Associate Director, Laboratory Space Planning

The Associate Director, Laboratory Space Planning is responsible for overseeing site-based laboratory space planning, design coordination, and utilization improvement. This role supports the effective allocation, renovation, and optimization of laboratory space to meet current and emerging scientific and business needs. Working closely with the Director, Laboratory Development and Planning, the Associate Director supports the development of site-level laboratory planning strategies, capacity plans, and space optimization initiatives, ensuring laboratory environments are aligned with business priorities, scientific workflows, operational needs, safety expectations, and applicable regulatory requirements. The role partners closely with scientific leaders, Lab Operations, SHE, Facilities, Engineering, and project teams to deliver practical and sustainable laboratory space solutions. This position serves as a key subject matter expert for laboratory space planning, supporting laboratory renovation, reconfiguration, and new space planning activities while helping to promote effective governance, improve utilization, and promote efficient ways of working. Typical Accountabilities Laboratory Planning and Space Strategy • Lead site-level laboratory development and planning activities partnering with Site Operations and other relevant stakeholders. • Support development and maintenance of laboratory space strategies and capacity plans that support scientific programs, emerging modalities, workforce changes, and operational priorities. • Ensure maintenance of dashboard and relevant data source(s) reflecting “as-is” lab allocation, layout, adjacencies, and operational constraints (e.g., utilities). • Partner with scientific, operational, and planning stakeholders to understand short-, medium-, and longer-term laboratory space demand, equipment needs, and occupancy requirements. • Translate business requirements into practical laboratory space solutions, including allocation plans, adjacency recommendations, and future-state planning scenarios. • Support planning for new laboratories, renovations, reconfigurations, and restacks, ensuring laboratory designs are functional, efficient, and aligned to user and business needs. • Contribute laboratory planning expertise to broader site planning and infrastructure discussions to support coordinated decision-making. • Support lab planning and space discussions for global Oncology R&D managed sites, as needed. Drive Laboratory Space Optimization • Drive laboratory space optimization initiatives to improve flexibility, sharing, utilization, and efficiency. • Working with AD Lab Insights to understand laboratory utilization data, occupancy information, observational findings, and business inputs to identify underused space, operational constraints, and opportunities for improvement ensuring data is turned into actionable laboratory planning. Internal AZ Job Description • Partner with Lab Operations and laboratory users to improve bench utilization, instrument sharing, support space allocation, and overall effectiveness of laboratory environments. • Implement and support space optimization methodologies, including 5S, workplace organization principles, standardized zoning, and utilization governance practices. • Working with the Director, Laboratory Development and Planning, recommend laboratory planning models and space concepts appropriate to scientific workflows, including shared laboratories, open lab environments, platform spaces, and specialized zones where applicable. Project Planning and Delivery Support • Lead laboratory planning workstreams for site-based projects, including programming input, concept development, adjacency planning, occupancy scenarios, and implementation considerations. • Collaborate with architects, engineers, project managers, facilities teams, and laboratory users to ensure laboratory requirements are clearly captured and incorporated into project delivery. • Review laboratory layouts, design proposals, and planning documents to ensure alignment with workflows, operational needs, equipment requirements, safety standards, and regulatory expectations. • Support moves, transitions, and commissioning activities related to laboratory renovations, relocations, and newly developed spaces. • Identify planning risks, dependencies, and constraints and develop mitigation options to support successful project outcomes. Stakeholder Management and Customer Engagement • Develop trusted partnerships with scientific leaders and laboratory managers, establishing a deep understanding of scientific workflows, equipment requirements, operating models, and future business priorities. • Build strong working relationships with scientists, laboratory managers, site leaders, and enabling functions to understand needs and maintain alignment on current and future laboratory space priorities. • Gather and synthesize voice-of-customer insights from laboratory users and business stakeholders regarding space challenges, opportunities, and future requirements. • Facilitate laboratory planning discussions and decision-making forums, helping stakeholders evaluate options, priorities, and trade-offs. • Communicate planning assumptions, recommendations, timelines, and constraints clearly to ensure transparency and effective expectation management. • Promote adoption of new ways of working that improve laboratory efficiency, sustainability, collaboration, and space effectiveness. Governance, Standards, and Continuous Improvement • Apply laboratory planning standards, governance frameworks, and operational guidelines to support consistent and effective site-level decision-making. • Develop and refine planning tools, templates, processes, and metrics used to assess current state and forecast future space requirements. • Support governance processes for laboratory space allocation, requests, prioritization, and change control within the site or assigned portfolio. • E