Innovation Lead (Director)

Thermo Fisher Scientific; Massachusetts; Remote; USD 145,000 - 218,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading science solutions company seeks an Innovation Lead to provide strategic vision and priority for innovative digital products. This role requires extensive experience in project management and a proven track record in managing large-scale initiatives. Ideal candidates will hold a relevant degree and possess strong technical and leadership skills. Compensation includes a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.

Benefits

Health, dental, and vision plans

Employee assistance and family support programs

Commuter benefits

Tuition reimbursement

401(k) and Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Qualifications

• 12 years of experience in project management, product management, or business operations.
• 3+ years in a leadership role overseeing digital initiatives.
• Clinical research or life sciences background preferred.

Responsibilities

• Accountable for delivering business outcomes for innovative products.
• Maintain expertise in technology and inform business maturation.
• Gather requirements from stakeholders and translate into plans.

Skills

Managing large-scale projects

Stakeholder communication

Technical acumen

Data analytics

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, computer science, life sciences or related field

MBA or MS preferred

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

Job description

Overview

Environmental Conditions: Office.

Thermo Fisher Scientific is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue of more than $40 billion. We solve the world’s toughest problems, including cancer patient outcomes, water and food safety, forensics support, and COVID-19 solutions. PPD, the clinical research business of Thermo Fisher Scientific, provides global CRO solutions across pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, academic and government entities.

The Innovation Lead (Director) role is part of the Clinical Development Strategy and Innovation (CDSI) team within Thermo Fisher’s Clinical Research Group (CRG). The team drives strategy, operational excellence, and disruptive innovation to accelerate drug development for customers and patients.

Position Overview

The Innovation Lead (IL) is a senior leadership role combining strategic vision, value prioritization, and leadership of transformative innovations. This role works with business leaders to set direction and prioritize value hypotheses for designated digital products and innovative processes, ensuring alignment with business priorities and delivering measurable outcomes. The IL shapes the overarching product roadmap strategy and/or process workflow transformations based on identified business priorities.

We currently have 2 positions open remotely in the United States (East Coast preferred) or the United Kingdom.

Role Responsibilities

• Accountability and oversight for delivering prioritized business outcomes and value realization for innovative products, solutions, and/or process transformations. Sponsor and manage associated investment cases for approval.
• Maintain deep expertise in relevant internal and external technology and processes to inform business-driven competitive maturation, prioritization, and positioning of assigned innovations.
• Gather business requirements from stakeholders and translate them into development plans in partnership with PPD Digital and the business.
• Champion end-to-end workflow redesign to maximize innovation impact, working with business SMEs and process owners to influence change.
• Provide matrix leadership for support services (e.g., change management, training, marketing) to ensure on-time delivery and adoption of new processes and tools.
• Define adoption targets and oversee business readiness (training, SOP updates, change ambassadors) to sustain value delivery.
• Define monetization approaches and partner with funding and Finance to establish financial frameworks and manage ROI, P&L, and expenditure risks.
• Develop, monitor, and report metrics for strategic KPI reviews and adjust or sunset solutions as needed.
• Develop innovative content for marketing materials and present visions, plans, and roadmaps to stakeholders, including executives and clients.

For digital products: role as direct counterpart to the assigned Digital Product Manager (DPM)

• Define and rank high-level business outcomes and KPIs.
• Conduct proactive research and maintain a three-year horizon scan of unmet business problems to inform roadmaps.
• Collaborate with leaders to represent customers and prioritize functionality and user experience.
• Ensure roadmaps align with approved outcomes and validate alignment with business needs.
• Consult on go/no-go decisions for major roadmap themes and investments.
• Ensure regulatory, security, and data privacy compliance; maintain audit-ready documentation.
• Contribute to build/buy/partner strategies and advise leadership on capability fit.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in business, computer science, life sciences, or related field. MBA or MS preferred.
• Previous project management, product management, or business operations experience (equivalent to ~12 years); clinical research or life sciences background preferred.
• 3+ years in a leadership role overseeing digital or technology-driven initiatives.
• Equivalency: appropriate education, training, and/or directly related experience considered.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Proven track record managing large-scale, cross-functional projects in clinical trials, healthcare, or technology.
• Experience leading large, matrixed teams and transformative programs; strong stakeholder communication.
• Ability to translate strategy into action and drive adoption.
• Strategic vision and ability to execute a solution roadmap aligned with business goals.
• Project management: deliver complex initiatives on time and within scope.
• Technical acumen to bridge business needs and development teams; familiarity with AI-driven technologies including LLM and agentic AI.
• Data analytics: understanding of tools like Power BI or Tableau to monitor KPIs.
• Collaboration across R&D, digital, and operations for unified outcomes.
• Leadership and influence in a large organization; strong communication and executive presence.
• Problem solving, change leadership, and knowledge of the clinical trial innovation landscape.
• Industry experience in clinical research or biopharma operations, with forecasting/simulation tools knowledge.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certifications in project management (e.g., PMP, Agile) or product management (e.g., Pragmatic Institute).
• Familiarity with financial modeling, ROI analysis, or P&L management in a digital product context.

Additional Qualifications

• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse groups; work upright and stationary during typical hours; proficiency with standard office technology.
• Ability to handle multiple projects under pressure; occasional travel (0-20%).

Salary Transparency and Benefits

This is a salaried role eligible for a variable annual bonus. Compensation will be discussed during screening and confirmed in writing at offer. Salary range estimated for this position in North Carolina: $145,500.00–$218,000.00.

Comprehensive Total Rewards package includes:

• Health, dental, and vision plans, and health incentive programs
• Employee assistance and family support programs, commuter benefits, and tuition reimbursement
• PTO, holidays, parental leave, insurance, and disability coverage
• Retirement savings plan (401(k)) and Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)

For more information on benefits, please visit: https://jobs.thermofisher.com/global/en/total-rewards