Director of R&D, Applications and Testing
Danaher Corporation
Summary
The Director of R&D, Applications and Testing for Cytiva is responsible for leading a global Applications organization that translates customer needs into scientific insight, technical capability, field enablement, and business impact. This position reports to the VP RD&E and is part of the Upstream and Fluid Management R&D team located in Marlborough, Massachusetts and will be on-site.
Job description
What you will do
- Lead a multi-layered applications organization of approximately 20 associates across three geographies, building clear priorities, accountability, collaboration, and talent development across the team.
- Build strong partnerships with customers, Field Applications, Commercial, Product Management, and R&D teams, ensuring customer and industry perspectives are reflected in technical priorities, organizational strategy, and capability development.
- Operate effectively within Cytiva's stage-gate and process-oriented ways of working, helping the applications team influence decisions through evidence, structured input, and disciplined execution.
- Provide scientifically credible leadership for upstream applications, with particular emphasis on cell culture, customer process understanding, and the biological factors that influence cell growth and performance.
- Manage across a highly matrixed organization, including influencing senior stakeholders, aligning competing priorities, and representing the applications perspective in business and technical forums.
- Build an applications culture that values customer motivation, scientific rigor, practical field support, and continuous improvement.
Who you are
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Biology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Biochemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline.
- Progressive leadership experience in life sciences, biotechnology, bioprocessing, or a related industry, including leadership of scientific, technical, applications, process development, technical services, product management, or customer-facing technical teams.
- Experience leading global organizations across multiple geographic regions, including management of people leaders and/or senior technical contributors.
- Direct technical experience in upstream bioprocessing, including cell culture, upstream process development, upstream applications, single-use bioreactor technologies, or related upstream manufacturing technologies.
- Experience working directly with customers, commercial teams, field applications teams, technical support organizations, or customer-facing technical functions within the bioprocessing or life sciences industry.
- Experience operating within matrixed organizations and cross-functional business environments involving collaboration across commercial, R&D, operations, and product management functions.
- Experience working within structured product development, stage-gate, design control, quality management, or other regulated business environments.
It would be a plus if you also possess previous experience in
- Building or leading programs that train, enable, or partner closely with Field Applications or other customer-facing technical teams.
- Leading organizational change that increased customer engagement, customer learning, or adoption of new technical ways of working.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Biology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Biochemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline.
- Progressive leadership experience in life sciences, biotechnology, bioprocessing, or a related industry, including leadership of scientific, technical, applications, process development, technical services, product management, or customer-facing technical teams.
- Experience leading global organizations across multiple geographic regions, including management of people leaders and/or senior technical contributors.
- Direct technical experience in upstream bioprocessing, including cell culture, upstream process development, upstream applications, single-use bioreactor technologies, or related upstream manufacturing technologies.
- Experience working directly with customers, commercial teams, field applications teams, technical support organizations, or customer-facing technical functions within the bioprocessing or life sciences industry.
- Experience operating within matrixed organizations and cross-functional business environments involving collaboration across commercial, R&D, operations, and product management functions.
- Experience working within structured product development, stage-gate, design control, quality management, or other regulated business environments.
Benefits
- Health care program
- Paid time off
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- 401(k)
Company overview
Danaher Corporation is a leading global science and technology innovator headquartered in Washington, D.C., specializing in biotechnology, life sciences, and diagnostics. Founded in 1984 by brothers Steven and Mitchell Rales, the company has evolved from its origins as a manufacturing conglomerate into a premier healthcare technology organization with approximately 63,000 employees worldwide. Danaher operates through three core divisions: biotechnology (28% of revenues), which develops products for therapeutic development; life sciences (31% of revenues), focused on disease identification, new therapies, and drug testing/manufacturing; and diagnostics (41% of revenues), providing instruments, consumables, and software for disease diagnosis. The company's portfolio includes renowned brands such as Beckman Coulter, Cytiva, Pall Corporation, Cepheid, Leica Microsystems, and Abcam, serving pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, healthcare providers, and research institutions globally. Danaher is distinguished by its Danaher Business System (DBS), a continuous improvement methodology that drives innovation and operational excellence. With 2024 revenues of $23.9 billion, the company ranks 180th on the Fortune 500 and plays a critical role in advancing scientific research, improving diagnostic capabilities, and accelerating the development of life-saving therapies.