Associate Director Research Laboratory Sciences

Charles River Laboratories; Reno (NV); On-site; USD 150,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Charles River Laboratories in Reno, NV seeks an Associate Director, Research Laboratory Sciences for its Safety Assessment site to lead scientific staff, provide direction, oversee operations, and mentor junior staff while ensuring GLP compliance.

The role emphasizes client relationships, business development, budgeting, and development of novel methods; travel may be required; base pay range $150,000–$170,000 per year.

Qualifications

• PhD or international equivalent in a science-related field is required.
• 10+ years of CRO/pharma research experience; GLP environment; management experience.
• Experience with financial business planning and project management preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to lead, mentor, and manage laboratory operations.
• Strong client/sponsor relationship development.
• Knowledge of GLP regulatory requirements and industry standards.
• Able to work across cross-functional teams and travel occasionally.

Responsibilities

• Supervise staff, hire, train, and develop employees.
• Provide scientific direction and mentorship.
• Maintain regulatory compliance of procedures and data.
• Develop sponsor relationships and assist with cost estimates.
• Lead implementation of new procedures.
• Review SOPs and study procedures.
• Communicate with internal and external collaborators.
• Manage multiple projects and deadlines.

Skills

Leadership

Mentorship

Project management

Client relationships

Regulatory knowledge

Communication

Team leadership

Analytical skills

Cross-functional

GLP knowledge

Education

PhD or international equivalent in science

Tools

MS Word

MS Excel

Outlook

Instrumentation software

Analysis software

Job description

For 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.

Job Description

We are seeking as Associate Director, Research Laboratory Sciences for our Safety Assessment site located in Reno, NV.

Manage assigned scientific staff and provide scientific direction, operational oversight, and provide mentorship for junior staff. Develop and maintain strong client/sponsor relationships and participate in business development activities. Additional responsibilities include serving as the subject matter expert and primary scientific contact for internal and external clients and the on-site support of their programs, as well as ensuring the regulatory compliance of laboratory procedures, documentation, and data management.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Efficiently perform supervisory responsibilities in accordance with organizational policies and applicable laws to include interviewing, hiring, training, and development of employees.
• Develop organizational strength by hiring, identifying and developing personnel who are scientifically and/or technically strong.
• Establish culture and atmosphere to maintain good retention and low turnover using available tools and metrics.
• Operate as a subject matter expert to provide leadership, expert consultation and mentorship to cross-functional company teams.
• Collaborate and consult with prospective Sponsors, providing scientific expertise and developing ongoing Sponsor relationships. Assist with providing costing estimates for components of applicable studies.
• Lead implementation of new procedures and refinement of existing procedures to meet current and future business needs.
• Effectively plan, assign and direct work within one or more operational areas.
• Maintain critical thinking, troubleshooting and time management skills aligned with needs of operational areas.
• Provide leadership for the robust development of novel methods within one or more operational areas, demonstrating proficiency with lab skills and understanding of scientific and regulatory concepts in experimental design.
• Establish and maintain best practices and processes for training, mentoring and transition of developed methods.
• Skillfully oversee the design, conduct, interpretation and reporting of studies as needed.
• Demonstrate effective communication skills through both formal and informal collaboration and discussions with peers, supervisor, team, cross-site, and externally with collaborators and sponsors.
• Ensure laboratory tasks and operations are executed in compliance with SOPs, protocols, regulatory requirements as needed.
• Review and approve Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), protocols, policies, best practices and study procedures.
• Maintain contemporaneous knowledge of regulatory requirements.
• Effectively utilize project management systems.
• Performs all other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Education: PhD or international equivalent in a science related field required.
• Experience: 10 or more years’ experience in the contract research or pharmaceutical industry conducting scientific research. Experience in a GLP (discovery) environment required. Management experience required. Experience with financial business planning and project management experience preferred.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated independent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Demonstrated proficiency in managing a laboratory area.
• Demonstrated knowledge and full understanding of GLP regulatory requirements and industry standards.
• Ability to develop and maintain client/sponsor relationships and direct client/Sponsor programs.
• Ability to interact appropriately with all levels of employees.
• Ability to work effectively as a member of a team.
• Ability to work in a dynamic, detailed driven environment.
• Ability to apply leadership, negotiation, interpersonal, and managerial skills.
• Ability to oversee multiple projects, prioritize work and meet deadlines.
• Computer proficiency in MS Word, Excel, Outlook, instrumentation and analysis software.
• This position may require occasional travel.

Workplace Requirements

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be able to perform general office and/or laboratory procedures, which require, talking, hearing, standing or sitting for long periods of time, typing/entering data into a computer, using appropriate instruments, reaching with hands and arms, and wearing safety equipment (PPE) according to OSHA regulations and company standards.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

The base pay range for this position is between $150,000 to $170,000. Please note that salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, certifications, and location.

About Safety Assessment

Charles River is committed to helping our partners expedite their preclinical drug development with exceptional safety assessment services, state-of-the-art facilities and expert regulatory guidance. From individual specialty toxicology and IND enabling studies to tailored packages and total laboratory support, our deeply experienced team can design and execute programs that anticipate challenges and avoid roadblocks for a smooth, efficient journey to market. Each year approximately 300 investigational new drug (IND) programs are conducted in our Safety Assessment facilities.

About Charles River

Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients’ clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.

With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in over 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client’s unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world.

At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly worked on 80% of the drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past five years.

We’re committed to providing benefits that elevate your quality of life. Based on your position these may include: bonus/incentives based on performance, 401K, paid time off, stock purchase program, Health and wellness coverage, employee and family wellbeing support programs, and work life balance flexibility.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Charles River is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, family status, pregnancy, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

It is unlawful in some states (including Massachusetts) to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

If you are interested in applying to Charles River Laboratories and need special assistance or an accommodation due to a disability to complete any forms or to otherwise participate in the resume submission process, please contact a member of our Human Resources team by sending an e‑mail message to [e-mail]. This contact is for accommodation requests for individuals with disabilities only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

For more information, please visit www.criver.com.