As a Director of R&D Scientific Services at Cepheid, you will lead the technical support and strategic direction for the R&D Pre-clinical and Microbiology/Biorepository teams, ensuring on-time delivery of high-priority projects. You will develop long-term roadmaps, scale scientific innovations, drive preclinical excellence, manage site initiations, ensure analytical rigor, synchronize cross-functional workflows, and modernize microbiology operations. This role requires expertise in assay development, clinical microbiology, and regulatory compliance within an IVD environment, along with leadership experience in managing high-performing teams. Key skills include biostatistical knowledge, operational agility, and familiarity with automated molecular diagnostic platforms. The position is part of the R&D Platform & Services Organization at Cepheid’s Sunnyvale, CA location, where you will contribute to groundbreaking solutions for complex health challenges.
Skills
Python
R
SQL
Biostatistics
Danaher Business System
Six Sigma
Lean Manufacturing
Molecular Biology
Clinical Microbiology
Assay Development
IVD Products
Automated Molecular Diagnostic Platforms
BSL-2 Laboratory Environment
Hepatitis B Vaccination
Regulatory Compliance
Quality Management Systems
What you'll do
Develop and execute long-term strategic roadmaps for R&D Scientific Services.
Translate scientific advances into scalable service capabilities for R&D empowerment.
Lead execution of clinical trial readiness to ensure seamless product development transitions.
Manage site initiations and staff training for field studies, ensuring scientific validity.
Provide data oversight for panel preparation and prototype design iterations.
Serve as key collaboration driver between R&D and cross-functional teams to eliminate bottlenecks.
Build and oversee the Microbiology/Biorepository team, managing specimen allocation and control development.
What we're looking for
Proven track record leading high-performing scientific teams and developing long-term technical roadmaps.
Deep understanding of analytical study requirements and quality compliance for clinical trial readiness protocols.
Demonstrated ability to manage NPD pipelines and execute risk mitigation strategies in early-stage development.
Direct experience in Assay Development and Clinical Microbiology within IVD or regulated biotechnology environments.
Experience translating scientific advances into scalable, customer-facing service capabilities.
Familiarity with automated molecular diagnostic platforms and integration of internal/external controls.
Expertise in biostatistics for study design and clinical performance analysis of IVD products.
Market check
Salary context
This
$186,000–$255,000
range sits above
62%
of similar postings on FindRole.
Peer median band
$143,600–$256,800
Median floor and ceiling across peers.
Typical midpoint (25–75%)
$163,875–$250,025
Middle half of comparable postings.
Based on 240 comparable postings.*
* 240 is the maximum number of comparable postings sampled.
Employer
About Danaher Corporation
Danaher Corporation is a leading global science and technology innovator focused on biotechnology, diagnostics, and life sciences.
Danaher Corporation currently has
26 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$142,500–$167,500
across 20 roles with salary data.
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