address significant unmet patient needs in many fields of medicine; accordingly, we are actively pursuing clinical programs in wound healing, cardiovascular diseases, and women’s health. Our ultimate mission is to deliver cutting edge solutions accessible to any patient in need, anywhere in the world.

Rion recognizes the importance of balance and flexibility in our work environment. We offer a wide variety of competitive benefits, services and programs that provide our employees with the resources to pursue career path their goals, both at work and in their personal lives.

We provide a very competitive compensation package with a unique culture focusing on development and wellbeing of our staff. Below are some of the benefits offered by Rion:

Full Health, Dental and Vision Insurance for employees and their dependents.

Health Insurance including PPO or High Deductible Health Plan with Health Savings Account.

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

401K or IRA Retirement Savings

Life Insurance basic life and supplemental life insurance options for self, spouse, children

Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance

Paid Time Off

Paid Holidays

Parking benefits

Rion is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state and local fair employment practices laws. Rion strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, sex (including pregnancy), gender (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender or transsexual individual), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, past, current or prospective service in the uniformed services, genetic information, marital status, AIDS/HIV status, smoker/nonsmoker, and occupational pneumoconiosis or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

  • 401(k)
  • Dental insurance
  • Flexible spending account
  • Health insurance
  • Paid time off
  • Vision insurance