Director, Lab Operations

Are you ready to build an outstanding lab operations engine that restores time to scientists and accelerates breakthroughs for patients? This is a chance to lead the end-to-end delivery of essential laboratory support services at our Boston R&D Site—starting in Waltham and transitioning to a new Kendall Square location—so research teams can move faster with quality, safety, and compliance!

You will lead a multidisciplinary team and a robust vendor ecosystem to design and deliver services that meet today’s needs and anticipate tomorrow’s. You will set standards, drive governance and visibility, and create clarity of ownership and decision rights across a complex, matrixed environment. Can you turn building transitions, vendor complexity, and service scaling into a seamless, confidence-inspiring experience for scientists and leaders?

This role begins by ensuring excellence at our Waltham site while preparing for operational readiness and lab move activities that enable a smooth transition to Kendall Square without loss of productivity or quality.

Accountabilities:

Laboratory Operations Management:

• Supervise delivery of Laboratory Operations services through a combination of internal staff and external service providers in the following key areas: lab support services, consumables and equipment life cycle management as well as coordination of, and assistance with, lab move activities.
• Apply in depth technical and management expertise while leveraging applicable global R&D standards and ways of working.
• Ensure consistent delivery of essential lab support services by developing the team’s response to customer requests.
• Coordinate and optimize workflows for efficient and timely results.
• Direct mitigation activities during unplanned building system outages and ensure integrated scheduling of building system shutdowns.
• Develop and maintain long-term business relationships with key service providers and consumables vendors.
• Influence and promote deployment of new services and improvements.

Staff Management and Development:

• Coordinate staffing needs.
• Communicate regularly with all team members responsible for service delivery to provide guidance, mentoring, and training as needed.
• Coordinate work flows & projects and build KPIs into new and existing services to ensure focus on measurable outcomes and contractual compliance.
• Mentor people, processes, organizational needs cross-functionally, to ensure each line of service is positioned to drive compliance, give time back to scientists and provide the highest level of support.
• Collaborate with Procurement to obtain competitive bids for service contracts.
• Lead the Lab Operations cost base, including budget planning, forecasting, and variance management across internal teams and external suppliers (accurate, timely inputs into budget cycles, business cases, and approvals).
• Ensure transparency with team members, including clear alignment between scope, cost, service levels, and value delivered.

Collaboration and Communication:

• Lead customer communications initiatives, develop key messages, set expectations, and monitor satisfaction levels of collaborators.
• Demonstrate impeccable customer service by providing problem identification, root cause analysis, expedited resolution and appropriate follow up.
• Collect voice of customer data from Research and Development scientists and leaders regarding current and potential new services as well as performance against expectations.
• Build strong relationships with other AZ R&D sites to provide input to and implement global ways of working.
• Champion a culture of effective communication, knowledge sharing, and partnership.

Governance & Decision Discipline

• Establish and run formal governance forums (operational, tactical, and strategic) for Lab Operations services, with clear scope, cadence, inputs, outputs, and documented decisions.
• Ensure service changes, scope adjustments, and exceptions are reviewed through agreed governance pathways rather than informal or ad‑hoc channels.
• Provide clear escalation paths and timely decision support to Site Operations leadership.

Essential Skills/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant scientific field with minimum of 5 years' prior experience managing laboratory operations, preferably in biotech or pharmaceutical R&D.
• Minimum of 3 years' prior experience in people management; preferably in a matrixed environment. Demonstrated leadership and team management skills.
• Strong negotiation skills required along with the ability to plan and organize using an in-depth working knowledge of how R&D operates.
• Ability to evaluate service requests and develop collaborative solutions.
• Knowledge of laboratory techniques, instrumentation, and scientific methodologies.
• Experience working in a multi-team environment within a global framework.
• Good understanding of building readiness and handover in relation to lab services
• Demonstrated experience leading complex vendor ecosystems and operating within formal governance models.
• Proven track record to lead through change, navigate challenge constructively, and engage senior scientific team members.
• Excellent organizational, problem-solving, and analytical skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Desirable Skills/Experience:

• Experience and knowledge with applying Six Sigma to R&D
• Experience working in a LEAN environment.
• Experience with procurement and financial tracking systems such as Coupa and SAP

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we ignite ambitious thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

Why AstraZeneca:

Here you will scale lab operations that enable science with the power to change how cancer is treated. We bring diverse authorities together, pair innovative science with advanced technology, and move at pace because our pipeline spans multiple indications and stages. Supported by significant investment and a collaborative culture that values kindness alongside ambition, you will be empowered to lead, ask bold questions, and shape how breakthroughs reach patients sooner—turning operational excellence into meaningful impact for people and families facing cancer.

Call to Action:

Step into this Director role to build the lab operations platform that accelerates discovery and improves lives—take the next step and introduce yourself today!

Date Posted

06-May-2026

Closing Date

30-Aug-2026

Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form.

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.