Director, Laboratory Operations

Functional leader

Career Explorer · Clinical, Laboratory & Scientific Operations · Laboratory Operations Management

M3 · DirectorIndividual contributorDirector

Standard where organizational scale supports the level

What the role involves

Autonomy: Department / major product or regional function
Scope: Department / major product or regional function
Time horizon: 1-2 years
Expertise and judgement: Sets functional strategy, operating model and investment priorities
Expected impact: Department/business outcomes

Expected skills (23)

Grouped as human, professional and technical. Target proficiency uses the P1–P5 scale, and each row says what that level means for that particular skill.

Human (11)

Skill	Importance	Target	What that level looks like
Coaching Collaboration & Leadership	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Decision making Thinking & Judgment	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Delegation Collaboration & Leadership	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Executive communication Communication & Influence	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Feedback delivery Collaboration & Leadership	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Risk judgment Thinking & Judgment	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Stakeholder management Communication & Influence	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Strategic thinking Thinking & Judgment	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Talent development Collaboration & Leadership	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Conflict resolution Communication & Influence	Supporting	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Inclusive leadership Collaboration & Leadership	Supporting	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.

Professional (5)

Skill	Importance	Target	What that level looks like
Business acumen Business & Strategy	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Financial acumen Business & Strategy	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Performance management Business & Strategy	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Quality documentation Quality & Regulatory	Supporting	P4	Sets cross-team standards and governance for Quality documentation, integrating risk, metrics and stakeholder needs.
Resource management Program, Risk & Sustainability	Supporting	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.

Technical (7)

Skill	Importance	Target	What that level looks like
Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Clinical & Laboratory	Supporting	P4	Designs standards/approaches for Good Clinical Practice (GCP), leads cross-team implementation and mentors practitioners.
Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) Clinical & Laboratory	Supporting	P4	Designs standards/approaches for Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), leads cross-team implementation and mentors practitioners.
Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) Clinical & Laboratory	Supporting	P4	Designs standards/approaches for Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), leads cross-team implementation and mentors practitioners.
Laboratory quality control Clinical & Laboratory	Supporting	P4	Designs standards/approaches for Laboratory quality control, leads cross-team implementation and mentors practitioners.
Research protocols Clinical & Laboratory	Supporting	P4	Designs standards/approaches for Research protocols, leads cross-team implementation and mentors practitioners.
Sample management Clinical & Laboratory	Supporting	P4	Designs standards/approaches for Sample management, leads cross-team implementation and mentors practitioners.
Scientific writing Clinical & Laboratory	Supporting	P4	Designs standards/approaches for Scientific writing, leads cross-team implementation and mentors practitioners.

Career ladder

Reached from

Senior Manager, Laboratory OperationsM2

Next steps

Senior Director, Laboratory OperationsM4Management promotion
Move from department leadership to large multi-portfolio leadership; integrate functions, influence enterprise decisions and strengthen the leadership pipeline.

People management requires sustained evidence of coaching, performance management, staffing judgment and organizational leadership - not simply greater individual expertise.

What changes to advance

Move from department leadership to large multi-portfolio leadership; integrate functions, influence enterprise decisions and strengthen the leadership pipeline.

Source: PROCOMER FTZ benchmark; SFIA; PMI · MF292-M3