Cristina Maldonado
OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE LEADER | FOUNDER | mba CANDIDATE
Add Tagline
My Story | Accomplishments | Portfolio
my story
Briefly introduce yourself and share something interesting with website visitors. Double click to edit the text.
my impact
portfolio
Edit this paragraph to highlight a specific service or feature you offer. Click "Edit Text" to begin editing the content and make it your own.
Edit this paragraph to highlight a specific service or feature you offer. Click "Edit Text" to begin editing the content and make it your own.
Edit this paragraph to highlight a specific service or feature you offer. Click "Edit Text" to begin editing the content and make it your own.
Experience & accomplishments
Business operations specialist-
operational excellence
Resilience- gene therapy
Founder/Chair
operational excellence network
-
Leading the creation of a professional networking organization dedicated to advancing operational excellence in the life sciences industry.
-
Secured sponsorships and funding, established a board of directors, and assembled a leadership team to oversee strategic initiatives.
-
Developed the organization's mission, vision, and value proposition to serve as a forum for sharing innovative ideas, best practices, and thought leadership.
-
Preparing for an official launch, focusing on fostering community engagement, organizing networking events, and creating resources for lean practitioners and operational excellence professionals.
-
Optimized and governed the Lean Project Portfolio, advancing maturity from 3.1 to 4.5 in 15 months while delivering $1.8M in cost avoidance, saving 21,000 hours, and driving key site metrics (ATSQ, OTBR, RFT) and supported 47% deviation reduction
-
Designed and implemented an ROI tracking platform, developing the process to capture $3.5M in cost avoidance and save over 40,500 hours, supported by a custom-built dashboard to monitor and trend data.
-
Established a site-wide risk register in collaboration with senior leadership, overseeing risks and driving accountability through monthly reviews, ensuring timely closure and effective mitigation actions.
-
Designed the Lean Champion Program and Human Performance, leading a cross-functional team of people managers and senior site leaders, achieving a program maturity increase from 0 to 3.0 in 7 months
-
Facilitated Lean training for 200+ employees across multiple sites, including delivering presentations through a lunch-and-learn program, achieving 80% participation at RTP and advancing Lean adoption.
-
Supported multi-site deployment of the tier system, ensuring integration to maintain operational alignment.
-
Provided guidance, support, and training to the direct business operations team as a dotted-line leader, driving performance management by offering constructive feedback, setting clear expectations
co-lead- women in stem employee resource group
Resilience- gene therapy
laboratory manager, upstream
biomanufacturing training center, nc state university
-
Visionary for Employee Resource Group (ERG) focused on empowering women in STEM within the organization
-
Established Mission Statement, Business Value Proposition, and Objectives, achieving a 60% site workforce engagement rate
-
Managed budget and accounting operations, ensuring responsible allocation of resources
-
Organized and facilitated events, including lunch and learn educational sessions
-
Representative speaker for Town Halls, employee facing engagements, and conferences, advocating for gender equity in STEM fields
-
Led process optimization projects using 2L bioreactors, using an analytical approach to enhance the quality team’s technical knowledge and presenting results to the biomanufacturing department
-
Managed five laboratory spaces, implementing robust lab policies and enhancing standard operating procedures (SOPs). Applied 5S principles, achieving a 7.5% reduction in lab preparation time and boosting efficiency.
-
Mentored students and interns in upstream biomanufacturing and molecular biology, fostering the development of technical skills and advancing their proficiency in core concepts.
-
Co-chaired the outreach committee, leading strategy and relationship-building projects through cross-functional collaborations with biotechnology companies and educational institutions.
-
Developed a marketing communication plan to strengthen business relationships with alumni and enhance brand visibility.
biology laboratory technician
Corning life sciences
research technician
duke university
-
Collaborated cross-functionally with supply chain and manufacturing managers, utilizing theGemba Walk method to enhance efficiency in quality laboratory operations.
-
Revamped quality, scientific, and safety SOPs, surpassing Kaizen recommendations by400%, leading to improved accuracy, reduced errors, and increased productivity.
-
Optimized the product testing schedule and in-bound product processing, achieving a 72-hour reduction in lot release time for new and existing testing procedures, enabling faster turnaround times.
-
Forecasted and ensured availability of laboratory inventory for 30 microbial, environmental monitoring, and cell culture assays, mitigating disruptions during periods of supply chain ambiguity.
-
Trained incoming laboratory personnel during a 66% hiring increase, ensuring compliance with GLP, cGMP documentation, and ISO 5 cleanroom protocols and techniques.
-
Performed mammalian cell culture assays, microbial testing, sterility testing, environmental monitoring, and monitored testing excursions with consistent accuracy and precision.
-
Led the establishment of a new research laboratory focused on small cell prostate cancer, authoring 50 experimental protocols and creating comprehensive guidelines for molecular projects.
-
Implemented an inventory system to streamline lab operations and support research progress.
-
Mentored and supervised undergraduate interns, providing hands-on training in microbial and genetic engineering processes, demonstrating strong communication and leadership skills.
-
Demonstrated project management expertise by maintaining a well-organized schedule for DNA cloning projects, ensuring the timely completion of lab initiatives through effective coordination.
-
Successfully cloned 30 genes via transfection with 293T adherent mammalian cells, using techniques such as shake flask production, digestion, transformation, DNA extraction, gel electrophoresis, and lentivirus production.
education & credentials
Masters of Business Administration ( MBA)
NC State University | 2025
​
Bachelors in Molecular Biology
Minors in Biotechnology
NC State University | 2018
​
Six Sigma Green Belt
The Council for Six Sigma Certification | 2023
​
Kepner- Tregoe Foundations
Situational Appraisal | 2024
​
awards
BTEC House Cup | BTEC
Recognizing Excellence | Corning Life Sciences
NASA Aerospace Scholar |NASA
Dean's List | NCSU
Provost Professional Experience Scholarship | NCSU
interests
Empowering women in STEM fields
Mindfulness meditation
Family BBQ's
Western classical music​