Director R&D - Performance & Analytical Testing

PDI•Woodcliff Lake, NJ

2d•$202,000 - $233,000

About The Position

Driven by a commitment to research, quality, and service, PDI provides innovative products, educational resources, training, and support to prevent infection transmission and promote health and wellness. Encompassing three areas, our Healthcare, Sani Professional and Contract manufacturing divisions, we develop, manufacture, and distribute leading edge products for North America and the world. We have several locations across the US and are looking for new Associates to join our team! POSITION PURPOSE The Director of Performance & Analytical Testing is a R&D leader within the Product Development Delivery (PDD) team, responsible for ensuring robust, compliant, and executionâready analytical, compatibility, and performance testing in support of PDI’s endâtoâend product development pipeline. This role owns the strategy, execution, and continuous improvement of analytical and performance testing capabilities that enable timely, highâquality, and compliant product development and launch readiness across FDA and EPA regulated product categories. The Director ensures testing programs are scientifically sound, riskâbased, and aligned to regulatory expectations while driving accountability for results, disciplined execution, and strong people development. As a leader within Product Development Delivery, this role partners closely with Product Development, Microbiology, Quality, Regulatory, Packaging, and Operations to translate product requirements into executable testing strategies that support on time commercialization and longâterm product performance. The Director is accountable for building highâperforming teams, establishing clear ownership, and delivering measurable outcomes.

Requirements

Advanced degree (master’s or higher) in chemistry or relevant scientific discipline.
Strong understanding of analytical testing, method validation, compatibility assessment, and performance attribute testing in regulated product environments.
Knowledge of product development and lifecycle management.
Familiarity with quality systems, regulatory expectations, and development documentation requirements.
Ability to operate effectively in crossâfunctional, matrixed organization.
10+ years of progressive R&D experience, with at least 5 years in people leadership roles.
Demonstrated leadership of analytical, performance, or testing organizations supporting regulated product development.
Proven track record of delivering results in complex, deadlineâdriven development environments.
Experience managing multiple projects, priorities, and stakeholders simultaneously.
Strong results orientation with demonstrated accountability for outcomes.
Excellent leadership, coaching, and talent development skills.
Ability to make sound, dataâdriven decisions under uncertainty.
Clear, confident communicator capable of influencing at all organizational levels.
Strong organizational, prioritization, and execution discipline.

Nice To Haves

Doctorate or business degree is a plus.

Responsibilities

Own and lead the analytical, compatibility, and performance attribute testing strategies for new and existing products across FDA and EPA regulated portfolios.
Ensure test methods, protocols, and validation approaches are scientifically rigorous, regulatoryâappropriate, and fitâforâ
Drive riskâbased testing strategies that balance speed to market, product robustness, and compliance.
Ensure analytical and performance data clearly support product claims, specifications, shelf life, and intended use.
Partner with R&D teams to integrate testing timelines, deliverables, and decision points into overall program plans.
Ensure analytical and performance testing deliverables enable onâtime stage gate progression, regulatory submissions, and commercialization milestones.
Actively identify risks, resource constraints, and execution gaps—and drive timely resolution.
Ensure analytical and performance testing activities comply with internal quality systems, regulatory requirements, and applicable industry standards.
Support FDA and EPA regulated product development by ensuring traceability, documentation integrity, and audit readiness.
Collaborate with Quality and Regulatory Affairs to address testingârelated questions, deviations, and regulatory interactions.
Establish clear performance metrics for analytical and performance testing, including cycle time, rightâfirstâtime execution, data quality, and onâtime delivery.
Hold teams accountable for meeting commitments, delivering results, and resolving issues proactively.
Drive a culture of ownership, urgency, and continuous improvement, using data to inform decisions and prioritize work.
Provide transparent reporting on progress, risks, and outcomes to R&D and executive leadership.
Build, lead, and develop highâperforming analytical and performance testing teams, including managers and individual contributors.
Set clear expectations, goals, and accountabilities aligned to business priorities.
Coach and develop team members to strengthen technical capability, execution discipline, and leadership skills.
Foster an inclusive, highâaccountability culture focused on results, learning, and professional growth.
Proactively assess talent needs and build succession and capability plans for sustained performance.

Benefits

Medical, behavioral & prescription drug coverage
Health Savings Account (HSA)
Dental
Vision
401(k) savings plan with company match and profit sharing
Basic and supplemental Life and AD&D insurance
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
Short & long-term disability
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Health Advocacy Program
Legal services, critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident coverage, ID theft and fraud protection, pet insurance and employee discounts.
sick & safe leave, vacation, company & floating holidays, paid parental leave, and depending on the position we also offer summer hours and flex place/flex time options.