Director, Innovation PMO and R&D Operations

The Director, Innovation PMO and R&D Operations provides leadership and direction through managers and is accountable for the performance and results of IDT’s Innovation Project Management Office (PMO) and R&D Operations function. This role contributes to the development of company and functional strategy, applying broad industry knowledge and commercial awareness to drive portfolio execution and operational excellence across IDT’s R&D organization. Decisions are guided by functional strategy and major organizational priorities. 

This position reports to the Vice President, Research & Development , and is part of the Research & Development organization. There is a preference for candidates who can work on-site in Sunnyvale, CA; Coralville, IA; or Waltham, MA. While this req is posted as on-site in the US, applications from qualified candidates in other US locations will be considered equally. ​This role will require periodic travel to team sites to attend meetings, training , and reviews, and to conduct Gemba walks in support of a geographically distributed team. 

In this role, you will have the opportunity to: 

• Lead through direct-report managers to provide direction and oversight to a high-performing PMO and R&D Operations organization, with accountability for project delivery, portfolio visibility, execution rigor, and safe, compliant operations. 
• Develop and execute the PMO strategy aligned with IDT’s corporate product portfolio strategy and annual business plans, applying broad industry knowledge and commercial awareness to drive financial and operating performance. 
• Manage prioritization and execution across the innovation portfolio, ensuring decisions are based on strategic value, risk, resources, and financial impact in partnership with Product Management and R&D leadership. 
• Establish, deploy, and continuously improve portfolio governance structures, toll-gate processes, project templates, reporting frameworks, and portfolio-level KPIs to enable transparent, data-driven decision making and corrective action. 
• Lead cross-functional program reviews, executive steering committees, and decision forums, applying advanced critical thinking to resolve highly complex portfolio challenges that span within and beyond the function. 
• Drive PMO maturity and continuous improvement through adoption of best-in-class project management methodologies and Danaher Business System tools, including leader standard work, visual management, Kaizen, and structured problem solving. 
• Influence and align senior leaders and external partners by collaborating closely with Finance, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, IT, Marketing, and Product Management on priorities, resource trade-offs, and deliverables. 

The essential requirements of the job include: 

• Advanced degree (MS, PhD) in Life Sciences, Engineering, or a related field with 12+ years of program management experience in R&D or technical product development in the life sciences industry (genomics, biotech, diagnostics, or related); or 15+ years with a Bachelor’s degree. 
• 7+ years of leadership experience managing teams of managers and influencing senior executive stakeholders with demonstrated ability to lead through subordinate managers across multiple functions. 
• Demonstrated track record of contributing to and executing functional strategy, with broad impact on divisional or functional results through successful portfolio management and commercial programs. 
• Strong expertise in portfolio governance, project management methodologies (PMI, Lean, Agile, hybrid), and execution systems. 
• Experience applying DBS tools (leader standard work, visual management, Kaizen, structured problem solving) in a continuous improvement culture. 
• Exceptional interpersonal and negotiation skills; demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and shape opinions within and outside the organization, with strong sensitivity to the audience. 

It would be a plus if you also possess previous experience in: 

• Experience establishing a new R&D PMO function from the ground up—including setting strategy, building teams, and developing standard processes—within a genomics, molecular biology, or life sciences product development organization. 
• Familiarity with IDT’s product portfolio ar,eas including genomics tools, oligonucleotide synthesis, CRISPR reagents, or NGS applications. 
• PMP/PgMP or similar project management certification.