Development Director Jobs at Thermo Fisher Scientific with Visa Sponsorship
Development Director jobs at Thermo Fisher Scientific span R&D leadership, commercial development, and scientific program management across life sciences, diagnostics, and laboratory products. Thermo Fisher has a consistent track record of sponsoring international talent for senior development functions, making it a realistic target for qualified visa-seeking candidates.
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Standard (Mon-Fri)
Environmental Conditions
Office
Location/Division Specific Information:
The Controlled Temperature Technologies (CTT) Business Unit is a portfolio business consisting of two primary product segments: the Cold Storage and Temperature Control. The cold storage segment includes Ultra-Low Temperature Freezers, Laboratory Refrigerators and Freezers, Cryogenic and ELED. The Temperature Control segment includes Chillers, Bath Circulators and Heat Exchangers.
Position Summary
As the Sr. Director of Research & Development CTT, you will be responsible for setting the strategic direction and leading the execution of R&D across the CTT portfolio, driving innovation, and ensuring the successful delivery of differentiated new products and technologies to market. You will oversee a team of scientists, engineers, and technicians, fostering a culture of collaboration, creativity, technical excellence, and continuous improvement. You will lead and influence through direct and matrix management relationships across a diverse, global organization. This position reports directly to the Vice President CTT and is a key member of the BU leadership team, providing strategic R&D and technology leadership to enable the long-term growth of the business.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop and enact the multi-year strategic direction for the R&D function, ensuring alignment with overall business growth objectives, market needs, and P&L priorities to improve competitiveness, profitability, and long-term value creation.
- Lead end-to-end development of innovative technologies and solutions, applying advanced design principles, sustainability practices, and digital capabilities to deliver differentiated, high-quality products that meet evolving customer and market needs.
- Partner with Product Management to define and prioritize multi-year product and technology roadmaps, incorporating regulatory, environmental, competitive, and market insights.
- Build strong partnerships with Engineering, Operations, and Quality teams to ensure manufacturability, reliability, quality, and cost effectiveness.
- Establish and lead the strategic and technical collaboration framework with OEM partners, ensuring product design integrity, quality, and performance while protecting Thermo Fisher’s intellectual property and technical leadership.
- Manage R&D budgets, resource allocation, and portfolio priorities to optimize R&D investment and achieve business targets. Drive adoption of best practices in systems engineering, design controls, and compliance.
- Foster strong cross-functional collaboration across Product Management, Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Commercial teams, ensuring seamless integration of R&D priorities throughout the product lifecycle — from concept and development to launch and sustaining support.
- Drive strategic alignment and innovation across external partnerships, leveraging complementary capabilities to accelerate product development, enhance technical differentiation, and support long-term business growth.
- Build, mentor and develop a high-performing R&D organization, fostering a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Ensure compliance with applicable regulations, global standards, and industry norms for safety, quality, and environmental sustainability requirements.
How you will get here:
- Bachelor's degree in a relevant scientific or engineering field. A master's or Ph.D. is preferred.
- Minimum 15 years of progressive R&D leadership experience in complex engineered systems or technology-driven product environments, preferably within regulated, high-reliability, or performance-critical industries, with demonstrated experience leading broad R&D organizations and portfolios.
- Strong technical background and expertise in scientific research methodologies, experimental design, and data analysis, combined with strong business and strategic acumen.
- Experience managing OEM development partnerships and technology transfers.
- Demonstrated track record of successful driving innovation, delivering new products to market, and leading complex, cross-functional organizations and initiatives in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent leadership and people management skills, with the ability to inspire, motivate, develop talent, and foster a culture of innovation and collaboration.
- Knowledge of regulatory requirements and industry standards relevant to controlled-temperature, laboratory, or other complex engineered products is desirable.
Travel requirements
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 25% of the time.
Work Schedule
Standard (Mon-Fri)
Environmental Conditions
Office
Location/Division Specific Information:
The Controlled Temperature Technologies (CTT) Business Unit is a portfolio business consisting of two primary product segments: the Cold Storage and Temperature Control. The cold storage segment includes Ultra-Low Temperature Freezers, Laboratory Refrigerators and Freezers, Cryogenic and ELED. The Temperature Control segment includes Chillers, Bath Circulators and Heat Exchangers.
Position Summary
As the Sr. Director of Research & Development CTT, you will be responsible for setting the strategic direction and leading the execution of R&D across the CTT portfolio, driving innovation, and ensuring the successful delivery of differentiated new products and technologies to market. You will oversee a team of scientists, engineers, and technicians, fostering a culture of collaboration, creativity, technical excellence, and continuous improvement. You will lead and influence through direct and matrix management relationships across a diverse, global organization. This position reports directly to the Vice President CTT and is a key member of the BU leadership team, providing strategic R&D and technology leadership to enable the long-term growth of the business.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop and enact the multi-year strategic direction for the R&D function, ensuring alignment with overall business growth objectives, market needs, and P&L priorities to improve competitiveness, profitability, and long-term value creation.
- Lead end-to-end development of innovative technologies and solutions, applying advanced design principles, sustainability practices, and digital capabilities to deliver differentiated, high-quality products that meet evolving customer and market needs.
- Partner with Product Management to define and prioritize multi-year product and technology roadmaps, incorporating regulatory, environmental, competitive, and market insights.
- Build strong partnerships with Engineering, Operations, and Quality teams to ensure manufacturability, reliability, quality, and cost effectiveness.
- Establish and lead the strategic and technical collaboration framework with OEM partners, ensuring product design integrity, quality, and performance while protecting Thermo Fisher’s intellectual property and technical leadership.
- Manage R&D budgets, resource allocation, and portfolio priorities to optimize R&D investment and achieve business targets. Drive adoption of best practices in systems engineering, design controls, and compliance.
- Foster strong cross-functional collaboration across Product Management, Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Commercial teams, ensuring seamless integration of R&D priorities throughout the product lifecycle — from concept and development to launch and sustaining support.
- Drive strategic alignment and innovation across external partnerships, leveraging complementary capabilities to accelerate product development, enhance technical differentiation, and support long-term business growth.
- Build, mentor and develop a high-performing R&D organization, fostering a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Ensure compliance with applicable regulations, global standards, and industry norms for safety, quality, and environmental sustainability requirements.
How you will get here:
- Bachelor's degree in a relevant scientific or engineering field. A master's or Ph.D. is preferred.
- Minimum 15 years of progressive R&D leadership experience in complex engineered systems or technology-driven product environments, preferably within regulated, high-reliability, or performance-critical industries, with demonstrated experience leading broad R&D organizations and portfolios.
- Strong technical background and expertise in scientific research methodologies, experimental design, and data analysis, combined with strong business and strategic acumen.
- Experience managing OEM development partnerships and technology transfers.
- Demonstrated track record of successful driving innovation, delivering new products to market, and leading complex, cross-functional organizations and initiatives in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent leadership and people management skills, with the ability to inspire, motivate, develop talent, and foster a culture of innovation and collaboration.
- Knowledge of regulatory requirements and industry standards relevant to controlled-temperature, laboratory, or other complex engineered products is desirable.
Travel requirements
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 25% of the time.
See all Development Director Jobs at Thermo Fisher Scientific
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Development Director Jobs at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Development Director Jobs at Thermo Fisher Scientific
Align your credentials to specialty occupation standards
Development Director roles at Thermo Fisher typically require an advanced degree in a life sciences or engineering discipline. Make sure your transcripts and credential evaluations clearly map your degree to the role's field before you apply.
Target divisions with active R&D pipelines
Thermo Fisher's Biosciences, Genetic Sciences, and Laboratory Products divisions run deep product development pipelines. Focusing your search on these units improves your chances of landing a Development Director opening tied to active sponsorship workflows.
Search open Development Director roles on Migrate Mate
Use Migrate Mate to filter Thermo Fisher Scientific's current Development Director openings by visa type. This saves time by surfacing only roles where sponsorship is actively offered, rather than manually screening postings.
Clarify sponsorship scope during the offer stage
When you receive an offer, confirm whether Thermo Fisher will support both the H-1B petition and future Green Card sponsorship through PERM. Some divisions move faster on EB-2 or EB-3 filings than others, so getting this in writing before you sign matters.
Account for H-1B cap timing in your job search
If you're not currently in H-1B status, USCIS lottery registration opens in March for an October 1 start date. Structure your Thermo Fisher application timeline so any offer and petition preparation can realistically land before or after a lottery cycle.
Document cross-functional leadership for the LCA wage tier
DOL Labor Condition Applications for Development Director roles are filed at a wage level tied to scope of supervision and complexity. Prepare a clear record of team sizes you've managed and budgets you've controlled so Thermo Fisher's legal team can accurately classify your petition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Thermo Fisher Scientific sponsor H-1B visas for Development Directors?
Yes. Thermo Fisher Scientific has an established history of filing H-1B visa petitions for Development Director roles, particularly in its R&D and scientific program management functions. The company works with immigration counsel to handle petition preparation, LCA filing with the DOL, and USCIS submission. If you're on OPT or a transferable H-1B, these roles are realistic targets.
How do I apply for Development Director jobs at Thermo Fisher Scientific?
Applications go through Thermo Fisher's careers portal at thermofisher.com. Search by job function under Research and Development or Product Management, then filter by location. You can also browse verified Development Director openings with sponsorship details on Migrate Mate, which aggregates Thermo Fisher's active visa-sponsoring roles in one place so you're not guessing which postings support international candidates.
Which visa types does Thermo Fisher Scientific commonly use for Development Director positions?
H-1B is the most common pathway for Development Director roles. Thermo Fisher also supports F-1 OPT and CPT for candidates transitioning out of graduate programs, TN visa status for Canadian and Mexican nationals in qualifying scientific disciplines, and employment-based Green Card sponsorship through EB-2 or EB-3 PERM filings for longer-tenured employees.
What qualifications does Thermo Fisher Scientific expect for Development Director roles?
Most Development Director postings require a graduate degree in a life sciences, biomedical, or engineering field, along with substantial experience leading product or program development initiatives. Cross-functional team leadership, familiarity with regulated development environments such as FDA or ISO frameworks, and a track record of delivering commercial or scientific programs on schedule are consistently emphasized across postings.
How do I time my application if I need H-1B sponsorship?
USCIS opens H-1B cap registration each March, with approved petitions taking effect October 1. If you're currently on OPT, your 12-month or 24-month STEM extension window needs to align with that cycle. Applying to Thermo Fisher in the fall or winter gives enough runway to receive an offer, complete the LCA with the DOL, and have a petition ready before the March registration window opens.