Director, Laboratory Development & Planning

The Gaithersburg site offers a variety of amenities to help boost productivity and help keep our employees happy and healthy. This includes a fitness center, employee healthcare clinic, electric vehicle charging stations, dry cleaning, full-service cafeteria and copy center. This is where you’ll find newly-designed, activity-based work spaces to suit a variety of working styles while increasing collaboration between teams.  

Introduction to Role:

The Director of Laboratory Development & Planning is responsible for lab space transformation, design, and allocation to optimize sharing, flexibility, and utilization in R&D spaces. Deploying Lab Operations programs across multiple sites, the Director will be expected to drive innovative lab space utilization solutions as well as develop and lead services to meet future business requirements.

The Director will develop strategies, objectives, tools, and methodologies aligned with business plans, leading significant risk, ensuring alignment across R&D lab space planning and exerting influence at various organizational levels. Responsibilities include efficient and sustainable use of lab spaces across multiple sites, lifecycle management, governance, and addressing evolving business needs. Technical leadership and mentoring of junior employees in lab design and capacity planning, including planning new labs and renovations, are also key.

Engagement at a senior business level is required to provide technical and project direction, collaborating with the global Real Estate and Business and Planning Operation teams to understand building footprints and lab headcount projections. The role involves developing strategic relationships within R&D, GRE, and SiteOps, and partnering to achieve business objectives. Effective communication, interaction, influence, and advisory skills are crucial for success in the role.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Laboratory Planning Leadership:

• Ensure real estate and headcount demand planning is integrated into the strategic vision for laboratory development & planning.

• Collaborate with global Real Estate, Site Operations, BPOs, COO Capacity Management, R&D Leadership, and other relevant customers to ensure clear alignment on footprint and headcount demand planning.

• Develop a comprehensive mid to long-term roadmap for allocating and renovating laboratory spaces across multiple sites

• Supervise implementation or expansion of Lab Operations services as it relates to space management across sites working closely with site–based points of contact to ensure alignment with Lab Operations service framework.

• Leverage extensive experience with lab space optimization, lab space and instrument utilization tools and methodologies and familiarity with various lab space models (e.g., open concept, centre of excellence, etc.) to drive successful outcomes.

• Ensure that new lab design & layout align with operational and regulatory standards. Supervise the planning requirements for new and existing laboratory spaces.

Process Improvement and Resource Management:

• Establish processes & tools to effectively gain current state and improve planning for future space needs, new modalities and R&D priorities.

• Serve as a key resource for future R&D laboratory space and headcount needs requiring business feedback to ensure visibility for informed decisions about R&D site capacity.

• Leverage lab space and instrument utilization sensor data to advise and promote more effective use of current laboratory space, motivate organisational change within R&D regarding the use of laboratory spaces, and plan more efficient new laboratory space.

• Direct implementation of 5S and space optimization initiatives across multiple sites to create streamlined and consistent processes.

• Partner closely with the LabOps central team to improve the use of available laboratory space, including sharing lab instruments and optimizing laboratory space usage efficiently

Stakeholder Management and Customer Engagement:

• Gather voice of customer data from R&D scientists and leaders regarding current and potential new needs.

• Build strong relationships with other AZ R&D sites to provide input to and implement global ways of working, where applicable.

• Lead customer communications initiatives, develop key messages, set expectations, and supervise satisfaction levels of customers to ensure visibility and alignment regarding current and future laboratory space needs.

• Collaborate with relevant customers to inspire changes make laboratory spaces more efficient and sustainable through new ways of working.

• Act as a subject matter authority (SME) for lab spaces in new R&D buildings where standard methodologies can be deployed.

• Foster a culture of effective communication, knowledge sharing, and teamwork.

• Demonstrate exceptional ability to influence and persuade others, effectively inspiring change and garnering support for initiatives.

• Ability to "translate" information between R&D and other customers (e.g., architects, engineers, space planners, etc.).

Education, Qualifications, Skills, and Experience:

Essential:

• The ideal candidate will possess a BS in lab-based biomedical, pharmaceutical, or biological science. However, equivalent experience will be considered.

• 6-8 years of relevant managerial experience

• 3-5 years Lab planning experience

• Strategy setting & execution skills

• Strong critical and analytical problem solver

• Strong interest in customer service

Desirable:

• Strong preference for previous Lab Operations experience

• Master’s degree, MBA or higher preferred

• Customer Focus

• Decision Quality

• Advising Others

• Inspiring Others

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we fuel bold thinking with the power to encourage life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

The annual base pay for this position ranges from $143,894 to $215,833. Hourly and salaried non-exempt employees will also be paid overtime pay when working qualifying overtime hours. Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition, our positions offer a short-term incentive bonus opportunity; eligibility to participate in our equity-based long-term incentive program (salaried roles), to receive a retirement contribution (hourly roles), and commission payment eligibility (sales roles). Benefits offered included a qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]; paid vacation and holidays; paid leaves; and, health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans. Additional details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base pay (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors

At AstraZeneca, we are committed to turning our drug development strategies into reality. We work at all stages of development to translate our life-changing science into medicines to get the best results for AstraZeneca, patients in need and healthcare professionals. We are a diverse and open-minded team harnessing our different skills and experiences. Our differences enable us to explore new ideas and ways of doing things. It k

eeps us on our toes and excited for what's next. We are part of the solution, involved in key discussions. In our role we act as both a drug developer and Regulator. We think broadly about patients and what it takes to prevent and treat diseases to develop progressive solutions.

Are you ready to lead the way for a new breed of solutions-oriented Regulators? Champion a new approach to Regulatory that supports quick decision-making and balanced risk-taking. Apply now to join our efficient and nimble team at AstraZeneca!

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.