Director, Laboratory Operations

Work Schedule

Standard (Mon-Fri)

Environmental Conditions

Laboratory Setting, Office, Some degree of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) required (safety glasses, gowning, gloves, lab coat, ear plugs etc.)

Job Description

Director, Laboratory Operations

On site - Zaventum, Belgium

At Thermo Fisher Scientific, you’ll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life - enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while taking science a step beyond through research, development and delivery of life-changing therapies. With clinical trials conducted in 100+ countries and ongoing development of novel frameworks for clinical research through our PPD clinical research portfolio, our work spans laboratory, digital and decentralized clinical trial services. Your determination to deliver quality and accuracy will improve health outcomes that people and communities depend on – now and in the future.

Thermo Fisher are currently hiring a Director, Laboratory Operations to join our Global Central Lab in Zaventum, Belgium. The Director, Laboratory Operations provides strategic leadership for laboratory operations by developing high-performing teams, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence. In this role you will lead through coaching, mentoring, and talent development to ensure organizational capability, employee engagement, and business performance. The successful candidate will oversee laboratory operations to deliver exceptional quality, compliance, productivity, and customer satisfaction while achieving financial and operational goals. You will partners with senior leadership to drive organizational strategy, workforce planning, and operational transformation initiatives.

Essential Functions

Leadership & People Development

• Provides inspirational leadership to laboratory management and staff, establishing a culture of engagement, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

• Coaches, mentors, and develops leaders at all levels, building organizational capability and succession pipelines.

• Leads workforce planning initiatives to ensure the organization has the talent, structure, and skills required to meet current and future business needs.

• Creates and implements employee development strategies, including career progression, leadership development, performance coaching, and succession planning.

• Promotes an inclusive and high-performing work environment that supports employee retention, growth, and well-being.

• Drives employee engagement through effective communication, recognition, feedback, and change leadership.
  

Operational Excellence

• Provides strategic oversight of laboratory operations to ensure efficient, compliant, and customer-focused service delivery.

• Establishes and monitors operational performance metrics, utilizing data-driven decision making to improve productivity, quality, turnaround times, and customer satisfaction.

• Leads continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean, Operational Excellence, and process optimization methodologies.

• Ensures effective allocation of personnel, laboratory resources, instrumentation, technology, and facilities to maximize operational efficiency and business outcomes.

• Identifies operational risks and develops mitigation strategies to ensure business continuity and regulatory compliance.

• Drives standardization and best practice implementation across laboratory functions and sites where applicable.
  

Business & Financial Leadership

• Accountable for operational and financial performance, including revenue growth, cost management, budget oversight, and resource planning.

• Partners with business development and commercial teams to support growth opportunities, customer retention, and strategic initiatives.

• Develops long-term operational strategies aligned with organizational goals and market demands.

• Evaluates organizational capabilities and investments needed to support future growth and operational scalability.
  

Quality & Compliance

• Ensures laboratory operations maintain compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, company policies, quality systems, and client expectations.

• Champions a quality-focused culture through leadership visibility, accountability, and continuous improvement practices.

• Oversees implementation of operational policies, procedures, and governance frameworks.

Stakeholder Management

• Builds strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to drive business objectives and customer success.

• Serves as a key leadership representative for operational reviews, business planning discussions, and strategic initiatives.

• Communicates operational performance, organizational priorities, and business outcomes to senior leadership.
  

Policy & Strategy

• Develops and implements operational strategies, organizational policies, and performance frameworks that support business growth, operational excellence, and talent development. Influences enterprise-wide initiatives and recommends organizational improvements to enhance effectiveness and efficiency.
  

Freedom to Act

• Operates with broad autonomy in achieving strategic and operational objectives. Establishes priorities and organizational direction in collaboration with executive leadership. Accountable for long-term business, operational, and talent outcomes.
  

Leadership Scope

• Leads through multiple layers of management and is accountable for organizational performance across several functional areas. Responsible for developing leadership capability, building succession pipelines, and creating a culture of high performance, accountability, and continuous learning.
  

Role Requirements:

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Demonstrated executive-level leadership and organizational development experience.

• Strong coaching, mentoring, and talent development capabilities.

• Proven ability to lead large, complex operational organizations through change and growth.

• Expertise in operational excellence, Lean methodologies, and continuous improvement practices.

• Strong business acumen with experience managing budgets, operational metrics, and strategic initiatives.

• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills.

• Ability to build high-performing teams and foster a culture of accountability and engagement.

• Strong decision-making, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.

• Deep understanding of quality systems, regulatory requirements, and operational governance.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Science with Chemistry being one subject or equivalent and relevant formal academic / vocational qualification

• Previous experience that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job (comparable to 12+ years).

• 5+ years of management responsibility

• Strong leadership skills

Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Watch as our colleagues explain 5 reasons to work with us. As one team of 100,000+ colleagues, we share a common set of values - Integrity, Intensity, Innovation and Involvement - working together to accelerate research, solve complex scientific challenges, drive technological innovation and support patients in need. #StartYourStory with PPD, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, where diverse experiences, backgrounds and perspectives are valued.

Apply today!

Thermo Fisher Scientific is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status