Director, Scientific Research (Reagent Sciences)
Location: Cambridge, UK (site-based leadership role with global collaboration). Flexibility required to support global stakeholders across time zones.
At Illumina, we are driven by a single purpose: to unlock the power of the genome to improve human health. Achieving that mission means pushing boundaries every day—through scientific curiosity, disciplined execution, and technology innovation that can change what’s possible in healthcare worldwide.
We’re looking for a Director, Scientific Research to join our Reagent Sciences Department within Advanced Sciences, based in Cambridge, UK. This is a senior scientific and people leadership role with local site leadership impact and global influence, providing strategic and tactical oversight across reagent research, development, commercialisation, and support for our on-market portfolio.
This is a unique opportunity to lead a talented team through meaningful innovation, stabilise and strengthen followership, and shape the future of Illumina sequencing chemistry.
Why this role matters
You will lead a team of ~15–20 scientists, spanning early-career to highly experienced professionals. Beyond management, you will define and communicate a clear scientific vision, align priorities across a matrixed organisation, and build trust and momentum in an environment that has seen leadership changes in recent years. Your leadership will help ensure we deliver reagents and chemistry innovations that are robust, scalable, and ready for real‑world impact—supporting Illumina’s sequencers and customers globally.
What you’ll do (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, rigorous execution, and measurable outcomes.
- Lead complex scientific programmes from early research concepts through late‑stage development and commercialisation, 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.
- Provide domain expertise and technical guidance across multiple projects and programmes, raising scientific standards and accelerating progress.
- Apply (or champion) AI/ML‑enabled approaches where appropriate to improve efficiency, insight generation, or innovation—scientifically or operationally.
- Partner globally and cross‑functionally: Build strong partnerships across Advanced Sciences, R&D, Operations, Quality, and Manufacturing.
- Work effectively across multiple sites (including the US and Singapore), aligning stakeholders across time zones.
- Participate in local Cambridge R&D leadership activities, supporting regional business objectives and representing the organisation through external engagement.
What you’ll bring (Requirements)
- Scientific and technical expertise: Deep expertise in development and optimisation of complex reagent formulations—ideally within sequencing systems and/or reagent‑surface interfaces.
- Strong experience with analytical characterisation methods to optimise performance, stability, and robustness.
- Comfort analysing large, complex datasets, including use of statistical methods.
- Strong technical credibility—this is a hands‑on scientific leadership role, not a pure project management position.
- 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—able to communicate with a wide range of audiences, from scientists to senior leaders.
- Strong collaboration skills; ability to build trust and productive relationships across chemistry, engineering, operations, and beyond.
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 across disciplines while delivering product development programmes.
- Broad knowledge across a corporate sub‑function and depth of technical knowledge built through non‑management and middle‑management roles.
We are a company deeply rooted in belonging, promoting an inclusive environment where employees feel valued and empowered to contribute to our mission. 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.
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