R&D Lab Director

Overview

is a rapidly growing consumer technology firm operating a suite of healthcare businesses, including our flagship brand Blue Chew. Our mission is to better patients' lives through innovative healthcare solutions. With a team of 300 professionals across various specialties, we've built scalable pharmacy, telemedicine, and e-commerce platforms using cutting-edge technology. As we continue our accelerated growth trajectory, we're launching new products to expand our patient base and accelerate growth.

Join us in tackling exciting challenges at the intersection of healthcare and technology.

We are seeking a highly experienced and decisive R&D Lab Director to lead laboratory operations during a period of rapid expansion and high-volume new product launches
. This role is critical to enabling the company’s long-term growth strategy as we plan to introduce a large pipeline of pharmaceutical products over the coming years in support of our telehealth platform.

The R&D Lab Director will oversee multiple concurrent development programs
, manage laboratory machinery and infrastructure, lead and scale an R&D team, and serve as a key liaison between executive leadership and R&D team members
. The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with strong management, communication, and decision-making skills.

Join our team in our Elmhurst, IL office - we're looking for someone who truly values and enjoys working in the office, not just tolerates it.

• Lead R&D activities supporting the launch of a large portfolio of new products over multiple years.
• Manage formulation development, testing, and early-stage scale-up for numerous projects in parallel.
• Establish repeatable, scalable R&D processes that enable speed without compromising quality or compliance.
• Drive prioritization decisions to align lab capacity with business and executive objectives.

• Own project planning, timelines, and milestones across a high volume of simultaneous R&D initiatives.
• Develop and maintain clear tracking systems for progress, dependencies, risks, and deliverables.
• Proactively identify bottlenecks, resource constraints, and risks, and make informed decisions to keep projects on schedule.
• Provide accurate forecasts and status updates to executive leadership.
• Budget management: a core responsibility of the department leader to ensure costs remain proportionate and well controlled.

• Oversee daily operation, maintenance, calibration, and qualification of lab equipment and pharmaceutical machinery.
• Ensure machinery readiness to support accelerated development and increased throughput.
• Lead equipment selection, upgrades, vendor coordination, and validation activities.
• Maintain equipment documentation, logs, and SOPs in compliance with GMP and regulatory standards.

• Build, manage, and develop a high-performing R&D team including scientists, technicians, and lab staff.
• Set clear expectations, assign priorities, and ensure accountability across projects.
• Coach team members on technical excellence, productivity, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Support hiring, onboarding, training, and performance management as the organization scales.

• Act as the primary liaison between executive leadership and the R&D lab team.
• Translate high-level business goals into executable lab priorities and timelines.
• Communicate complex technical information clearly to non-technical stakeholders.
• Partner closely with Quality, Regulatory, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Telehealth Operations teams.

• Make timely, data-driven decisions in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment.
• Ensure compliance with GMP, GLP, FDA, and applicable pharmaceutical regulations.
• Support audits, inspections, and internal reviews in collaboration with Quality and Regulatory teams.
• Enforce safety standards, documentation practices, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Education & Experience:
  
  Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Engineering, Biology, or a related field
  .
• 7+ years of pharmaceutical R&D experience
  , including 3+ years in a lab management or leadership role.
• Proven experience managing high volumes of concurrent R&D projects and product launches.
• Hands on experience with pharmaceutical lab equipment and machinery.
• Strong track record of leading teams, managing performance, and making sound operational decisions.
• Exceptional organizational, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

• Experience in telehealth, health tech, or direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical environments.
• Background in formulation development, product lifecycle management, and technology transfer.
• Familiarity with rapid product launch models and scaled R&D operations.
• Experience implementing project tracking tools, lab management systems, or process automation.

• 100%…