Chief Operating Officer

LabConnect • Johnson City, TN

15h

About The Position

LabConnect improves lives by partnering with pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and clinical research organizations (CROs) to accelerate the development of new medicines around the world. We are an independent, global, one-stop-shop focused on delivering Central Laboratory Services that are tailor-made, timely and flexible to meet the evolving study demands of traditional to increasingly complex trials. Additionally, we provide Functional Service Provider (FSP) Solutions, supporting our clients with scientific and technical expertise, acting as an extension of their team, coordinating all laboratory related needs, advising on strategies for lab data collection and providing end-to-end analytical and logistical solutions.

About the Company:
LabConnect is a global central laboratory partner supporting clinical trials with technology-enabled, customized, and scalable solutions. Trusted by biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and clinical research organizations, LabConnect has 20+ years of experience and has supported 2,000+ clinical studies across 93 countries. The company operates across North America, Europe, Australia, and China, with key locations including Cleveland, OH; Johnson City, TN; Miami, FL; Cologne, Germany; Swalmen, Netherlands; Melbourne, Australia; and Wuxi, China.

Position Overview:
The COO reports to the CEO and serves on the Executive Leadership Committee. In partnership with the CEO and Executive Leadership Committee, the COO sets operating priorities, clarifies decision rights, drives cross-functional execution, and maintains transparent reporting on performance, risks, and corrective actions across the operating teams.

Requirements

• Client-first operator with a track record of improving performance against contractual commitments.
• Structured, quantitative, and extremely detail-oriented; sets clear goals, measures progress and drives accountability.
• Change leader who has the ‘grit’ to simplify complex workflows, rebuild critical processes, and drive adoption across teams in a short period of time.
• Technology- and automation-minded; partners closely with the CTO to improve visibility, speed, and service quality.
• Comfortable leading in regulated, multi-site environments with a strong quality mindset and bias toward preventative controls.
• Enterprise operating system design: KPIs, operating cadence, governance, escalation, and decision forums
• Financial acumen: P&L management, cost-to-serve, margin expansion, and investment prioritization
• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences or Business required; MBA strongly preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive leadership in the CRO, pharmaceutical, or biotechnology sectors, including 7-10+ years in a senior executive role (VP or higher).
• Deep, hands-on operations experience across clinical trials or lab environments.
• Demonstrated success scaling operations in fast-paced, high-growth and/or private equity-backed environments.

Responsibilities

• Operates with a client-first mindset, intentionally designing every process, workflow, and customer journey with the client experience as the top priority.
• Lead day-to-day operations across the assigned scope; translate strategy into annual/quarterly operating plans; establish operating cadence, standard work, and continuous improvement to drive measurable gains in on-time delivery, cycle time, right-first-time quality, and cost-to-serve.
• Own operational planning inputs to the budget and forecast; manage resources and capacity; identify margin expansion opportunities through productivity, footprint optimization, and improved cost-to-serve.
• Reinforce a culture of quality and compliance; maintain a constant state of inspection readiness; ensure deviations are investigated to root cause and CAPAs are implemented and sustained.
• Evolve the operating model, processes, and governance to support growth; strengthen change management and cross-site standardization; ensure smooth launches of new capabilities and service lines.
• Sponsor adoption of enabling platforms, automation, and analytics to improve throughput, visibility, and decision-making; partner with Technology to prioritize the roadmap based on operational impact and client needs.
• Build, coach, and retain high-performing leaders; set clear expectations and accountability; develop succession plans and a strong bench for critical roles.

Benefits

• Financial Security (Base Pay, 401k Match and Possible Annual Bonus Eligibility)
• Health Benefits beginning on date of hire
• PTO plan, plus 11 Paid Company Holidays, and 1 Day to Volunteer in your community
• Short and Long-Term Disability, Life Insurance, and AD&D

What This Job Offers

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