[Remote] Lab Operations Director

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. X4 Engineering is seeking an experienced leader for a large, regulated laboratory testing operation. The role owns site-wide business performance, laboratory operations, quality and regulatory compliance, customer relationships, commercial growth, and people leadership.

Responsibilities

• Take full ownership of the site's P&L, budget, revenue, profitability and operating performance
• Develop and execute annual business plans and financial targets
• Monitor revenue, margins, operating costs, productivity and EBITDA performance
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability through pricing, productivity, capacity utilization and cost control
• Report business performance and strategic priorities to senior leadership
• Make informed decisions around capital expenditure, resources and organizational investment
• Lead the day-to-day operation of a high-volume, regulated testing laboratory
• Ensure laboratory capacity, staffing and resources are aligned with demand and customer requirements
• Drive improvements in turnaround time, productivity, utilization and operational efficiency
• Establish clear KPIs and performance management processes across the laboratory
• Ensure effective sample flow, scheduling, workload management and delivery against customer commitments
• Identify operational bottlenecks and implement continuous improvement initiatives
• Ensure appropriate maintenance, calibration and utilization of laboratory equipment and infrastructure
• Maintain a strong culture of quality, safety and regulatory compliance across the site
• Ensure the laboratory operates in accordance with applicable accreditation, regulatory and quality requirements
• Partner closely with Quality and Technical leadership on audits, corrective actions, proficiency testing and continuous improvement
• Ensure laboratory processes, documentation and technical practices meet required standards
• Maintain accountability for quality performance while balancing operational efficiency and commercial objectives
• Lead and develop a sizeable laboratory organization, including managers, supervisors, technical personnel and support functions
• Build a high-performing leadership team and develop succession capability within the site
• Set clear objectives, KPIs and performance expectations
• Recruit, retain and develop key laboratory and operational talent
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement and customer focus
• Make organizational and staffing decisions based on business demand and performance
• Partner with sales and commercial teams to drive revenue growth and customer retention
• Develop strong relationships with key customers and act as a senior escalation point
• Identify opportunities for new services, additional testing volumes and market expansion
• Support pricing, commercial negotiations and strategic account development
• Understand customer requirements and ensure the laboratory consistently delivers against expectations
• Use customer feedback and market intelligence to identify opportunities to improve the business
• Identify and implement initiatives that improve laboratory productivity, quality, customer experience and profitability
• Lead business transformation and operational improvement projects
• Evaluate opportunities to expand laboratory capabilities, services and capacity
• Drive a data-led approach to decision making
• Establish a culture where operational performance and continuous improvement are embedded into the organization

Skills

• An experienced Business Unit Manager / Site General Manager
• An experienced laboratory leader
• An established laboratory operations leader who has progressed into broader business leadership
• Significant experience managing regulated laboratory operations
• Previous responsibility for laboratory personnel, technical operations and day-to-day laboratory performance
• Demonstrable experience operating within an accredited or highly regulated laboratory environment
• Previous P&L and budget ownership , ideally for a multi-million-dollar laboratory or technical services business
• Experience leading sizeable teams and managing through multiple levels of leadership
• Strong understanding of laboratory quality systems, regulatory requirements and accreditation
• Proven track record of improving operational performance, productivity, turnaround times or profitability
• Strong commercial awareness and experience working with customers and/or sales teams
• Experience managing change, continuous improvement and organizational development
• Commercially minded – understands revenue, margin, EBITDA and growth
• Operationally rigorous – knows how to run a high-throughput laboratory effectively
• Quality driven – understands that regulatory compliance and technical quality are non-negotiable
• Entrepreneurial – comfortable taking ownership and making decisions
• Data driven – uses KPIs and financial information to manage performance
• Customer focused – understands the importance of service, turnaround time and retention
• A strong people leader – capable of developing managers and building a high-performing organization
• Change oriented – comfortable improving processes and challenging the status quo
• Environmental testing
• Industrial hygiene
• Built environment testing
• Analytical testing
• Materials testing
• Chemical testing
• Pharmaceutical testing
• Food testing
• Life sciences testing
• Other regulated third-party laboratory environments
• Direct experience in built environment testing is advantageous but not essential for the right laboratory leader with strong transferable experience

Benefits

• The opportunity to take ownership of a significant laboratory operation, influence its strategy and culture, and drive commercial and operational performance, with the autonomy and accountability of a General Manager / Business Unit President.

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