Director of Assay Development

Danaher • Eugene, OR

9h • Onsite

About The Position

At Abcam, one of Danaher’s 15+ operating companies, our work saves lives—and we’re all united by a shared commitment to innovate for tangible impact.
You’ll thrive in a culture of belonging where you and your unique viewpoint matter. And by harnessing Danaher’s system of continuous improvement, you help turn ideas into impact – innovating at the speed of life.
At Abcam, we believe the scientific community goes further, faster when we go there together. That’s why we work with life scientists to provide biological reagents and solutions that enable faster breakthroughs in critical areas like cancer, neurological disorders, infectious diseases and metabolic disorders. Our talented team of over 1,400 colleagues worldwide is our greatest asset. By applying our expertise and pushing boundaries, together we strive to better serve our customers, strengthen our impact across our industry, and ultimately our positive impact on society.
The Director of Assay Development is responsible for helping shape and execute the company’s assay strategy, driving innovation, and overseeing end‑to‑end development of cell, biochemical and immunoassay products. This role leads multidisciplinary R&D teams, manages a robust assay pipeline, and partners closely with commercial and scientific stakeholders to ensure delivery of high‑quality, market‑leading assay solutions.
This position reports to the Senior Director of R&D and is part of the assay development group located in Eugene, OR and will be an on-site role.

Requirements

• PhD in a life science discipline with broad practical expertise in antibody, immunoassay, or ligand‑binding assay technologies.
• 10+ years of experience developing and validating antibodies and/or immunoassays.
• 5+ years of experience leading teams, projects, or organizational functions within life‑science R&D.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence at all organizational levels, cultivate a collaborative culture and develop high‑performing teams.
• Deep knowledge of life science tools, reagents, and assay development workflows, with ability to translate complex scientific or operational challenges into clear, end‑to‑end solutions.
• Understanding of key business drivers across Research, Development, and Commercial functions.
• Ability to travel up to 30% domestically and internationally as business needs require.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of immunoassays (including ELISA, ligand‑binding, cell‑based, and biochemical assays), proteins, and related reagents.
• Drive innovation and sustaining engineering activities across assay and antibody development platforms.
• Collaborate with customers, key opinion leaders, and internal partners to deeply understand market needs and translate insights into product direction.
• Work closely with Commercial, Product, and Executive teams to support successful product launches and lifecycle management Ensure alignment of strategic goals, resource plans, and execution across R&D functions.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency, innovation, and product delivery.
• Lead, develop, and mentor large, multi‑disciplinary R&D teams across multiple U.S. sites, fostering a collaborative, high‑performance culture

Benefits

• Abcam, a Danaher operating company, offers a broad array of comprehensive, competitive benefit programs that add value to our lives. Whether it’s a health care program or paid time off, our programs contribute to life beyond the job. Check out our benefits at Danaher Benefits Info.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees