Bring more to life.

At Leica Biosystems, one of Danaher’s 15+ operating companies, our work saves lives—and we’re all united by a shared commitment to innovate for tangible impact. You’ll thrive in a culture of belonging where you and your unique viewpoint matter. And by harnessing Danaher’s system of continuous improvement, you help turn ideas into impact – innovating at the speed of life.

At Leica Biosystems, we’re not just shaping the future of cancer diagnostics — we’re transforming lives. Our mission of “Advancing Cancer Diagnostics, Improving Lives” is the driving force behind everything we do. As a global leader with the most comprehensive portfolio spanning from biopsy to diagnosis, we empower clinicians with innovative, reliable solutions so they can give patients timely, accurate answers when they need them most.

The Role
The Manager, Research and Development at Leica Biosystems, is responsible for leading a high‑performing R&D team accountable for the successful delivery of new products / assays within a regulated medical device environment. This role balances near‑term execution with the development of technical and leadership capability required for sustained innovation.

Location: Newcastle upon Tyne (On-site)
Reporting to: Senior Director, Research and Development

In this role, you will have the opportunity to:

• Lead and develop an R&D team accountable for delivery of new products (cancer diagnostic assays) aligned to the product roadmap.
• Translate organisational and functional strategy into clear team objectives using Danaher Business System (DBS) principles to drive results.
• Build a strong, engaged, and diverse team through coaching, mentoring, and clear performance expectations.
• Strengthen R&D capability in new product development (NPD) processes, ensuring a healthy internal talent pipeline for future technical and people leaders.
• Provide technical leadership, proactively identifying project risks and driving timely, data‑based solutions.
• Partner cross‑functionally to align development plans with customer needs, competitive insights, and emerging technologies.
• Drive adoption of AI‑enabled technologies within R&D and NPD processes to accelerate innovation and speed to market.

The essential requirements of the job include:

• Proven track record of delivering results in a regulated medical device or diagnostics environment (e.g. MHRA, FDA, ISO 13485, IVDR).
• Strong working knowledge of medical device design control processes, including authoring and reviewing technical documentation.
• Demonstrated people leadership experience within a technical or scientific environment.
• Degree (or equivalent) in a relevant Biomedical, Biological, Chemistry, or closely related scientific discipline.

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

• Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and In Situ Hybridization (ISH / FISH) Capabilities
• Companion Diagnostics Development

Danaher is a leading global life sciences, biotechnology, and diagnostics innovator, helping to solve many of the world’s most important health challenges, ultimately improving quality of life for billions of people today.