Head of CAPEX (Site Capital Projects Director)

Today, Lonza is a global leader in life sciences operating across five continents. While we work in science, there’s no magic formula to how we do it. Our greatest scientific solution is talented people working together, devising ideas that help businesses to help people. In exchange, we let our people own their careers. Their ideas, big and small, genuinely improve the world. And that’s the kind of work we want to be part of.

Join our Vacaville site as the Head of Capex (Site Capital Projects Director), where you’ll lead the planning and execution of site capital projects, manage a high-performing team, and drive strategic infrastructure development.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the site’s capital budget planning and execution (~$20–30M annually).

• Manage the capital projects portfolio and oversee delivery to cost, time, and quality standards.

• Supervise a team of Project Engineers and support staff, fostering growth and accountability.

• Ensure compliance with global capital standards and controls.

• Collaborate with site leadership, global engineering, and finance to align project goals.

• Contribute to the Site Master Plan and Engineering Strategy.

• Champion safety and EHS standards across all project phases.

• Support asset management and financial controls.

Key requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Process, Mechanical, or Civil) or equivalent experience.

• Extensive experience in CapEx and project management within pharmaceutical facility design.

• Proven leadership in managing large-scale capital projects and cross-functional teams.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; able to assess project portfolios and drive results.

• Professional Project Management certification (PMI or equivalent) preferred.

• Skilled in stakeholder engagement and navigating complex organizational structures.

Every day, Lonza’s products and services have a positive impact on millions of people. For us, this is not only a great privilege, but also a great responsibility. How we achieve our business results is just as important as the achievements themselves. At Lonza, we respect and protect our people and our environment. Any success we achieve is no success at all if not achieved ethically.

We recognize that attracting, developing, and retaining the best talent is key to our strategy and success as a company. As a result, we aim for flexibility in structuring competitive compensation offers to ensure that we are able to attract the best candidates. As required by law in this state, the quoted salary range for this position is $179,000-$305,000. We use broad salary ranges that reflect the competitive market for similar jobs, provide sufficient opportunity for growth as you gain experience and expand responsibilities; while also allowing for differentiation on performance based on the breadth of our ranges, most new hires will start at the company between the lower and the middle part of the applicable range. We tailor our offers within the range based on job-related factors, including organizational needs, internal equity, market data, geographic area and the selected candidate’s experience, education, industry knowledge, location, technical and/or communication skills and other factors that may prove relevant during the selection process. This range is only inclusive of base salary, and base pay is just one component of Lonza’s total compensation package for employees. Full-time employees are eligible to receive a performance-related bonus, as well as a comprehensive benefits package including medical and dental coverage, 401k plan, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance, an employee assistance program, paid time off (PTO), and more. 

People come to Lonza for the challenge and creativity of solving complex problems and developing new ideas in life sciences. In return, we offer the satisfaction that comes with improving lives all around the world. The satisfaction that comes with making a meaningful difference.