Associate Director Product Management

For nearly 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.

Job Overview

The Associate Director, Product Management is the first formal people-leader level in the Product Management career path. This role leads a team responsible for a sub-portfolio/segment of Microbial Solutions offerings supporting pharmaceutical QC labs and contamination control programs. The Associate Director translates broader portfolio direction into executable strategies and roadmaps, ensures disciplined lifecycle management and launch execution, and develops product management talent while partnering cross-functionally to deliver growth and customer outcomes in regulated environments.

Job Description

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of product managers and associates; set objectives, coach performance, and build capability and succession plans.
• Own strategy, roadmap coherence, and execution for an assigned sub-portfolio/segment, aligned to the broader contamination control vision and business objectives specifically for Software, Automation and Digital Ecosystem.
• Set investment priorities within the sub-portfolio by shaping and reviewing business cases, tradeoffs, and resource requests; ensure decisions are data-driven and customer-led.
• Ensure high-quality execution of roadmaps, product launches, and lifecycle management (enhancements, rationalization, obsolescence, change control) with strong cross-functional alignment.
• Partner with QA/RA, R&D, Operations, and Supply Chain to ensure product quality, compliance, and continuity of supply; sponsor risk management and continuous improvement for the sub-portfolio.
• Serve as a senior customer-facing leader for key accounts and strategic projects; represent product direction in technical meetings and regulated/audit contexts as needed.
• Drive VOC discipline across the team (cadence, synthesis, actionability) and ensure insights translate into measurable product outcomes.
• Track and report sub-portfolio KPIs (revenue, margin, adoption, quality signals, support themes) and lead quarterly reviews and corrective actions.
• Contribute to Microbial Solutions portfolio planning activities (roadmap reviews, pricing discussions, AOP inputs) and to maturing PM processes and governance.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, engineering, or related field (required); advanced degree (MS, MBA, PhD) preferred.
• 7–10+ years of progressive experience in product management or adjacent roles in life sciences/pharma, including demonstrated leadership of cross-functional programs.
• At least 2 years of experience managing, mentoring, or formally leading product managers and/or teams (people leadership begins at this level).
• Proven track record managing scientific/technical products/solutions in regulated environments with measurable growth and/or customer outcome impact.
• Strong familiarity with GxP expectations and ability to partner effectively with QA/RA and Operations.
• Strategic thinking and business acumen; comfortable with pricing inputs, investment cases, and performance analytics.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills; credible with customers and senior internal leaders.

Compensation Data

The pay rate for this role is $145,000 - $165,000 per year. Please note that salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, certifications, and location.

About Microbial Solutions
Our Microbial Solutions business group has a comprehensive portfolio of endotoxin testing, microbial detection and microbial identification products and services is unlike any other, and has been purposefully designed to meet the complex and ever-changing needs of the industry. We help clients to ensure product safety and quality with easy-to-use yet robust testing solutions that satisfy regulatory requirements, support critical decision making and improve operational efficiencies.

About Charles River
Charles …