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**Job Description**
**Job Title:** Head, R&D Quality Innovation and Digital Technology
**Location** : Cambridge, MA
**About the role:**
+ Develop and deploy value-based innovations using technology for R&D concepts with a potential to scale.
+ Drive utilization of data capabilities across R&D Quality through innovative approach and design thinking. Support and influence cross-functional understanding of data, its uses and associated governance.
+ Inspire and educate the organization on digital technologies and its applications to mitigate risk and improve decision-making.
**How you will contribute:**
+ Identify innovation opportunities in partnership with R&D Quality stakeholders
+ Employ a standardized methodology to collect ideas/ challenges where technology could be deployed and implement processes that support the delivery of innovation work across the organization
+ Manage digital and data initiatives from concept to execution by bringing hands-on business and technology experience
+ Ensure design and delivery of digital solutions are prioritized and managed to support business outcomes
+ Evaluate a solution including developing cost-benefit analysis for the solution, gaining stakeholder approval, and accountability for working with R&D Quality organization.
+ Ensuring development and timely delivery of the projects including escalating or resolving roadblocks where needed to enable at-pace delivery
+ Advise and collaborate with business stakeholders on new digital ideas/requests, ensuring a comprehensive business case, outcomes and requirements for prioritization are brought to the appropriate governance
+ Orchestrate delivery of digital projects by coordinating activities across project teams and stakeholders
+ Ability to manage ambiguity and drive project progress with clear business outcomes
+ Support and influence cross-functional data governance where appropriate for R&D and reinforce data integrity concepts across data lifecycle.
+ Partner closely with DSI and DDT functions to evaluate use of fit-for-purpose technology to drive value and improve compliance (including RPA, advanced analytics, IoT, AI and ML tools). Ability to stay up to speed on modern data techniques, understand how to apply them to business problems.
**Technical/Functional (Line) Expertise** _(Breadth and depth of knowledge, application and complexity of technical knowledge)_
+ Solid experience in digital transformation, data integration, data modelling, modern database query languages, and AWS cloud technologies
+ Experience with or knowledge of Agile Software Development methodologies
+ Excellent problem solving and troubleshooting skills
+ Process oriented with good documentation skills
+ Excellent oral and written communication skills with a keen sense of customer service
+ Ability to perform diagnosis and root cause analysis as well as identify opportunities for improvement
+ Ability to build processes that support data transformation, workload management, data structures, dependency and metadata
+ Strong business acumen with knowledge of health care and trends in digital technologies
+ Understanding of data integrity and data lifecycle concepts to support appropriate use of data
+ Comprehensive understanding of pharmaceutical research and development, manufacturing, and related technologies preferred
**Leadership** _(Vision, strategy and business alignment, people management, communication, influencing others, managing change)_
+ Collaborating skills and embrace a culture of agility, performance and value in innovation
+ Clear, concise, and consistent in written and verbal communications.
+ Thinks logically, develops and evaluates options, and identifies pros and cons.
**Decision-making and Autonomy** _(The capacity and authority to make organizational decisions, autonomy in decision-making, complexity of decisions, impact of decisions, problem-solving)_
+ Able to lead and work effectively with limited direction in a complex, fast-paced environment.
+ Analyzes complex data/situations in a timely manner, often with limited information, and leveraging the required internal and external stakeholders
+ Has flexible and creative problem-solving, negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
**Interaction** _(The span and nature of one's engagement with others when performing one's job, internal and external relationships)_
+ Brings significant experience working cross-functionally and in matrixed, global teams.
+ Has the ability to successfully navigate and work within complex organizations and across functions, including at senior levels.
+ Effectively collaborates with peers and stakeholders, and builts strong and sustainable relationships.
+ Has the ability to communicate across functions and unite people around common goals and priorities.
+ Ability to resolve conflict in a constructive manner
**Innovation** _(The required level of scientific knowledge, knowledge sharing, innovation and risk taking)_
+ A firm grasp of industry, technology and trends, and ability to identify and leverage innovation to evolve Takeda to become an industry leader
+ Drives and supports new ways of thinking and leads change.
**Complexity** _(Products managed, mix of businesses, internal and/or external business environment, cultural considerations)_
+ Identify, lead and/or oversee transformational projects of global scope.
+ Develop and successfully implement solutions to complex issues which potentially impact the R&D Quality Management System, and ensure full compliance with applicable cGxP regulations and Takeda quality expectations.
**What you bring to Takeda:**
+ Bachelor's required / PhD in Computer Science, life sciences or engineering etc., preferred
+ 8-10 years of increasing responsibility and experience in the global pharmaceutical industry or healthcare
+ Proven track record of developing new innovative products from concept to launch
+ Strong technical knowledge with a wide breadth and depth of experience in digital tecnologies including BI and data visualization tools
+ Quality/cGMP Compliance experience preferred.
+ Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
+ Experience working in agile teams and/ or project management office
+ Strong communication skills, including ability to communicate complex concepts to all levels of the organization. Fluency in written and spoken English.
+ Basic financial acumen to access and oversee business case development
**What Takeda can offer you:**
+ Comprehensive Healthcare: Medical, Dental, and Vision
+ Financial Planning & Stability: 401(k) with company match and Annual Retirement Contribution Plan
+ Health & Wellness programs including onsite flu shots and health screenings
+ Generous time off for vacation and the option to purchase additional vacation days
+ Community Outreach Programs and company match of charitable contributions
+ Family Planning Support
+ Professional training and development opportunities
+ Tuition reimbursement
**Important Considerations:**
At Takeda, our patients rely on us to deliver quality products. As a result, we must follow strict rules in our manufacturing facilities to ensure we are not endangering the quality of the product. In this role, you may:
+ Work in a controlled environment requiring special gowning and wear protective clothing over the head, face, hands, feet and body. This may include additional hearing protection for loud areas.
+ Need to remove all make-up, jewelry, contact lenses, nail polish and/or artificial fingernails while in the manufacturing environment.
+ Work in a cold, wet environment.
+ Work multiple shifts, including weekends, or be asked to work supplemental hours, as necessary.
+ Work around chemicals such as alcohol, acids, buffers and Celite that may require respiratory protection.
**More about us:**
At Takeda, we are transforming patient care through the development of novel specialty pharmaceuticals and best in class patient support programs. Takeda is a patient-focused company that will inspire and empower you to grow through life-changing work.
Certified as a Global Top Employer, Takeda offers stimulating careers, encourages innovation, and strives for excellence in everything we do. We foster an inclusive, collaborative workplace, in which our teams are united by an unwavering commitment to deliver Better Health and a Brighter Future to people around the world.
This posting excludes Colorado applicants.
\#GMSGQ
\#ZR1
\#LI-MA1
**EEO Statement**
_Takeda is proud in its commitment to creating a diverse workforce and providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, national origin, age, disability, citizenship status, genetic information or characteristics, marital status, status as a Vietnam era veteran, special disabled veteran, or other protected veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws, and any other characteristic protected by law._
**Locations**
Boston, MA
**Worker Type**
Employee
**Worker Sub-Type**
Regular
**Time Type**
Full time
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How to hire a research technician lead
Research technician lead hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring research technician leads in the United States:
- In the United States, the median cost per hire a research technician lead is $1,633.
- It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
- Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
- On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new research technician lead to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.
How to hire a research technician lead, step by step
To hire a research technician lead, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a research technician lead:
Here's a step-by-step research technician lead hiring guide:
- Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
- Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
- Step 3: Make a budget
- Step 4: Write a research technician lead job description
- Step 5: Post your job
- Step 6: Interview candidates
- Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new research technician lead
- Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
Post a research technician lead job for free, promote it for a fee
Identify your hiring needs
Before you post your research technician lead job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a research technician lead for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.
Determine employee vs contractor statusIs the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?A research technician lead's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, research technician leads from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.
Here's a comparison of research technician lead salaries for various roles:
Type of Research Technician Lead Description Hourly rate Research Technician Lead Biological technicians help biological and medical scientists conduct laboratory tests and experiments. $20-44 Laboratory Internship A laboratory intern is responsible for assisting laboratory operations and perform examinations and experiments under the supervision of tenured laboratory staff. Laboratory interns shadow all the laboratory processes, document their observations, and conduct an in-depth analysis of the results... Show more $12-23 Microbiological Laboratory Technician A microbiological laboratory technician specializes in handling and testing samples, ensuring accuracy and safety. Often working under the supervision of a more experienced scientist, a microbiological laboratory technician has the responsibility to operate various devices and machines, record all progress and data, review results, and produce reports and documentation... Show more $13-24 Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:- Emerging Technologies
- Laboratory Equipment
- R
- Troubleshoot
- Independent Research
- Data Entry
- Analyze Data
- Java
- QC
- Cell Culture
- Product Development
- Sops
- IV
- Linux
Responsibilities:- General laboratory duties; coordinate maintenance of equipment, maintain ingredient and prototype inventory, manage shipping and receiving.
- Train temporary staff and interns, create training materials, troubleshoot technical issues.
- Develop, in collaboration with others, efficient methods for the sequencing of DNA.
- Execute lab techniques, including protein complementation, PCR, ligations and high throughput robotics.
- Coordinate and present information regarding the progress of large scale DNA sequencing projects on a weekly basis.
- Perform in-store audits of package and display labeling for accuracy of EPA, FTC, and FDA consumer claims.
Make a budget
Including a salary range in your research technician lead job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A research technician lead salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.
For example, the average salary for a research technician lead in Kentucky may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level research technician lead usually earns less than a senior-level research technician lead. Additionally, a research technician lead with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.
Average research technician lead salary
$63,864yearly
$30.70 hourly rateEntry-level research technician lead salary$43,000 yearly salaryUpdated January 22, 2026Average research technician lead salary by state
Rank State Avg. salary Hourly rate 1 New York $78,778 $38 2 Maryland $77,703 $37 3 California $72,043 $35 4 Massachusetts $71,268 $34 5 Illinois $67,737 $33 6 Texas $66,388 $32 7 Oklahoma $64,594 $31 8 Wyoming $64,052 $31 9 Iowa $62,205 $30 10 Washington $60,168 $29 11 Michigan $59,083 $28 12 South Carolina $57,576 $28 13 Ohio $57,570 $28 14 Louisiana $56,547 $27 15 Arizona $55,458 $27 16 Georgia $55,264 $27 17 Kansas $53,270 $26 18 Alaska $53,030 $26 19 Nevada $46,471 $22 20 North Dakota $45,547 $22 Average research technician lead salary by company
Rank Company Average salary Hourly rate Job openings 1 Google $130,594 $62.79 183 2 AstraZeneca $91,614 $44.05 4 3 ABB $86,507 $41.59 14 4 Johnson & Johnson $82,507 $39.67 54 5 Valeo Electrical Systems, Inc. $81,384 $39.13 6 Highmark $69,754 $33.54 16 7 Valeo Financial Advisors $68,770 $33.06 8 Suez Water Inc $67,831 $32.61 9 Transamerica Corporation $67,541 $32.47 1 10 Children's Hospital New Orleans $66,158 $31.81 2 11 Motion Recruitment $65,820 $31.64 12 Seagen $65,129 $31.31 13 Estée Lauder $65,054 $31.28 13 14 Children's Hospital Colorado $63,573 $30.56 12 15 University of Michigan $61,330 $29.49 75 16 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute $60,766 $29.21 37 17 QuintilesIMS $60,188 $28.94 113 18 City of Hope $59,552 $28.63 35 19 PSEA $59,533 $28.62 103 20 Cleveland Clinic $59,171 $28.45 30 Writing a research technician lead job description
A research technician lead job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a research technician lead job description:
Research technician lead job description example
Post your job
To find the right research technician lead for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:
- Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
- Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with research technician leads they would recommend.
- Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit research technician leads who meet your education requirements.
- Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.
- Post your research technician lead job on Zippia to find and recruit research technician lead candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
To successfully recruit research technician leads, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.
It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Send a job offer and onboard your new research technician lead
Once you've decided on a perfect research technician lead candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.
You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.
Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new research technician lead. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.
Go through the hiring process checklist
- Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
- Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
- Define job responsibilities and requirements
- Establish budget and timeline
- Determine hiring decision makers for the role
- Write job description
- Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
- Promote the job internally
- Process applications through applicant tracking system
- Review resumes and cover letters
- Shortlist candidates for screening
- Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
- Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
- Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
- Conduct background checks on top candidates
- Check references of top candidates
- Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
- Extend offer to top candidate(s)
- Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
- Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
- Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
- Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a research technician lead?
Recruiting research technician leads involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.
Research technician leads earn a median yearly salary is $63,864 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find research technician leads for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $20 and $44.
Find better research technician leads in less time
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Updated January 22, 2026