Vice President of Manufacturing Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Vice President of Manufacturing roles qualify as specialty occupations under H-1B visa, requiring a bachelor's degree or higher in engineering, operations management, or a directly related field. Employers at this level routinely sponsor H-1B and EB-2 green cards, and some roles qualify for the EB-1C multinational manager category if you're transferring from an overseas parent or subsidiary.
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INTRODUCTION
At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals! As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.
At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.
Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
As Vice President, Global TSMS and Engineering, you will provide enterprise-wide leadership for Technical Services & Manufacturing Science and Engineering across Elanco’s global manufacturing network. In this role, you will be responsible for end-to-end process lifecycle management, engineering strategy for facilities and automation, and leading the modernization of manufacturing through advanced technologies.
- Define and lead the global TSMS and Engineering strategy to support manufacturing platforms, establishing frameworks for process lifecycle management and technical standards.
- Oversee technology transfer and process validation from development to commercial manufacturing, ensuring regulatory compliance and technical readiness across internal and external sites.
- Lead global technical support, investigations, and continuous improvement programs to drive process robustness, yield, and operational excellence.
- Provide strategic leadership for global facilities and automation, managing the capital project portfolio and ensuring GMP/safety compliance for all equipment and utilities.
- Develop and deliver a roadmap for 'next-generation' manufacturing capabilities, including the implementation of AI, robotics, and advanced digital technologies.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
Education: BSc, MSc, or PhD in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical/Industrial Engineering, Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related technical field.
Experience: A minimum of 15 years of experience in pharmaceutical, biologics, or animal health manufacturing, including substantial leadership roles in technical services, TSMS, or engineering.
Deep expertise in process development and validation; strong strategic leadership skills with experience managing multi-site technical organizations.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Additional business or leadership education, such as an MBA or comparable executive program.
- Proven track record of introducing advanced manufacturing technologies and digital/automation solutions in a regulated GMP environment.
- Extensive experience with CMC regulatory submissions and technical oversight of external manufacturing partners (CMOs/CDMOs).
- Strong stakeholder and change management capabilities with experience leading complex global transformations.
- Proficiency in manufacturing data analytics and process modeling tools.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Travel: 40–50%
Location: Indianapolis, IN or Basel, Switzerland
Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrecognized groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!
Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.
Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job-related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Vice President of Manufacturing Jobs
Document your engineering credentials precisely
USCIS scrutinizes VP-level manufacturing roles for specialty occupation status. Gather transcripts, professional engineering licenses, and a detailed job description showing your role requires a specific bachelor's degree field, not just any management background.
Target manufacturers with active PERM history
Use the OFLC Wage Search to identify companies that have filed PERM labor certifications for senior operations and manufacturing roles. Employers already running PERM processes are far more likely to sponsor a VP-level hire than those starting from scratch.
Position yourself for EB-1C if transferring internally
If your current employer has a U.S. parent, subsidiary, or affiliate, an intracompany transfer on an L-1A can fast-track you to an EB-1C green card, bypassing the PERM process entirely. Confirm the qualifying corporate relationship before accepting any offer.
Verify prevailing wage tier before salary negotiations
The LCA your employer files must certify a wage at or above the DOL prevailing wage for your location and role. Check the OFLC Wage Search for the Level III or IV wage in your target metro before you finalize any compensation discussion.
Find sponsors through Migrate Mate's verified employer data
Search Migrate Mate for Vice President of Manufacturing roles at employers with confirmed LCA filing history. Focusing your applications on verified sponsors cuts the time you spend on companies that won't move forward with an H-1B petition.
Align your offer letter scope with your visa petition
When USCIS reviews your H-1B or EB-2 petition, the job duties in your offer letter must match the degree requirement stated in the LCA. Work with your employer's immigration counsel to ensure the role description specifies engineering or operations management, not generic executive oversight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Vice President of Manufacturing role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes, but the job description has to do the work. USCIS requires that the position normally requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific field, such as industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, or manufacturing operations. A generic executive role with no stated degree requirement in a related field can draw a Request for Evidence. Your employer's petition should tie the VP duties directly to a specific engineering or technical discipline.
Which green card categories are available for Vice President of Manufacturing candidates?
Three categories are realistic at this level. EB-2 covers candidates with an advanced degree or exceptional ability in manufacturing or engineering, and requires PERM labor certification in most cases. EB-1C applies if you're transferring from an overseas parent or affiliate where you held a managerial or executive role for at least one year in the past three years, and it skips the PERM process entirely. EB-1A is available if you can demonstrate extraordinary ability through industry recognition, patents, or published research.
How long does H-1B sponsorship typically take for a VP of Manufacturing hire?
Standard H-1B processing through USCIS runs several months from petition filing to approval. The LCA must be certified by DOL before the petition is filed, which typically takes about seven business days under standard processing. If your start date is time-sensitive, your employer can file for premium processing with USCIS, which guarantees a decision within 15 business days. The annual H-1B cap and lottery apply unless the employer is a cap-exempt institution.
What degree background does USCIS expect for a Vice President of Manufacturing?
USCIS looks for a direct relationship between the degree field and the job duties. Industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, materials science, and operations management are the most defensible degree backgrounds for this role. An MBA alone is generally not sufficient unless it's paired with an undergraduate degree in an engineering or manufacturing discipline. If your degree is in a different field, documented progressive experience in manufacturing operations can support the petition but doesn't eliminate the specialty occupation risk.
Where can I find Vice President of Manufacturing jobs with visa sponsorship?
Migrate Mate lists Vice President of Manufacturing roles at employers with verified H-1B and green card sponsorship history, so you can focus your search on companies that have already committed to sponsoring immigration at this level. Filtering by role and location lets you identify active sponsors in the manufacturing sectors where you have the strongest background.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Vice President of Manufacturing jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.