Head of Research & Development; R&D), Spatial Biology Division

Position: Head of Research & Development (R&D), Spatial Biology Division
** By joining Bio-Techne, you’ll join a company with a powerful and positive purpose of enabling cutting-edge research in Life Sciences and Clinical Diagnostics. Bio-Techne, and all of its brands, provides tools for researchers to further treat and prevent disease worldwide.
** Pay Range:$ - $##

Position Summary:

Bio‑Techne is seeking a Head of R&D to lead the Spatial Biology Division’s global R&D organization across Newark (CA) and Tolochenaz (Switzerland). SBD delivers an integrated portfolio of multi‑omic assays and reagents, automation and instrumentation, software and analytics, and applications. These are anchored by RNAscope in situ hybridization technologies and COMET sequential immunofluorescence instrumentation.

This role is accountable for running SBD R&D as one operating system: a unified strategy and roadmap, clear portfolio priorities, disciplined governance, harmonized processes, and reliable execution. The Head of R&D will balance run‑the‑business (sustaining, customer enablement, applications support, reliability) with build‑the‑future (new products, platform evolution, workflow integration, and clinical expansion) to translate innovation into adoption, pull‑through, and sustainable growth.## ##

About the Role:

Bio‑Techne’s Spatial Biology Division has evolved to a single, integrated division with shared leadership and increased customer focus. This VP‑level role is a critical leadership position in that operating model, responsible for the end‑to‑end R&D portfolio and the systems that make delivery predictable, scalable, and impact‑driven.

You will partner closely with Product Management, Marketing, PMO/Program Management, Operations/Quality, Clinical/Medical Affairs, and Commercial leadership - and work with other Bio-Techne cross-divisional leaders and technologies - to ensure SBD’s R&D investments create differentiated customer value and durable business outcomes.## ##

Key Responsibilities:

1) Advance the SBD R&D strategy and own the portfolio
* Define and maintain an integrated R&D strategy and roadmap across Newark and Tolochenaz, aligned to SBD business strategy and customer needs
* Own portfolio prioritization and resource allocation across:  + New Product Introduction (NPI) / platform evolution  + Sustaining product, technology & lifecycle improvements  + Applications, evidence generation, and customer enablement  + Longer‑horizon innovation programs
* Make disciplined, transparent tradeoffs across customer value, technical risk, manufacturability, margin/COGS, time‑to‑market, and strategic differentiation
* Partner with Legal/IP to shape an SBD IP strategy aligned with platform roadmaps and competitive positioning2) Run a unified R&D operating system
* Establish and lead an operating cadence that makes cross‑site delivery predictable through portfolio reviews, gate reviews, roadmap refreshes, and executive updates/readouts
* Ensure strong end‑to‑end program execution for integrated products and workflows (reagents, instruments, and software/analytics), including phase‑gate discipline, technical risk management, verification/validation, and launch readiness
* Build/strengthen processes that improve speed and quality by ensuring alignment with customer needs, clarifying requirements, and ensuring design transfer readiness3) Lead, develop, and retain a world‑class cross‑site team
* Lead and develop global teams across major capability areas, including assay chemistry and reagents, engineering/instrumentation, software/analytics, and applications
* Build leadership bench strength through succession planning, targeted hiring, and capability development across both sites
* Create a culture of accountability with clear goals, decision ownership, and evidence‑supported planning and delivery4) Drive innovation that converts to adoption and growth
* Translate customer “problems‑to‑solve” into integrated workflow and product requirements, closing the gap between scientific novelty and everyday customer utility
* Map innovation investments across short/mid/long horizons, ensuring continuity from strategy to impact and creating protectable IP
* Strengthen end‑to‑end workflow differentiation…