Director, Scientific Research (Reagent Sciences)
Location: Cambridge, UK. This senior scientific and people leadership role provides strategic and tactical oversight across reagent research, development, commercialization, and support for Illumina’s on-market portfolio. The leader will manage a team of ~15–20 scientists, shape future sequencing chemistry, and drive global collaboration.
Key Responsibilities
* Drive scientific leadership and delivery: provide direct technical and strategic leadership within Reagent Sciences, ensuring R&D goals are met through clear direction and measurable outcomes.
* Lead complex scientific programmes from early research concepts through late-stage development and commercialization, including multi-year efforts with 20–30 contributors and multiple workstreams.
* Define technical scope, resource requirements, and execution plans; guide decision-making across competing priorities.
* Grow and inspire a high-performing team: manage, coach, and develop a diverse group of scientists in a global, matrixed setting, building credibility, followership, and strong engagement.
* Strengthen team stability and morale by building trust quickly, creating clarity, and establishing continuity without slowing project momentum.
* Champion continuous improvement, team effectiveness, and a culture where people can do their best work.
* Shape strategy and technology direction: contribute to departmental strategy, including technology roadmaps across multiple aspects of Illumina sequencing chemistry.
* Apply or champion AI/ML-enabled approaches where appropriate to improve efficiency, insight generation, or innovation.
* Partner globally and cross-functionally: build strong partnerships across Advanced Sciences, R&D, Operations, Quality, and Manufacturing; work effectively across multiple sites, aligning stakeholders across time zones.
* Participate in local Cambridge R&D leadership activities, supporting regional business objectives and representing the organisation through external engagement as appropriate.
Requirements
* Scientific and technical expertise: deep expertise in the development and optimisation of complex reagent formulations, ideally within sequencing systems and/or reagent–surface interfaces; strong experience with analytical characterisation methods; comfort analysing large, complex datasets including statistical methods.
* Leadership and execution: proven track record leading high-impact technical teams through complex scope and ambitious timelines; strong people leadership capability, ideally including leadership in matrixed organisations; excellent programme/project leadership skills (scheduling, budgeting, resourcing, prioritisation).
* Communication and collaboration: superior written, verbal, and presentation skills; ability to communicate with a wide range of audiences; strong collaboration skills; comfort operating in a global environment with flexibility for late-day/evening meetings.
* Education & experience: typically requires a PhD in biological sciences (or equivalent), significant years of applicable management experience, demonstrated experience mentoring and leading senior PhD scientists, broad knowledge across a corporate sub-function and depth of technical knowledge built through non-management and middle-management roles.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Illumina is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, creed, color, gender, religion, marital status, domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, pregnancy, military or veteran status, citizenship status, and genetic information. Illumina conducts background checks on applicants for whom a conditional offer of employment has been made. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws. Background check results may potentially result in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment. The background check process and any decisions made as a result shall be made in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws.
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