Director, Product Development and Operations

LifeLabs is the largest community diagnostics laboratory in Canada, serving the healthcare needs of Canadians for over 50 years. Our team members are truly centred around our customers, and we know that behind every lab requisition, sample being tested, or investment in technology is an individual and their family counting on us.

Consistently named one of Canada's Best Employers by Forbes, LifeLabs has also been recognized for having an award-winning Mental Health Program from Benefits Canada. The passion and commitment of over 6,000 diverse and innovative team members unites and motivates us to ensure our customers receive high quality tests and results that they can trust. Agile, customer-centred, caring and teamwork: we live these values every day in what we do to support our customers and healthcare providers, driving forward our vision of empowering a healthier you.

Reports to: VP, Products & Platforms, Channels and Cx

Purpose of the Role:

We are looking for an experienced Director to lead the Product Development and Operations team and create a centre of excellence and underpinned by best-in-class processes to enhance the operations of the Product team within LifeLabs. You are a a strategic problem-solver and can effectively operate in a dynamic and complex environment. The role requires a leader with customer journey design experience and influencing skills who can build relationships and impact change across all areas of the organization. You share a real passion for bringing fresh customer perspectives that will delineate the most important experiences where LifeLabs has an opportunity to differentiate while providing consistency and standards across LifeLabs’ client journeys. You have a track-record of opportunity identification, concepting through to prototyping, piloting to development while applying strong process management to drive new innovative solutions.

In this role, you will be defining the product roadmap against discrete customer and market segments working closely with product and platform owners as well as sales and marketing teams to maximize incremental revenue and margins for the Business and Commercial Markets team. You will create product frameworks and systems to support decision making across multiple portfolios. You will define the cross-product toolkit and drive initial product development and discovery processes for new solutions.

Accountabilities:

Product and Customer Experience Strategy:

• Define the vision and strategy for the portfolio and translate into a multi-year roadmap to meet customer, B2B and government needs and optimize our revenue and profitability.
• Define new product / service requirements, develops business plan, obtains buy-in and support from internal stakeholders to deliver and introduce new offering into the market.
• Define ongoing pricing strategy and go-to-market activities to ensure products and services are competitive and responsive to changing market dynamics. Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to execute the sales and marketing plan.
• Apply service and business design processes to define, develop and validate solutions against target segments.
• Enhance our understanding of customer needs and preferences by collaborating with business, government, operations and technology stakeholders to define and execute on a blend of tactical and strategic opportunities to deliver outstanding experiences that differentiate and provide customer value. Support the plan and management of a multi-year product portfolio for customer-led solutions.
• Facilitate cross-functional teams and collaboration to ensure alignment.

Product Design and Development:

• Drive initial product development and delivery for products and segments that don't have a BAU owner within the organization.
• Develop early stage concepts and refine applying service design methodologies to validate solutions and define MVP requirements informed through research, customer (D2C, B2B, government, other payors) and frontline feedback, aligned to corporate and product vision.
• Collaborate and identify stakeholders and owners for requirements and accountability through service and operational blueprinting.
• Establish pricing strategy and frameworks along with go-to-market governance process to align product, sales and marketing efforts and priorities on a quarterly (or more frequent) basis.
• Lead business case and financial analysis activities of new business opportunities to grow and protect market share.

Team Leadership, Coaching and Development

• Coach team members on effective utilization of spatial analytics and GIS tools to ensure deliverables such as timelines, budget and resources are effectively met.
• Develop early stage concepts and refine applying service design methodologies to validate solutions and define MVP requirements informed through research, customer (D2C, B2B, government, other payors) and frontline feedback, aligned to corporate and product vision.
• Collaborate and identify stakeholders and owners for requirements and accountability through service and operational blueprinting.

Product and Process Management

• Realize measurable efficiencies through standardization and implementation of a common operating approach for customer experience management that incorporates business, operations and technology priorities and direction.
• Define and evolve the cross-product lifecycle processes by which team delivers products to market.
• Define, evaluate, and evolve the tools (including process, software, methodologies, etc.) by which the team delivers products to market.
• Define, develop, and evolve product feedback systems through which the team ingests information, makes decisions, and evolves products.
• Support go-to-market planning and execution with readiness reviews, aligned to priorities, across product, sales and marketing teams.
• Identity and solution process opportunities driving cost reduction and margin improvement across product, platform and pricing operations.

Minimum Hiring Requirements:

• University Degree in health informatics, business, engineering, science, marketing or equivalent experience.
• 10-12 years of progressive experience in hands-on product and service development / go-to-market commercialization.
  Proven thought leader with ability to design, prototype, validate, communicate and deliver great user experiences.
• Depth of expertise in Product and Customer Experience design with strong understanding of business lines.
• Experience in serving the needs of the customers, designing solutions with the end user in mind
• Previous experience developing and executing on strategies and delivering measurable results in both the short and long term, and demonstrating end-to-end ownership with an eye for process improvement.
• Proven ability in leveraging deep subject matter expertise to develop and deploy a vision and align others to that vision. Creative thought leadership required while listening and engaging others to provide input in the shaping of vision.
• Adaptable problem-solver with demonstrated ability to think strategically and conceptualize solutions.
• Project management, process management, and vendor relationship management experience.
• Robust organizational skills with track record of working cross-functionally while managing multiple deadlines and priorities.
• Experience developing and executing product strategies and go-to-market activities.
• Experience with developing product operations frameworks, dashboards, and processes
• Evidence of effective stakeholder engagement.
• Knowledge of design thinking and product lifecycle management methodologies
• Strong track record of collaboration.
• Experience developing business cases.
• Proven and self-motivated performer who can manage multiple and evolving business priorities
• Excellent written/verbal communication, analytical, organizational and interpersonal skills
• Proficiency in critical thinking and problem solving.

This is a hybrid role.

Hiring Range: 126,600 - 161,400

The hiring range has been established, however, the final salary recommendation will be determined based off the level of experience, education requirement, external market conditions and internal equity.

In this position, you will be eligible for Lifelabs annual bonus.

Employee Benefits:

In this position, you will be eligible to participate LifeLabs’ group benefits plan which is available to LifeLabs employees in accordance with the terms and conditions of those plans.

Retirement Savings Plan:

The LifeLabs plans provide members with an easy way to save for retirement. By participating in the plan, you receive contributions made to your account on your behalf from LifeLabs.

Vacation Entitlement:

In this position, you will be entitled to vacation. We promote a healthy work-life balance and expect your full vacation to be taken each year.

Employee Wellness:

LifeLabs offers an award-winning Wellness Program focused on supporting your total health and well-being under our physical, emotional, and financial wellness pillars. We have been recognized in the industry for our focus on mental health supports.

Employee Giving program:

Designed to support any employee who donates, fundraises or volunteers for a Canadian Registered Charity or Non-Profit Organization.

In addition, LifeLabs offers professional development and membership reimbursement, access to preferred rates and discount programs - WorkPerks, Home and Auto Insurance, Costco Membership, etc. - and Optional Health-related Benefits.

We are committed to the ongoing development of our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program and have taken steps to strengthen our commitment to our team members and customers, to challenge ourselves to act with courage and integrity, and to create an environment where people can be their true selves.

At LifeLabs, we know that we are Stronger Together and that we will benefit from the unique perspectives and experiences that each team member offers.

Make a difference - join the LifeLabs team today!

At LifeLabs, we strive to create an inclusive and equitable workplace where our team members and the communities we serve feel accepted, valued, and respected.

In accordance with LifeLabs’ Accessibility Policy, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, and the Ontario Human Rights Code, accommodations are available by request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process. For a confidential inquiry or to request an accommodation, please contact your recruiter or email careers@lifelabs.com.

Vaccinations are highly encouraged at LifeLabs’. Vaccinations may be mandatory for selected employees if regulated by provincial or regional governments, or through employer-led vaccination policies in the facilities we service. Please ensure you ask if this position requires the successful candidate to be fully vaccinated with the current Government approved COVID-19 vaccinations.