Head of Research & Development

Birn+Partners; Norway; On-site; NOK 1,800,000 - 3,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Gentian Diagnostics seeks an experienced Head of Research & Development to lead and evolve our R&D organization across Norway and Sweden. You will align maintenance and new product development with customer needs, shaping the portfolio and capabilities to deliver meaningful diagnostic solutions.

You will partner with Commercial, Product Management, Operations and Quality & Regulatory Affairs to drive value, maintain scientific excellence, and balance ambitious science with commercial priorities

Qualifications

• An MSc or PhD within Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry or another equivalent scientific discipline.
• 5–10 years of leadership experience from R&D, Product Development or Innovation within Diagnostics, MedTech, Biotechnology or another Life Science environment.
• Experience leading highly specialized teams and developing both people and organizations.
• Strong collaboration skills and experience working across Commercial, Operations, Product Management, Quality and Regulatory Affairs.
• Experience balancing scientific ambition with commercial priorities.
• A structured yet agile approach to leadership, enabling decisions to be made with both quality and speed.

Responsibilities

• Lead and further develop Gentian's Research & Development organization and processes.
• Develop people, leaders and technical capabilities across the R&D function with the goal to strive for best-in-class teamwork and expertise.
• Contribute actively to Gentian's overall business strategy as a member of the Executive Management Team.
• Ensure that product maintenance and development remain closely aligned with customer needs and business priorities following clearly defined design specifications and decision making milestones.
• Drive strong collaboration across Commercial, Product Management, Operations and Quality & Regulatory Affairs.
• Build a culture characterized by curiosity, accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement and identification with patients needs.
• Strengthen Gentian's innovation capabilities while ensuring focus, prioritization and efficient execution.
• Represent Gentian externally towards customers, partners and the scientific community.

Education

MSc/PhD in Biology/Biochemistry/Chemistry

Job description

Head of Research & Development

Help us turn scientific expertise into products that matter.

At Gentian Diagnostics, we believe the best products are developed when science starts with a real customer need.

For more than 25 years, we have developed high-quality diagnostic reagents trusted by clinical laboratories around the world. Our scientific expertise is the foundation of what we do, but our success is built on something more: understanding our customers, working closely across disciplines and developing products that make a real difference in everyday clinical practice.

As we continue to grow, we are looking for a new Head of Research & Development.

This is an opportunity to lead an experienced R&D organization and play a key role in ensuring that scientific expertise and customer insight come together to create diagnostic products with explicit quality that make a real difference.

We're looking for a leader who can help us turn scientific expertise into products that matter.

The Opportunity

Research & Development is a central part of Gentian's business and plays a key role in shaping the products that define our future.

Working closely with Commercial, Product Management, Operations and Quality & Regulatory Affairs, you will ensure that existing products continuously meet customer and patient expectations and that ideas are translated into new products or improvements that create real value for customers.

You will lead an experienced R&D organization across Norway and Sweden, developing both people and capabilities while strengthening collaboration across the business.

Success in this role is not measured by the number of research ideas generated, but by your ability to maintain and develop products that solve meaningful customer challenges and contribute to Gentian's long-term growth.

As a member of the Executive Management Team, you will work closely with the CEO and your colleagues to further strengthen one of Gentian's key competitive advantages: combining scientific excellence with commercial relevance.

Your Responsibilities

• Lead and further develop Gentian's Research & Development organization and processes.
• Develop people, leaders and technical capabilities across the R&D function with the goal to strive for best-in-class teamwork and expertise.
• Contribute actively to Gentian's overall business strategy as a member of the Executive Management Team.
• Ensure that product maintenance and development remain closely aligned with customer needs and business priorities following clearly defined design specifications and decision making milestones.
• Drive strong collaboration across Commercial, Product Management, Operations and Quality & Regulatory Affairs.
• Build a culture characterized by curiosity, accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement and identification with patients needs.
• Strengthen Gentian's innovation capabilities while ensuring focus, prioritization and efficient execution.
• Represent Gentian externally towards customers, partners and the scientific community.

Who We Believe You Are

You are an experienced R&D leader who combines scientific credibility with sound business judgement.

You are passionate about science, but equally motivated by seeing scientific ideas become products that solve real customer challenges. You know when to explore new possibilities, and when to focus on the ideas that create the greatest value for customers and for business.

Most likely, you bring:

• An MSc or PhD within Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry or another equivalent scientific discipline.
• 5 – 10 years of leadership experience from R&D, Product Development or Innovation within Diagnostics, MedTech, Biotechnology or another Life Science environment.
• Experience leading highly specialized teams and developing both people and organizations.
• Strong collaboration skills and experience working across Commercial, Operations, Product Management, Quality and Regulatory Affairs.
• Experience balancing scientific ambition with commercial priorities.
• A structured yet agile approach to leadership, enabling decisions to be made with both quality and speed.

Personally, you are curious, pragmatic and open-minded. You enjoy learning, challenge established thinking when needed and build trust across disciplines. You are comfortable leading highly specialized experts and thrive in an environment where collaboration, pace and continuous improvement go hand in hand.

Why Gentian?

Gentian Diagnostics is an international diagnostics company headquartered in Moss, Norway. We develop and manufacture high-quality diagnostic reagents for clinical laboratories worldwide through open-channel chemistry analyzers. Gentian has experienced impressive growth in recent years, is making profit and are listed in Euronext Oslo stock exchange (#GENT).

Our products support better diagnostics in the key areas of inflammation, infection and kidney disease, while veterinary diagnostics represents an exciting area for future growth.

Science has always been at the heart of Gentian. Our focus is on turning scientific knowledge into products that create value for customers.

We are a professional, collaborative and customer-focused organization with high scientific standards, short decision-making processes and a genuine belief that the best solutions are created when people with different expertise work closely together.

If you are looking for an opportunity where you can combine science, leadership and product development with an organization where you can have a direct impact on the company’s future success,