Director, Bioanalytical Technical Operations

Director, Bioanalytical Technical Operations

Position Summary

The Director, Bioanalytical Technical Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for the computerized systems, digital workflows, and technical processes that support regulated bioanalytical laboratory services. The role serves as the business owner and senior operational authority for electronic laboratory notebook and laboratory information management platforms, including IDBS E-Workbook/ELN and Thermo Scientific Watson LIMS (or similar), ensuring that systems are fit for purpose, validated, compliant, reliable, and aligned with laboratory and client needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the bioanalytical technical operations strategy and roadmap for laboratory digital systems, with primary oversight of IDBS E-Workbook/ELN, inventory and laboratory execution workflows, and Watson LIMS.

• Serve as Business System Owner or senior business representative for assigned applications, providing lifecycle direction and approving business-process, configuration, access, and use decisions.

• Ensure systems support the end-to-end bioanalytical workflow, including study setup, sample receipt and chain of custody, inventory and materials control, run preparation and execution, data processing, quality control review, reporting, study closeout, and archiving.

• Establish governance, operating standards, performance measures, and escalation pathways for computerized laboratory systems across bioanalytical sites.

• Partner with laboratory operations, scientific leadership, Quality and Compliance, Information Technology, validation, data management, and vendors to translate business needs into scalable and harmonized solutions.

• Direct system implementations, upgrades, integrations, enhancements, testing, deployment, and adoption while managing scope, resources, risks, dependencies, timelines, and business continuity.

• Ensure validated systems and electronic records comply with applicable GxP requirements, data-integrity principles, 21 CFR Part 11, EU Annex 11, internal policies, and client commitments.

• Oversee role-based access, periodic access reviews, electronic signatures, audit-trail controls and review processes, change control, incident and problem management, periodic review, disaster recovery, and system retirement.

• Ensure IDBS workflows provide complete and traceable documentation of experiments, materials, reagents, equipment, inventory, and approvals, including expiry and calibration controls.

• Ensure Watson LIMS supports accurate sample management, study and assay configuration, data processing, sample reconciliation, reporting, and complete chain-of-custody records.

• Lead process mapping and continuous-improvement initiatives that reduce manual effort, standardize laboratory execution, strengthen right-first-time performance, and advance paperless operations and electronic archiving.

• Monitor service levels, system availability, data quality, user adoption, deviations, recurring issues, and improvement benefits; report performance and risks to senior leadership.

• Provide inspection and client-audit readiness for computerized systems and represent Bioanalytical Technical Operations during sponsor audits, regulatory inspections, and governance reviews.

• Provide leadership, coaching, prioritization, and resource planning for technical operations personnel, system administrators, subject-matter experts, and project teams.

• Manage vendor relationships, licenses, support models, budgets, contracts, and technology investments for assigned bioanalytical platforms.

• Maintain awareness of emerging laboratory informatics, automation, and data-management capabilities and develop business cases for adoption where they improve quality, compliance, capacity, or client delivery.

• Leadership and Stakeholder Management

• Act as the primary escalation point for operational and compliance issues involving bioanalytical laboratory systems.

• Build alignment across sites and functions, balancing global standardization with justified local requirements.

• Communicate system strategy, risks, priorities, and investment needs clearly to executive, scientific, operational, quality, and technology stakeholders.

• Develop system owners, administrators, and super-user communities through documented accountability, training, succession planning, and knowledge transfer.

• Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific, engineering, information-systems, or related discipline; advanced degree preferred.

• Extensive experience in regulated bioanalytical laboratory operations, laboratory informatics, computerized-system governance, or a related pharmaceutical or contract research environment.

• Demonstrated leadership experience with electronic laboratory notebook, laboratory execution, or LIMS platforms; direct experience with IDBS E-Workbook/ELN and Watson LIMS strongly preferred.

• Strong working knowledge of computerized-system validation, data integrity, audit trails, electronic records and signatures, access governance, change control, incident management, and inspection readiness.

• Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional technology and process-improvement programs across multiple laboratories or regions.

• Strong financial, vendor-management, project-management, analytical, communication, and organizational change capabilities.

• What ICON can offer you

• Our success depends on the quality of our people. That’s why we’ve made it a priority to build a diverse culture that rewards high performance and nurtures talent.

• In addition to your competitive salary, ICON offers a range of additional benefits. Our benefits are designed to be competitive within each country and are focused on well-being and work life balance opportunities for you and your family.

Our benefits examples include:

• Various annual leave entitlements

• A range of health insurance offerings to suit you and your family’s needs.

• Competitive retirement planning offerings to maximize savings and plan with confidence for the years ahead.

• Global Employee Assistance Programme, LifeWorks, offering 24-hour access to a global network of over 80,000 independent specialized professionals who are there to support you and your family’s well-being.

• Life assurance

• Flexible country-specific optional benefits, including childcare vouchers, bike purchase schemes, discounted gym memberships, subsidized travel passes, health assessments, among others.

• Visit our careers site to read more about the benefits ICON offers.

• At ICON, inclusion & belonging are fundamental to our culture and values. We’re dedicated to providing an inclusive and accessible environment for all candidates. ICON is committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

• If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or in order to perform the essential functions of a position, please let us know.