Senior Level Lab Director Jobs
Senior level lab director jobs put experienced scientists and operations leaders in charge of research strategy, quality systems, and the teams that deliver results. Most openings are on-site or hybrid across Healthcare & Medical Services, Education, and Science & Research, with employers like DaVita, Quest Diagnostics, and University of Nebraska hiring at this level now.
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See related jobsFor 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.
Job Overview
This role partners with operational and commercial leaders across the Global CRL Lab Sciences business to drive financial performance, operational productivity, and data-driven decision-making. As a Finance Business Partner, you deliver actionable insights through forecasting, headcount and productivity analysis, commercial performance evaluation, KPI management, and operating income monitoring.
Serving as a trusted advisor to business leaders, you connect financial results with operational and commercial drivers, including scientific demand, volume throughput, backlog, capacity, and market trends. You support resource planning, operational efficiency, forecast accuracy and performance improvement initiatives across a global laboratory services portfolio.
Success in this role requires strong analytical and financial planning capabilities, with the ability to translate complex data into clear insights, communicate key business drivers, and influence decision-making across operations, commercial teams, and finance. Through a combination of financial expertise and business acumen, you identify risks, opportunities, and actions that enhance growth, profitability, and operational effectiveness.
The role also supports the annual planning process, monthly business reviews, and strategic initiatives, ensuring leaders have timely and accurate information to make informed decisions.
- This position may require occasional domestic and/or international travel (e.g. to CRL or client venues)
- This position will work remote from home office.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Business Partnership : Serve as a trusted advisor to Operational and Commercial leaders, providing financial guidance, challenging assumptions, and influencing key business decisions.
- Forecasting : Lead weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual forecasting processes, improving forecast accuracy and business visibility.
- Backlog Management : Monitor backlog performance, client demand trends, and forecast slippage to improve predictability and planning.
- Business Analytics : Develop KPIs, dashboards, and management reporting that drive data-based decision-making and performance improvement.
- Margin Optimization : Analyze pricing, margins, and study profitability to identify opportunities for revenue growth and margin expansion.
- Business Insights : Translate complex operational and financial data into clear, actionable recommendations for leadership.
- Performance Management : Drive accountability through performance reviews, action tracking, and follow-up with business leaders.
- Resource Planning : Support capacity, workload, productivity, and headcount planning through data-driven analysis.
- Strategic Investments : Develop financial models and business cases to support investment decisions, strategic initiatives, and ROI tracking.
- Operating Income Performance : Partner with operational and cost center leaders to improve efficiency, productivity, and operating income performance.
- Commercial Partnership : Partner with Commercial leadership to evaluate pipeline, bookings, client trends, and market opportunities that support growth objectives.
- Commercial Effectiveness : Analyze commercial productivity, resource utilization, and organizational performance to improve effectiveness.
- Technology & Analytics Enablement : Lead reporting, analytics, and technology initiatives that enhance business insight and decision support.
- Strategic Planning : Lead annual planning, long-range forecasting, and strategic planning activities in support of business objectives.
- Financial Reporting : Support month-end close activities, including revenue analysis, accrual reviews, variance analysis, and management reporting.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Education : Bachelor’s degree (BA/BS) in business or related discipline preferred.
- Experience : 10+ years in FP&A, Commercial Finance, or Finance Business Partnering within a complex global organization.
- Qualified Accountant beneficial – CPA or equivalent
- Strong FP&A/commercial finance exposure and P&L ownership.
- Proven experience partnering with senior operational and commercial leaders to drive business performance and strategic decision-making.
- Skills: Demonstrated proficiency managing analytically rigorous initiatives. Advanced Excel and PowerPoint presentation abilities required.
- Tangible understanding and experience of ERP, Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence systems incl. financial reporting, PowerBI and CRM systems.
- Accustomed to communicating and reporting to senior management.
- Supervisory and/or people management experience advantageous.
Compensation Data
The annual pay range for this position in the USA is $120K - $135K USD. Please note that salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, certifications, location and any collective agreements, if applicable. Remote candidates located outside of the USA should be aware that the relevant pay range varies based on country and location.
About Corporate Functions
The Corporate Functions provide operational support across Charles River in areas such as Human Resources, Finance, IT, Legal, Sales, Quality Assurance, Marketing, and Corporate Development. They partner with their colleagues across the company to develop and drive strategies and to set global standards. The functions are essential to providing a bridge between strategic vision and operational readiness, to ensure ongoing functional innovation and capability improvement.
About Charles River
Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients’ clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.
With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in over 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client’s unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world.
At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly worked on 80% of the drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past five years.
We’re committed to providing benefits that elevate your quality of life. Based on your position these may include: bonus/incentives based on performance, 401K, paid time off, stock purchase program, Health and wellness coverage, employee and family wellbeing support programs, and work life balance flexibility.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Charles River is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, family status, pregnancy, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.
It is unlawful in some states (including Massachusetts) to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
If you are interested in applying to Charles River Laboratories and need special assistance or an accommodation due to a disability to complete any forms or to otherwise participate in the resume submission process, please contact a member of our Human Resources team by sending an e-mail message to crrecruitment_US@crl.com. This contact is for accommodation requests for individuals with disabilities only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.
For more information, please visit www.criver.com.
For 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.
Job Overview
This role partners with operational and commercial leaders across the Global CRL Lab Sciences business to drive financial performance, operational productivity, and data-driven decision-making. As a Finance Business Partner, you deliver actionable insights through forecasting, headcount and productivity analysis, commercial performance evaluation, KPI management, and operating income monitoring.
Serving as a trusted advisor to business leaders, you connect financial results with operational and commercial drivers, including scientific demand, volume throughput, backlog, capacity, and market trends. You support resource planning, operational efficiency, forecast accuracy and performance improvement initiatives across a global laboratory services portfolio.
Success in this role requires strong analytical and financial planning capabilities, with the ability to translate complex data into clear insights, communicate key business drivers, and influence decision-making across operations, commercial teams, and finance. Through a combination of financial expertise and business acumen, you identify risks, opportunities, and actions that enhance growth, profitability, and operational effectiveness.
The role also supports the annual planning process, monthly business reviews, and strategic initiatives, ensuring leaders have timely and accurate information to make informed decisions.
- This position may require occasional domestic and/or international travel (e.g. to CRL or client venues)
- This position will work remote from home office.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Business Partnership : Serve as a trusted advisor to Operational and Commercial leaders, providing financial guidance, challenging assumptions, and influencing key business decisions.
- Forecasting : Lead weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual forecasting processes, improving forecast accuracy and business visibility.
- Backlog Management : Monitor backlog performance, client demand trends, and forecast slippage to improve predictability and planning.
- Business Analytics : Develop KPIs, dashboards, and management reporting that drive data-based decision-making and performance improvement.
- Margin Optimization : Analyze pricing, margins, and study profitability to identify opportunities for revenue growth and margin expansion.
- Business Insights : Translate complex operational and financial data into clear, actionable recommendations for leadership.
- Performance Management : Drive accountability through performance reviews, action tracking, and follow-up with business leaders.
- Resource Planning : Support capacity, workload, productivity, and headcount planning through data-driven analysis.
- Strategic Investments : Develop financial models and business cases to support investment decisions, strategic initiatives, and ROI tracking.
- Operating Income Performance : Partner with operational and cost center leaders to improve efficiency, productivity, and operating income performance.
- Commercial Partnership : Partner with Commercial leadership to evaluate pipeline, bookings, client trends, and market opportunities that support growth objectives.
- Commercial Effectiveness : Analyze commercial productivity, resource utilization, and organizational performance to improve effectiveness.
- Technology & Analytics Enablement : Lead reporting, analytics, and technology initiatives that enhance business insight and decision support.
- Strategic Planning : Lead annual planning, long-range forecasting, and strategic planning activities in support of business objectives.
- Financial Reporting : Support month-end close activities, including revenue analysis, accrual reviews, variance analysis, and management reporting.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Education : Bachelor’s degree (BA/BS) in business or related discipline preferred.
- Experience : 10+ years in FP&A, Commercial Finance, or Finance Business Partnering within a complex global organization.
- Qualified Accountant beneficial – CPA or equivalent
- Strong FP&A/commercial finance exposure and P&L ownership.
- Proven experience partnering with senior operational and commercial leaders to drive business performance and strategic decision-making.
- Skills: Demonstrated proficiency managing analytically rigorous initiatives. Advanced Excel and PowerPoint presentation abilities required.
- Tangible understanding and experience of ERP, Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence systems incl. financial reporting, PowerBI and CRM systems.
- Accustomed to communicating and reporting to senior management.
- Supervisory and/or people management experience advantageous.
Compensation Data
The annual pay range for this position in the USA is $120K - $135K USD. Please note that salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, certifications, location and any collective agreements, if applicable. Remote candidates located outside of the USA should be aware that the relevant pay range varies based on country and location.
About Corporate Functions
The Corporate Functions provide operational support across Charles River in areas such as Human Resources, Finance, IT, Legal, Sales, Quality Assurance, Marketing, and Corporate Development. They partner with their colleagues across the company to develop and drive strategies and to set global standards. The functions are essential to providing a bridge between strategic vision and operational readiness, to ensure ongoing functional innovation and capability improvement.
About Charles River
Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients’ clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.
With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in over 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client’s unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world.
At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly worked on 80% of the drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past five years.
We’re committed to providing benefits that elevate your quality of life. Based on your position these may include: bonus/incentives based on performance, 401K, paid time off, stock purchase program, Health and wellness coverage, employee and family wellbeing support programs, and work life balance flexibility.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Charles River is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, family status, pregnancy, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.
It is unlawful in some states (including Massachusetts) to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
If you are interested in applying to Charles River Laboratories and need special assistance or an accommodation due to a disability to complete any forms or to otherwise participate in the resume submission process, please contact a member of our Human Resources team by sending an e-mail message to crrecruitment_US@crl.com. This contact is for accommodation requests for individuals with disabilities only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.
For more information, please visit www.criver.com.
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Senior Level Lab Director Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a senior level lab director job?
Employers at this level want candidates who have already led laboratory operations end-to-end, not just managed a team. Demonstrate ownership of outcomes: regulatory compliance programs you built, accreditation cycles you drove, or research pipelines you scaled. Strong candidates also show they can mentor junior scientists and influence cross-functional decisions, not only execute within them.
Which companies hire senior level lab directors?
Companies hiring senior level lab directors right now include DaVita, Quest Diagnostics, and University of Nebraska, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. At this level, hiring tends to come from large healthcare systems, pharmaceutical and biotech firms, contract research organizations, and industrial manufacturers that run complex, high-volume laboratory operations.
Are there remote senior level lab director jobs?
Yes, though most lab director roles require at least some on-site presence given hands-on oversight responsibilities. About 50% of senior level lab director openings are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, and those tend to be in quality assurance, regulatory affairs-adjacent roles, or positions focused on multi-site program leadership rather than direct bench supervision.
What makes a lab director role senior level?
Senior level lab director roles carry full accountability for laboratory strategy, compliance, and performance rather than executing tasks set by others. Expect to own accreditation and regulatory relationships, set operational standards across teams or sites, and develop the next generation of lab leaders. The scope is institution-wide or program-wide, not confined to a single department or function.
Which industries hire the most senior level lab directors?
Senior Level lab director roles concentrate in Healthcare & Medical Services, Education, and Science & Research, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. These sectors drive hiring at this level because they operate under strict regulatory frameworks, run large or multi-site laboratory programs, and need experienced leaders who can maintain quality standards while advancing scientific or operational goals.