Head of R&D, Esteve CDMO

Korn Ferry has partnered with Esteve on their search for the role, Head of R&D (CDMO, USA).

THE COMPANY

ESTEVE CDMO is a pure-play, third-party Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) focused on the development and manufacture of small-molecule intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). The company delivers a comprehensive, end-to-end API service offering, supporting customers from the early stages of clinical development through ongoing commercial supply.

ESTEVE CDMO is committed to operational excellence, quality, and reliability, and has a clear strategic vision to become an international leader in the API CDMO space. All development activities are closely linked to clinical and commercial manufacturing; this is not a discovery or research-only environment.

Global Footprint and Scale:

ESTEVE operates across multiple geographies, enabling global project delivery, technical collaboration, and capacity flexibility. With R&D and manufacturing capabilities spanning Europe, the United States, China, and Mexico, the organization supports customers worldwide through an integrated, global operating model. ESTEVE employs approximately 1,200–1,300 people globally and is experiencing strong growth driven by an expanding customer base and increasing project volumes.

Recent Acquisition and U.S. Expansion:

In August 2025, ESTEVE acquired Regis Technologies, a U.S.-based CDMO located in Morton Grove, Illinois, following a full due diligence process. This acquisition significantly expanded ESTEVE’s early-stage API development capabilities and strengthened its U.S. customer proximity.

Since the acquisition, the Morton Grove site has continued to expand its capabilities and strategic importance within ESTEVE’s global network. The site is being intentionally developed as a Center of Excellence for API development, supporting the company’s growing portfolio of customer programs. ESTEVE has secured multiple new customers in recent months, with continued momentum expected as project volumes increase. The R&D Director role is a critical leadership position supporting the continued growth, scaling, and operational strengthening of the Morton Grove site.

THE POSITION

The R&D Director is responsible for leading and overseeing all R&D activities at the Morton Grove site, ensuring the successful execution of R&D plans across multiple customer projects. The role drives continuous improvement across timelines, costs, performance, quality, safety, and environmental management.

This position manages a team of highly capable scientists and works closely with cross-functional partners to support the delivery of high-quality clinical and commercial batches. The role is both internally and externally facing, with regular interaction with ESTEVE CDMO customers and auditors.

The ideal candidate combines strong API technical expertise, proven people leadership, CDMO experience, and customer-facing credibility, and is comfortable leading teams through change in a fast-growing environment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Scientific and Technical Leadership

• Lead and coordinate Process Development and Analytical Development activities to fulfill R&D plans across customer projects.
• Ensure R&D activities support clinical (Phase I onward) and commercial manufacturing, aligned with customer requirements.
• Provide oversight for process development for specific projects, ensuring quality, robustness, and delivery timelines.
• Provide oversight for analytical method development for specific projects, ensuring quality, robustness, and delivery timelines.
• Promote continuous improvement in time, cost, performance, quality, safety, and environmental management.

People Leadership and Organization Development

• Lead, develop, and manage the R&D organization at the Morton Grove site.
• Overall responsibility for an R&D team of approximately 18 scientists, with expected growth.
• Strengthen managerial capability within teams that are scientifically strong but require greater structure around prioritization, pace, and accountability.
• Lead change management to support rapidly increasing project volumes.

Customer and External Engagement

• Participate in customer visits, technical meetings, audits, and regulatory inspections at the site.
• Support Commercial and Business Development teams by addressing customer needs and providing technical input.
• Contribute to the introduction of new projects, including technical discussions during customer onboarding.
• Act as a senior technical representative of ESTEVE CDMO to external stakeholders.

Strategy, Investment, and Governance

• Participate in the preparation of the R&D Strategic Plan, including investments, operating expenses, and headcount planning.
• Lead and drive investment projects for R&D facilities to ensure compliance and future growth.
• Collaborate with Engineering & Maintenance on ordinary and extraordinary investment projects.
• Monitor, control, and approve R&D-related expenses.
• Ensure proper order, cleanliness, and maintenance of R&D facilities.
• Review and ensure compliance with all relevant procedures within scope.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

• Direct Reporting: Global Senior Director of R&D
• Matrix Reporting: Site Head, Morton Grove
• Direct Reports: 2
• Analytical Development Manager
• Process Development Director

THE CANDIDATE

Role Summary

This is a highly visible leadership role at a strategically important U.S. site, offering the opportunity to shape and scale R&D capabilities within a fast-growing global API CDMO. The role blends technical depth, people leadership, and customer engagement, and is critical to ESTEVE’s continued expansion and success in North America.

Experience and Professional Qualifications

• Proven experience in an API CDMO environment, working with multiple external customers and projects.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing and developing R&D teams.
• Strong understanding of small-molecule API development, including process and analytical development.
• Experience supporting clinical development through commercial manufacturing.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in R&D roles within the pharmaceutical API industry.

Preferred Qualifications and Core Competencies

• PhD in Chemistry (preferred).
• Strong leadership and people management capabilities.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to engage effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Comfortable leading teams through change and growth.
• Ability to work effectively in a global, matrixed organization with headquarters outside the U.S.
• Fluent English required; Spanish is not a requirement.

ESTEVE LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS

The R&D Director is expected to role-model ESTEVE leadership behaviors:

• Own Your Development – Take responsibility for continuous learning and improvement
• Be Innovative – Proactively seek better ways of working and embrace change
• Engage Yourself – Encourage open dialogue and constructive discussion
• Collaborate – Build strong cross-functional and global partnerships
• Be Accountable – Take ownership of decisions, actions, and outcomes
• Drive Results – Deliver against ambitious objectives despite complexity and change

Behavioral Competencies

• Visionary Leadership: Display passion and optimism; inspire respect and trust; mobilize others to fulfil the vision.
• Strategic Thinking: Develop strategies to achieve organization goals; understand organization's strengths & weaknesses; analyze market and competition.
• Planning/Organizing: Prioritize and plan work activities; use time efficiently; plan for additional resources.
• Motivation: Set and achieve challenging goals; demonstrate persistence and overcome obstacles; Measure self against standard of excellence.
• A sense of urgency, self-motivated, results-oriented and disciplined with high energy and stamina.
• Hands-on, charismatic and enthusiastic leader who leads by example and encourages outstanding performance throughout the business.
• Entrepreneurial, result oriented disposition. Thrives in a competitive environment and wants to be the market leader.
• High integrity, honesty, and unassailable business values.
• Self-confidence, imagination and a highly competitive but nonabrasive style.

SE: 510794927