R&D Director, Head of Strategic Innovation (f/m)
On-site · Guyancourt, Île-de-France, France
Job Summary
Lead the Innovation Team within Lab Water as R&D Director, Head of Strategic Innovation, shaping an adjacent franchise strategy into a clear, compelling vision. Partner with Global Head of Innovation, R&D and Product Marketing to define how adjacent portfolio complements core business and customer workflows. Scout, screen, and select high-potential ideas, translate into viable concepts, assess technical feasibility, and oversee early commercial evaluations including market sizing, pricing, and go-to-market considerations. Build a disciplined portfolio funnel and ensure transitions to PDP when strategic fit, viability, and value are demonstrated. Shape the external network and represent Lab Water in BD or M&A discussions, aligning opportunities with the adjacent franchise strategy. Collaborate across R&D, market insights, strategy, and finance to ensure rigorous evaluation and provide clear, actionable visions for how concepts integrate into customer workflows and drive long-term growth without overriding PDP execution. Establish governance, milestones, metrics, and risk management for the portfolio to secure strategic progress; communicate portfolio status and strategic rationale to senior leadership. Located at LabWater headquarters in Guyancourt, France (Paris area); occasional global travel expected. Apply with resume in English.
Required Qualifications
- 10+ years in corporate R&D, Innovation, Business Development &/or Strategy within Life Sciences, Scientific Equipment, Healthcare, or adjacent high-tech fields
- Proven track record in generating and evaluating new concepts, with experience in market sizing, business modeling, and preliminary commercial assessments
- Strong ability to connect technical opportunities to real-world workflows and customer needs, with clear articulation of strategic fit
- Experience leading cross-functional teams and communicating with senior leadership; adept at storytelling, influencing, and decision support
- Demonstrated capability to develop compelling business cases and high-level economic models for early-stage opportunities
- MBA or equivalent business background; PhD in a relevant scientific/engineering field is a plus
- Global mindset with willingness to travel; alignment with safety, integrity, and excellence
- Excellent collaboration and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to define and communicate a persuasive strategic vision
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