The Role
Joining Moderna offers the unique opportunity to be part of a pioneering team that is revolutionizing medicine through mRNA technology, with a diverse pipeline of development programs across various diseases. This Director-level position reports to the Senior Director of Clinical Biomarker Laboratories and plays a pivotal role in establishing and scaling up Operational activities at Moderna’s UK-based Clinical Biomarker Laboratory at Harwell.
As Director, you will provide strategic leadership and global influence over the UK lab’s logistics and operations, ensuring Moderna’s biomarker laboratories not only meet clinical and regulatory requirements but also serve as a model of operational excellence, innovation, and digital transformation.
You will be responsible for shaping the long-term vision for biomarker logistics and internal lab operations, driving integration with Moderna’s global infrastructure, and representing UK operations in senior forums and external partnerships. As such, your responsibility will be to efficiently work with the biomarker Lab directors and respective leadership teams to establish operational efficiency and promote clinical testing and sample management across the teams.
With both strategic oversight and operational accountability, you will be responsible for ensuring the performance and evolution of the Lab’s sample lifecycle systems, Biobanking, infrastructure, and Regulatory readiness (with Lab compliance group).
Acting as a global representative of UK operations, you will engage cross-functional partners and U.S.-based teams to ensure excellence in compliance and consistency across our clinical programs. This is an opportunity to lead a growing team in a high-impact space, driving clinical readiness and enabling transformative mRNA research. You will also gain exposure to the integration and optimization of generative AI tools in operational workflows and digital lab environments.
Here’s What You Will Do
Your key responsibilities will be:
- Set Strategic Direction: Define and execute the vision for clinical specimen management, biobanking, and regulated workflows in a UK-based clinical laboratory, aligned with Moderna’s CBL global roadmap.
- Global Representation: Serve as the senior operational ambassador for UK lab operations, driving harmonization and cross-site alignment across Moderna’s global biomarker infrastructure.
- Local & Global Leadership Engagement: Work in close collaboration with the Local Scientific Leadership Team (LT) of Internal Labs, QC Lab Operations LT, to ensure seamless operational integration, alignment of priorities, and effective decision-making. Maintain regular, efficient, and transparent communication with the global lead based in the U.S., ensuring UK operations are fully integrated into Moderna’s global strategy and execution.
- Executive Leadership: Influence enterprise-level decisions on lab systems, compliance, and logistics strategy; present to global senior leadership, local LT, and external partners.
- Governance & Compliance: Work closely with Global Lead for Lab Compliance. Establish governance frameworks for regulatory compliance (HTA, GCP, HSE), ensuring sustained readiness for inspections and audits across all laboratory systems and processes.
- Biosafety Partnership: Provide strategic oversight and support for biosafety programs, partnering with the Biosafety Officer to ensure compliance, risk mitigation, training, and the development of a proactive biosafety culture across UK Internal Labs operations.
- Infrastructure Stewardship: Oversee strategic planning and investment for laboratory infrastructure, capital projects, and equipment lifecycle, ensuring scalability and resilience.
- Digital Transformation: Lead the adoption and integration of digital systems (LIMS, SmartView, Maximo, generative AI platforms) to create a fully connected and intelligent lab ecosystem.
- Financial Accountability: Own operational budgets, procurement strategies, and vendor governance with transparency and rigor, ensuring cost-effectiveness and long-term sustainability.
- Talent & Team Development: Build, mentor, and retain a high-performing team; implement succession planning, leadership development, and organizational capability-building across logistics and operations.
- External Engagement: Function as a thought leader and representative of Moderna in external collaborations with NHS, academic institutions, regulators, and industry consortia.
- Change Leadership: Drive cultural transformation within the lab organization, fostering innovation, agility, and operational excellence at scale.
The key Moderna Mindsets you will need to succeed in the role:
- We behave like owners. The solutions we are building go beyond any job description. In this role, you will not only lead systems and infrastructure but be accountable for the strategic outcomes and readiness of the entire lab operation.
- We digitize everywhere possible using the power of code to maximize our impact on patients. Your role will champion the adoption and optimization of digital tools across the laboratory, leveraging platforms like LIMS and Maximo—and incorporating generative AI—into clinical logistics and operations.
Here’s What You Will Need (Basic Qualifications)
- Education & Expertise
- Advanced degree (MSc, PhD, or MBA strongly preferred) in Life Sciences, Operations Management, or related discipline.
- 12–15 years of experience in biotech, pharma, CRO, or regulated clinical labs, with 8+ years in leadership roles.
- Demonstrated success in global-scale lab operations and cross-border collaborations.
- Leadership
- Proven ability to lead senior managers and diverse operational teams.
- Experience shaping organizational strategy, governance frameworks, and enterprise-level decision-making.
- Strong external presence; able to represent Moderna in regulatory, industry, and academic forums.
- Operational Mastery
- Deep knowledge of HTA, GCP, GCLP, UK HSE, and global regulatory landscapes.
- Expertise in sample lifecycle management, biobanking, lab infrastructure, and digital system integration.
- Skilled in managing budgets, vendor ecosystems, and operational analytics.
- Mindsets & Mobility
- Strategic thinker and inspiring leader with strong change-management skills.
- Ability to translate global strategy into local execution while influencing senior stakeholders.
- Willingness to travel internationally several times per year (mainly to the U.S.).
- 100% on-site leadership presence at Moderna’s Harwell facility.
- As part of Moderna’s commitment to workplace safety, this role may require an enhanced pre-employment check.
At Moderna, we believe that when you feel your best, you can do your best work. That’s why our global benefits and well-being resources are designed to support you—at work, at home, and everywhere in between.
- Quality healthcare and insurance benefits
- Lifestyle Spending Accounts to create your own pathway to well-being
- Free premium access to fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness classes
- Family planning and adoption benefits
- Generous paid time off, including vacation, bank holidays, volunteer days, sabbatical, global recharge days, and a discretionary year-end shutdown
- Savings and investments
- Location-specific perks and extras!
The benefits offered may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Moderna and the country where you work.
About Moderna
Since our founding in 2010, we have aspired to build the leading mRNA technology platform, the infrastructure to reimagine how medicines are created and delivered, and a world-class team. We believe in giving our people a platform to change medicine and an opportunity to change the world.
By living our mission, values, and mindsets every day, our people are the driving force behind our scientific progress and our culture. Together, we are creating a culture of belonging and building an organization that cares deeply for our patients, our employees, the environment, and our communities.
We are proud to have been recognized as a Science Magazine Top Biopharma Employer, a Fast Company Best Workplace for Innovators, and a Great Place to Work in the U.S.
As we build our company, we have always believed an in-person culture is critical to our success. Moderna champions the significant benefits of in-office collaboration by embracing a 70/30 work model. This 70% in-office structure helps to foster a culture rich in innovation, teamwork, and direct mentorship. Join us in shaping a world where every interaction is an opportunity to learn, contribute, and make a meaningful impact.
If you want to make a difference and join a team that is changing the future of medicine, we invite you to visit modernatx.com/careers to learn more about our current opportunities.
Moderna is a smoke-free, alcohol-free, and drug-free work environment.
Moderna is a place where everyone can grow. If you meet the Basic Qualifications for the role and you would be excited to contribute to our mission every day, please apply!
Moderna is committed to equal opportunity in employment and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry or citizenship, ethnicity, disability, military or protected veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, or any other personal characteristic protected under applicable law. We consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.
We’re focused on attracting, retaining, developing, and advancing our employees. By cultivating a workplace that values diverse experiences, backgrounds, and ideas, we create an environment where every employee can contribute their best.
Moderna is committed to offering reasonable accommodation or adjustments to qualified job applicants with disabilities. Any applicant requiring an accommodation or adjustment in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should contact the Accommodations and Adjustments team at
[email protected].
