Director – BioPharma LBA and Biomarker Services

Director – BioPharma LBA and Biomarker Services

Performing critical work that impacts our industry and our world’s health while problem solving and innovating in the field – that’s what Scientists at KCAS get to do every day.  If that gets you excited too, then maybe working as a BioPharma Director, leading our Scientists at KCAS is a role to consider. 

When you work as the BioPharma Services Director at KCAS, you get to further our mission as the core of KCAS, carrying out and supervising all aspects of our studies.  

Our LBA/Biomarker Services lab team quantitates proteins and anti-drug antibodies to perform early drug discovery, preclinical toxicology work, and clinical studies, including multiplexing by LBA (ligand binding assays) platforms, LCMS (liquid chromatography mass spectrometry), and flow cytometry.

In this role, we’ll rely on you to: 

•  Responsible for all departmental activities related to providing support of on-site programs and studies, for multiple departments
• Able to act independently as a project manager; develop, design, validate, interpret, prepare reports, and conduct assays and studies as assigned
• Key participant in strategic planning for securing and retaining new clients through building strong relationships and the development of new services and technologies
• Develop business leads to ensure company’s financial success
• Participate in business development opportunities; work toward expanding existing business and developing new opportunities
• Develop strong relationships with key accounts and represent KCAS to the customer
• Responsible for coordinating the feasibility and pricing of applying a wide variety of scientific principles and concepts to client projects
• Coordinate with Business Development, and KCAS executive management with respect to client/sponsor negotiations
• Define and optimize organizational structure to maximize production and capacity to meet future forecasted demand and allow for KCAS to be strategically positioned to capitalize on future growth opportunities
• Ensure departments produce a high-quality work product acceptable to executive management, on time and within budget
• Develop and maintain client/sponsor relationships, by being proactive, flexible, and responsive with timely and transparent communication and ensuring the organization is meeting or exceeding their needs, by delivering high quality standards
• Forecast and recommend strategies to accommodate growth when needed (space, equipment, human resource)
• Develop long and short-range operating objectives, organizational structure of direct reports and staffing requirements, including development of departmental plan for backup and succession planning of key technical personnel
• Integrate activities with other business units (segments, departments, functions) within KCAS
• Provide scientific and innovative thinking with advanced level of technical skill and insight, keeping abreast and maintaining a broad knowledge of state-of-the art principles, theories, and regulatory updates
• Ensure departmental staff adherence to pertinent regulatory requirements and to departmental policies, practices, and procedures [SOPs, safety procedures and biosafety protocols
• Provide direct daily supervision and review the work of assigned departmental employees, to ensure scientific accuracy and adherence to departmental policies, practices, and procedures. Schedule and prioritize workload of direct reports
• Direct activities of assigned departments to ensure optimum performance of the group/function, to deliver high quality scientific data, on-time and within budget that meets or exceeds client expectations
• Define strategies and resources required to maintain departmental equipment in good working condition, leveraging in house training and external service contracts
• Prepare and deliver salary and performance reviews; review and approve salary appraisals initiated by direct and indirect reports
• Assure that continuous training and educational needs of the staff are met in a timely manner
• Attend in-house and national scientific meetings and give presentations as appropriate
• Ensure effective communication within entire business unit, to provide overlap of diverse expertise. Implement techniques to improve productivity, increase efficiencies and maintain state-of-the-art practices
• Hire competent staff and build a strong scientific and operational team
• Perform other related duties as assigned

You’ll do all this in graduated sterile labs, as part of our new state-of-the-art building constructed explicitly for our purposes. You’ll be counted on to share your expertise as a mentor to those earlier in their career, have direct access to KCAS leaders to share your vision and ideas, be trusted as an expert in your field and supported as you write papers and speak at conferences, and experience opportunities to further advance your own career and knowledge.  You’ll also experience the benefit a casual work environment. And every day, you’ll be part of decisions and work that pioneers the latest drug development in human and animal healthcare.

At KCAS, demand for our expertise in bioanalytical and biomarker services is growing, and now is a great time to join us and be part of our team of dedicated experts who are together, improving the world’s health!

  (Note, this is a representative summary of responsibilities and is not meant to be exhaustive.) 

WHO YOU ARE

You will thrive at KCAS if you enjoy a relational environment, are purpose- and values-driven, embrace constant development and supportive leadership, and enjoy being part of innovative work.

To qualify specifically for this role, you will have:

•  Bachelors in a scientific related field required, with minimum 13 years’ experience in CRO, Pharma, or Biotech industry conducting scientific research. MS or Ph.D. preferred
•  An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above
•  Minimum 13 years’ experience in developing a wide variety of analytical and bioanalytical techniques for the quantitation of biotherapeutics, and immunogenicity
•  Excellent knowledge of the principles of bioanalysis for biotherapeutics, by current state of the art technologies and methodologies including but not limited to: LBA, Immunogenicity, ELISA, MSD, Luminex, SMCxPro, etc.
•  Quantitation of Proteins, ADC’s, Oligonucleotides, Peptides and other biotherapeutic target analytes, through the utilization of diverse scientific procedures, calculations, and statistics
•  Working knowledge of state-of-the-art principles, theories, and regulatory updates for biopharmaceuticals, biomarkers, and biotherapeutics
•  Good knowledge of MS Word, Excel, technical writing
•  Strong knowledge of financial metrics and budgets
•  Professional understanding of hiring and employment practices
•  Familiar with current industry trends and expectations relating to biotherapeutic modalities

WHAT YOU’LL GET

Our benefits include, and extend beyond, the traditional package.  At KCAS, you’ll enjoy company sponsored events like food trucks, family days and spirit days.  You’ll grow in your career with KCAS University.  You’ll be able to connect with like-minded employees to further KCAS's approach to key areas such as wellness, inclusion, and community outreach.  You’ll engage as an owner in our stock ownership program.  You’ll have access to the latest technology. And you’ll be able to invest in the community with paid time off to volunteer. 

WHO WE ARE

We are a fast-growing contract research organization (CRO) headquartered in Kansas City, pioneering the latest drug development in both human and animal health fields. Demand for our expertise is growing and so is our need for great people to work in nimble, empowered teams committed to one another’s growth. At KCAS, we advance both great science AND great people.

Learn more about KCAS in this video.

KCAS is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other legally protected category.

LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS

This position description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees may be required to follow additional instructions and to perform other duties as directed by a supervisor.

Requirements are representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills and/or abilities. To perform this job successfully, the employee must possess the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty proficiently. Continued employment remains on an "at-will" basis.

KCAS recruits qualified candidates without regard to citizenship status. We have internal processes in place to enable hiring of the right candidates through appropriate U.S. Immigration framework.

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