Jobs › Danaher

Sr. Director, Finance Operations and Manufacturing (USA, Remote)

Danaher · Chicago, IL · Full time

Posted Oct 2, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

Apply at Danaher

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about your experience as the finance partner for manufacturing operations. What decisions did you actually shape?

What they are checking: Whether they have influenced operating decisions directly rather than only reporting results after the fact.

How have you used Danaher Business System tools or other lean methods to improve cost, inventory or productivity?

What they are checking: Whether they connect continuous improvement work to measurable financial outcomes.

Tell me about a time you found an inventory or reserve problem that others had missed.

What they are checking: Whether they bring control discipline and skepticism to balance sheet items that often hide risk.

How do you explain the financial story of a manufacturing network to executives who need a decision, not a data dump?

What they are checking: Whether they can distill complex operational finance into a clear recommendation for senior leaders.

What would you do

An operations leader wants capital for new equipment and the payback looks thin. How do you work through that request with them?

What they are checking: Whether they can pressure test a capital case fairly while staying a partner instead of a blocker.

You lead a remote finance team supporting sites in different places. How do you keep quality and consistency high?

What they are checking: Whether they can set standards, coach people and hold a distributed team accountable.

If two operating companies are being brought closer together, what finance processes would you look to standardize first and why?

What they are checking: Whether they can prioritize integration work that reduces risk and creates value without disrupting operations.

About the work

IDT and Aldevron make very different products, from custom DNA to plasmids and proteins. How would you approach standard costing across such different manufacturing models?

What they are checking: Whether they understand product costing for high-mix, custom and batch manufacturing and its effect on margin.

Walk me through how you would analyze a manufacturing variance that suddenly got worse this quarter.

What they are checking: Whether they can break variances into volume, rate, usage and mix and find the operational cause.

How would you build a forecast for operations that site leaders trust and actually use to run the business?

What they are checking: Whether they can create forecasts grounded in operational drivers that people own rather than top-down numbers.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Danaher from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Danaher.

Bring more to life. Are you ready to accelerate your potential and make a real difference within life sciences, diagnostics and biotechnology? At Aldeveron and Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT), two 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. Our teams at Aldevron and Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT), work closely with global partners to accelerate progress and genomics breakthroughs across fields like cancer, infectious disease, rare genetic disorders, and more. As a member of our team, you’ll help bring life-changing innovations to life—impacting millions around the world. We bring together deep scientific expertise, an unwavering commitment to quality, and a collaborative spirit to drive progress. Whether you're launching your career or bringing years of experience, we value the unique perspective you bring. Join us and become part of a mission-driven team advancing science and unlocking human potential—one discovery at a time. The Sr. Director, Finance Operations and Manufacturing will serve as the strategic Finance leader for IDT and Aldevron Operations, connecting operational performance to financial outcomes and enterprise value. This role will establish the insights, operating mechanisms, and investment discipline needed to improve cost, capacity, quality, delivery, working capital, and profitability across the manufacturing network. This leader will partner closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Engineering, Commercial, and executive leadership to improve financial visibility, challenge operational assumptions, support capacity and capital decisions, and build scalable product costing and profitability capabilities across the integrated IDT and Aldevron business. The ideal candidate brings deep manufacturing finance expertise, strong business partnership, and a track record of leading transformation in regulated, multi-site life sciences, biotech, CDMO, pharmaceutical, medical device, or similar manufacturing environments. This position reports to the Chief Financial Officer. There is a preference for candidates who can work on-site. While this requisition is posted in Fargo, ND, and Coralville, IA, applications from qualified candidates in other locations will be considered. In this role, you will have the opportunity to: • Serve as the senior Finance partner to Operations and Manufacturing across IDT and Aldevron, connecting operational execution to financial outcomes, enterprise value, and strategic decision-making. • Build and lead financial operating mechanisms that improve visibility to cost, capacity, quality, delivery, inventory, working capital, and profitability performance. • Design, strengthen, and scale product costing, standard costing, cost accounting, manufacturing variance, COGS, absorption costing, inventory valuation, BOM/routing cost, and profitability frameworks. • Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Engineering, Commercial, R&D, and Corporate Finance to identify risks and opportunities early and drive better business decisions. • Support capital deployment, capacity expansion, manufacturing network planning, automation, ERP implementation, and investment decisions through rigorous financial analysis and business case development. Improve forecast accuracy, operational KPI governance, executive reporting, and business review processes across a complex manufacturing footprint. • Lead Finance through transformation, integration, organizational redesign, and continuous improvement initiatives while building standard work, accountability, and scalable processes. • Build, coach, and develop a high-performing Operations Finance team and Finance Business Partner capability across IDT and Aldevron. The essential requirements of the job include : • Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or related field; MBA or CPA preferred. • 15+ years of progressive Finance leadership experience supporting manufacturing, operations, supply chain, or technical operations, with 5+ years leading leaders or senior teams. • Demonstrated experience supporting multi-site operational finance in biotech, pharmaceutical, CDMO, medical device, life sciences, or other regulated manufacturing environments. • Deep expertise in manufacturing finance, including product costing, standard costing, cost accounting, COGS management, manufacturing variance analysis, absorption costing, inventory valuation, and profitability analysis. • Strong understanding of P&L management, manufacturing cost structures, inventory optimization, capital deployment, capacity investment decisions, forecasting, and S&OP processes. • Experience supporting businesses with complex product portfolios, capacity constraints, significant capital investment requirements, and transformation or integration agendas. Experience with ERP systems, enterprise reporting, executive KPI dashboards, and advanced financial modeling. • Ability to operate with high accountability, influence cross-functional leaders, challenge assumptions constructively, and create clarity through metrics, standard work, and disciplined operating mechanisms. Travel, Motor Vehicle Record & Physical/Environment Requirements: • Ability to travel domestically and occasionally internationally, up to 25%, as business needs require. • undefined It would be a plus if you also possess previous experience in: • Experience with gene reading and writing segments, including exposure to CDMO business models. • Familiarity with Danaher Business System (DBS) and continuous improvement methodologies. • Ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive transformation in complex, global organizations Aldevron, 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 . The annual salary range for this role is 200,000 to 250,000. This is the range that we in good faith believe is the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting. This range may be modified in the future. This job is also eligible for bonus/incentive pay We offer comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees. Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law. #LI-AY1 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 . Danaher Corporation and all Danaher Companies are committed to equal opportunity regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other characteristics protected by law. The U.S. EEO posters are available here . For candidates who are based outside of New York City or who are applying for roles outside of New York City, for more information about conditions of any job offer please click here . We comply with federal and state disability laws and make reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact:1-202-419-7762 or applyassistance@danaher.com .

Apply at Danaher