Associate Director - Mass Spec Production

KCAS Bio • Kansas City, MO

5d

About The Position

The Associate Director in the Mass Spectrometry Bioanalysis Production group provides operational and scientific leadership across the MSB Production organization. The role leads teams executing regulated bioanalytical studies and drives process harmonization, operational efficiency, quality, capacity, and continuous improvement.

KCAS Bio’s Mass Spec Bioanalysis teams use LC-MS/MS techniques and sophisticated sample preparation to support drug discovery, preclinical, and clinical studies, including analysis of drugs and metabolites, biomarkers, and active endogenous compounds in biological fluids and tissues. The Associate Director leads and develops scientific staff, improves workflows, manages operational resources and priorities, monitors performance, and helps resolve complex scientific, operational, quality, client, and study issues. The role collaborates with MSB leadership, Quality Assurance, Program Management, and other teams to support study execution, client commitments, and organizational growth.

KCAS Bio describes its workplace as relational, purpose- and values-driven, supportive of development, and focused on innovative work. It is a contract research organization headquartered in Kansas City, working in human and animal health drug development.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biochemistry, or a related scientific field.
• At least 7 years of experience in a bioanalytical laboratory environment.
• Strong knowledge of quantitative LC-MS/MS bioanalysis, including bioanalytical sample preparation, instrumentation, data workflows, and regulated study execution.
• Extensive experience working in a GLP/GxP-regulated laboratory environment.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in a scientific or laboratory organization, including developing teams, managing performance, and establishing accountability.
• Demonstrated experience improving laboratory operations, workflows, processes, or productivity in a scientific environment.
• Experience identifying operational bottlenecks, conducting root-cause analysis, and implementing sustainable process improvements.
• Experience with capacity planning, resource utilization, workflow management, and prioritization in a laboratory environment.
• Strong understanding of data integrity, quality systems, SOPs, audit readiness, and regulatory requirements for regulated bioanalytical studies.
• Experience working with Quality Assurance and supporting client and/or regulatory audits and inspections.
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to lead changes, influence others, and balance operational efficiency with scientific quality and regulatory compliance.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational and scientific leadership across MSB Production to ensure high-quality, timely work that complies with applicable regulatory requirements.
• Lead, develop, and coach scientific staff; establish expectations and strengthen team capabilities and accountability for performance, quality, and delivery.
• Evaluate and improve production workflows by identifying bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and process variation, and implementing sustainable improvements to increase throughput, consistency, and capacity.
• Drive process harmonization and standardization across teams, studies, and workflows while maintaining scientific quality, data integrity, and GLP compliance.
• Partner with MSB leadership to manage capacity, resource utilization, staffing, instrumentation, and workflow priorities based on current and anticipated business needs.
• Monitor operational performance and use metrics, trends, and root-cause analysis to identify risks, improve productivity, and support informed decision-making.
• Provide leadership and escalation support for complex scientific, operational, quality, client, and study-related issues, partnering with Quality Assurance and other functions as appropriate.
• Identify and implement laboratory operations improvements through automation, technology, standardized tools, training, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with scientific, Quality Assurance, Program Management, and other teams to support study execution, client commitments, organizational priorities, and continued growth.
• Perform the job in a way that supports the company brand, mission, vision, and values.
• Follow instructions and perform additional duties as requested.

Benefits

• Company-sponsored events, including food trucks, family days, and spirit days.
• Career development through KCAS University.
• Opportunities to connect with employees around wellness, inclusion, and community outreach.
• Stock ownership program.
• Access to the latest technology.
• Paid time off to volunteer.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director