Operations Finance Director, Clinical Research Laboratory

Work Schedule

Standard (Mon-Fri)

Office

Operations Finance Director – Clinical Research (Central Laboratory)

At Thermo Fisher Scientific, our Finance teams play a critical role in enabling informed, strategic decision‑making that advances our Mission to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer. Across Financial Planning & Analysis, Tax, Treasury, Financial Reporting, Audit, Investor Relations, Strategy & Corporate Development, and Accounting, our global Finance organization provides diverse opportunities to shape business outcomes, drive innovation, and build meaningful career experiences.

Reporting to the Executive Director, Finance, the Operations Finance Director (band
9) is a strategic leader responsible for driving financial excellence across global clinical research operations inclusive of analytical laboratory services. This role provides oversight and direction for operations finance activities across the clinical trial lifecycle with accountability for project delivery, financial controls, and financial reporting.

You will serve as a key business partner to senior leadership, delivering actionable insights that influence portfolio strategy and study‑level profitability. By identifying opportunities for process optimization and operational efficiency, you will help strengthen financial performance while ensuring compliance with sponsor contracts, regulatory requirements, and internal policies. Additionally, you will build, mentor, and lead a high‑performing finance team that supports a complex, global portfolio of clinical trials.

This is a hybrid office role for candidates in Wilmington, NC, Raleigh, NC or Highland Heights KY.

• Partner cross‑functionally with Project Management, Business Development, Commercial Finance, and Legal to ensure financial risks are identified and addressed early in the study lifecycle
• Establish and maintain operating mechanisms that improve visibility into study financial performance, including budget tracking, variance analysis, and risk forecasting
• Translate financial insights into actionable recommendations that influence operational and commercial decision‑making
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to enhance financial processes, reduce cycle times, and improve data quality and reporting consistency
• Drive accountability across stakeholders for financial performance, contract alignment, and execution against budget
• Coordinate and oversee sponsor financial audits, ensuring compliance with contractual terms, regulatory expectations, and audit readiness standards
• Develop and implement scalable strategies that improve quality, efficiency, and accuracy across financial operations supporting clinical trials
• Build, lead, and develop a high‑performing, globally distributed finance team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and growth

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent and relevant formal academic/vocational qualification (Advanced degree preferred)
• Previous progressive finance experience within a complex, global organization that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job (comparable to 10+ years’ experience)
• Demonstrated leadership experience with increasing levels of responsibility
• In some cases, an equivalency, consisting of appropriate education, training, and/or directly related experience will be considered sufficient for an individual to meet the requirements of the role

• Understanding of clinical research operations including laboratory analysis
• Experience supporting financial management of clinical trials, including study budgets and pass‑through costs
• Deep knowledge of revenue recognition principles (within a Central Laboratory environment preferred)
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey complex financial concepts to clinical, operational, and executive stakeholders
• Strong executive presence and the ability to deliver impactful presentations to senior leadership and external sponsors
• Highly analytical with advanced problem‑solving and…