Director, R&D Scientific Services

Danaher Corporation•Sunnyvale, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director, R&D Scientific Services, is responsible for enabling technical support critical technical linchpin between Innovation and Product Life Cycle R&D. This role provides specialized technical leadership for the R&D Pre-clinical and newly established Microbiology/Biorepository teams, ensuring the on-time delivery of the high-priority Innovation, New Product Development (NPD) and Sustainment pipeline. This position requires a rare intersection of Assay Development, Clinical Microbiology, and Scientific Validity expertise. You will manage the transition of complex assays into efficient, customer-facing workflows. This position reports to the Senior Director of R&D Operations and is part of the R&D Platform & Services Organization located in Sunnyvale, CA and will be an on-site role.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree with 14+ years of experience, or Master’s/Doctoral degree with 12+ years of experience in microbiology and molecular biology laboratory work in hospital, public health or industry job.
Minimum of 8 years of direct experience in Assay Development and Clinical Microbiology within an IVD or regulated biotechnology environment.
Proven track record of managing high-performing scientific teams and creating long-term technical roadmaps.
Deep understanding of analytical study requirements and quality and compliance rigor for clinical trial readiness protocols.
Demonstrated ability to manage high-stakes NPD pipelines and execute risk mitigation strategies for early-stage development.
Ability to work in a BSL-2 laboratory environment, which requires Hepatitis B vaccination. If you are not vaccinated, Cepheid will provide authorization to receive the vaccination series at no expense.

Nice To Haves

Experience in biostatistics as it relates to study design (e.g., sample size determination, power analysis) and clinical performance analysis for IVD products.
Experience with the Danaher Business System (DBS) or similar lean/Six Sigma frameworks to drive operational efficiency.
A history of translating complex scientific advances into scalable, customer-facing service capabilities.
Familiarity with automated molecular diagnostic platforms and the integration of internal/external controls.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the long‑term strategy and roadmap for R&D Scientific Services, ensuring total alignment with R&D and broader business priorities.
Translate emerging scientific and technological advances into scalable service capabilities that empower the R&D organization.
Lead the execution of clinical trial readiness in alignment with analytical study deliverables to ensure seamless product development phase transitions.
Lead site initiations and staff training for field studies, ensuring scientific validity across all external touchpoints.
Provide data oversight for panel preparation and prototype design iterations to accelerate feasibility cycles.
Serve as key collaboration driver between R&D, Scientific/Medical Affairs, Clinical Affairs and Regulatory/Quality to eliminate technical and operational bottlenecks.
Build and oversee the R&D Microbiology/Biorepository team, managing specimen and clinical matrix allocation and the development of external controls.