Head of Research & Development (R&D), Spatial Biology Division
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Overview
Job Description
By joining Bio-Techne, you’ll join a company with a powerful and positive purpose of enabling cutting-edge research in Life Sciences and Clinical Diagnostics. Bio-Techne, and all of its brands, provides tools for researchers to further treat and prevent disease worldwide.
Pay Range:
$231,700.00 - $380,800.00Position Summary:
Bio‑Techne is seeking a Head of R&D to lead the Spatial Biology Division’s global R&D organization across Newark (CA) and Tolochenaz (Switzerland). SBD delivers an integrated portfolio of multi‑omic assays and reagents, automation and instrumentation, software and analytics, and applications. These are anchored by RNAscope™ in situ hybridization technologies and COMET™ sequential immunofluorescence instrumentation.
This role is accountable for running SBD R&D as one operating system: a unified strategy and roadmap, clear portfolio priorities, disciplined governance, harmonized processes, and reliable execution. The Head of R&D will balance run‑the‑business (sustaining, customer enablement, applications support, reliability) with build‑the‑future (new products, platform evolution, workflow integration, and clinical expansion) to translate innovation into adoption, pull‑through, and sustainable growth.
About the Role:
Bio‑Techne’s Spatial Biology Division has evolved to a single, integrated division with shared leadership and increased customer focus. This is a critical leadership position in that operating model, responsible for the end‑to‑end global R&D portfolio and the systems that make delivery predictable, scalable, and impact‑driven.
You will partner closely with Product Management, Marketing, PMO/Program Management, Operations/Quality, Clinical/Medical Affairs, and Commercial leadership - and work with other Bio-Techne cross-divisional leaders and technologies - to ensure SBD’s global R&D investments create differentiated customer value and durable business outcomes.
Key Responsibilities:
1) Advance the SBD R&D strategy and own the portfolio
Define and maintain an integrated R&D strategy and roadmap across Newark and Tolochenaz, aligned to SBD business strategy and customer needs
Own portfolio prioritization and resource allocation across:
New Product Introduction (NPI) / platform evolution
Sustaining product, technology & lifecycle improvements
Applications, evidence generation, and customer enablement
Longer‑horizon innovation programs
Make disciplined, transparent tradeoffs across customer value, technical risk, manufacturability, margin/COGS, time‑to‑market, and strategic differentiation
Partner with Legal/IP to shape an SBD IP strategy aligned with platform roadmaps and competitive positioning
2) Run a unified R&D operating system
Establish and lead an operating cadence that makes cross‑site delivery predictable through portfolio reviews, gate reviews, roadmap refreshes, and executive updates/readouts
Ensure strong end‑to‑end program execution for integrated products and workflows (reagents, instruments, and software/analytics), including phase‑gate discipline, technical risk management, verification/validation, and launch readiness
Build/strengthen processes that improve speed and quality by ensuring alignment with customer needs, clarifying requirements, and ensuring design transfer readiness
3) Lead, develop, and retain a world‑class cross‑site team
Lead and develop global teams across major capability areas, including assay chemistry and reagents, engineering/instrumentation, software/analytics, and applications
Build leadership bench strength through succession planning, targeted hiring, and capability development across both sites
Create a culture of accountability with clear goals, decision ownership, and evidence‑supported planning and delivery
4) Drive innovation that converts to adoption and growth
Translate customer “problems‑to‑solve” into integrated workflow and product requirements, closing the gap between scientific novelty and everyday customer utility
Map innovation investments across short/mid/long horizons, ensuring continuity from strategy to impact and creating protectable IP
Strengthen end‑to‑end workflow differentiation (multi-omic assays, automation, analytics, high-value applications) to increase adoption, utilization, and pull‑through
5) Partner cross‑functionally to deliver business outcomes
Partner closely with Product Management, Marketing, Project Management, Operations, Quality, Clinical/Medical Affairs, and Commercial to ensure priorities and tradeoffs reflect:
customer segmentation and adoption barriers
manufacturability, quality readiness, and supply chain constraints
evidence generation, claims strategy, and clinical pathway considerations
Leverage Bio‑Techne’s cross‑divisional technologies (antibodies, dyes, complementary platforms, etc.) to elevate SBD solutions and create differentiated workflows
Key Qualifications:
Education
Ph.D. in life science, engineering, or a related field (or equivalent combination of advanced degree and industry experience)
Experience
12+ years of industry experience in life science tools, diagnostics, or closely related instrumentation/reagent businesses
5+ years in senior leadership (Director/Sr. Director/VP) managing multi‑disciplinary R&D teams and leaders within a global setting
Demonstrated success taking integrated systems (instrument + consumables/reagents + software) from concept to commercialization
Significant experience in spatial biology or pathology workflows (e.g., ISH, IHC, IF), including instrumentation and image analysis pipelines
Experience operating within phase-gate product development systems and partnering effectively with Quality/Regulatory in QMS environments
Leadership capabilities (what we’re looking for)
Portfolio owner: makes principled decisions from best evidence and clearly explains tradeoffs and “the why”
Operator: advances governance and operating rhythms that drive predictable execution across sites
Integrator: aligns teams and cultures across geographies and builds shared norms and accountability
Customer‑centric leader: connects R&D investments to adoption, workflow fit, and measurable value
Communicator: translates complex scientific/technical topics for audiences from bench teams to executive leadership to external KOLs and biopharma partners
What Does Success Look Like?
One roadmap, one portfolio: Newark and Tolochenaz operate against a single integrated R&D roadmap with clear priorities, decision rights, and transparent resource allocation
Efficient, predictable execution: defined priorities and consistent governance, phase‑gates, and risk management improve planning, resource allocation, and delivery
Enhanced workflow differentiation: R&D outputs increasingly ship as integrated workflows (assays + automation+ analytics), improving adoption and pull‑through
Designed-in quality and manufacturability: new product development, operations readiness, and design transfer are optimized to enhance manufacturing efficiency, robustness, and scale
Strong team dynamic and technical exchange between R&D sites: best practices for cross-site collaboration, knowledge sharing and innovation with supporting forums, tools, and systems
Effective cross‑functional alignment: communicate and collaborate with non-R&D functions through a shared vision and mission; functions trust the R&D operating system and are “bought-in” with a clear understanding of the link between investments and outcomes
Why Join Bio-Techne:
We offer competitive insurance benefits starting on day one: medical, dental, vision, life, short-term disability, long-term disability, pet, and legal and ID shield.
We invest in our employees’ financial futures through 401k plans, an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), Health Saving Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), and Dependent Care FSA.
We empower our employees develop their careers through mentorship, promotional opportunities, training and development, tuition reimbursement, internship programs, and more.
We offer employee resource groups, volunteer paid time off, employee events, and charity drives to build a culture of caring and belonging.
We offer an accrued leave policy with paid holidays, paid time off, and paid parental leave.
We foster a culture of empowerment and innovation, where employees feel valued and encouraged to bring their new ideas to the table.
Bio-Techne is an E-Verify Employer in the United States.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
To protect the interests of all, Bio-Techne will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than a candidate application. Any unsolicited resumes sent to Bio-Techne will be considered Bio-Techne property.
Automate your job search with Sonara.
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