Program Manager VAVE

Bring more to life.

Are you ready to accelerate your potential and make a real difference within life sciences, diagnostics and biotechnology?

At Cytiva, one of Danaher’s 15+ operating companies, our work saves lives—and we’re all united by a shared commitment to innovate for tangible impact. 

You’ll thrive in a culture of belonging where you and your unique viewpoint matter. And by harnessing Danaher’s system of continuous improvement, you help turn ideas into impact – innovating at the speed of life.

Working at Cytiva means being at the forefront of providing new solutions to transform human health. Our incredible customers undertake life-saving activities ranging from fundamental biological research to developing innovative vaccines, new medicines, and cell and gene therapies.

At Cytiva you will be able to continuously improve yourself and us – working on challenges that truly matter with people that care for each other, our customers, and their patients. Take your next step to an altogether life-changing career.

Learn about the Danaher Business System which makes everything possible.

The Program Manager VAVE at Cytiva will deploy the VAVE program globally to achieve total cost improvement goals. This role involves developing and executing annual project plans with preferred suppliers to ensure year-over-year cost improvements. This position will engage cross-functional and regional teams, including R&D, Product Management, Technical Support, Manufacturing, Procurement, and Finance, in the VAVE process to identify cost-saving opportunities and eliminate waste. They will lead internal and supplier VAVE workshops, implement Should-Cost models, conduct product teardowns, and perform competitive benchmarking. Additionally, the manager will collaborate with Product Planning groups to prioritize projects and assign resources for key initiatives, serving as the liaison between Value Engineering and the business units. 

This position reports to the Director of Sourcing Cost Execution, this position is part of the Global Sourcing Organization and will be based at either European sites (Uppsala, Sweden; Portsmouth, UK) or US sites (Duncan, SC; Marlborough, MA).

What you will do:

• Deploy the VAVE program globally throughout Cytiva to achieve total cost improvement goals.
• Develop and execute an annual project plan with preferred suppliers to ensure year-over-year cost improvement goals are met.
• Ensure the engagement of cross-functional and regional teams in the VAVE process, including R&D, Product Management, Technical Support, Manufacturing, Procurement, and Finance.
• Lead internal and supplier VAVE Kaizens to identify cost-saving opportunities and eliminate waste throughout the entire value stream.
• Develop and implement Should-Cost models.
• Conduct product teardowns and benchmark analysis of competitive products.
• Work with Product Planning groups to ensure the prioritization of projects and the assignment of resources for important projects.
• Be the liaison between Value Engineering and the business unit(s).
• Manage Master Planning List (MPL), Rationalized Road Map (RRM), Project Priority List (PPL) for assigned portfolio(s).
• Lead cross-functional Daily Management for Value Analysis Value Engineering (VAVE) projects.
• Manage direct material savings project funnel to achieve annual Cost Execution targets.

Who you are

• Preferably 7+ years in an Engineering/Supply Chain environment.
• Strong project management skills
• Leadership skills necessary to influence and lead cross-functional project teams as well as negotiate with the supply base.
• Knowledge and experience with Design for Manufacturing and Should-Cost tools.
• Previous success with Cost Improvement project management, understanding cost drivers, constructing total cost of ownership (TCO) models, and implementation of cost improvement projects.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Capability to present and teach VAVE concepts to suppliers and peer groups.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes.
• Engineering systems knowledge, including SolidWorks and engineering change processes.
• Communicates fluently in English

Travel, Motor Vehicle Record & Physical/Environment Requirements:

• Ability to travel for 25% of the time.

It would be a plus if you also possess previous experience in:

• Engineering degree
• PMP certification

Cytiva, a Danaher operating company, offers a broad array of comprehensive, competitive benefit programs that add value to our lives. Whether it’s a health care program or paid time off, our programs contribute to life beyond the job. Check out our benefits at Danaher Benefits Info.

Join our winning team today. Together, we’ll accelerate the real-life impact of tomorrow’s science and technology. We partner with customers across the globe to help them solve their most complex challenges, architecting solutions that bring the power of science to life.

For more information, visit www.danaher.com.

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