Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
09

Arun Hariharan

Summary

Dynamic Scientist & Lab Operations Strategist with 15+ years of experience in NGS assay development, scaling high throughput labs, strategic procurement, and cost optimization to drive efficiency and innovation. A dual-degree holder (MBA – Strategy & Operations, MSc – Molecular Biology) with a track record of leading high-impact projects and driving scientific and operational excellence.

Overview

15
15
years of professional experience

Work History

Senior Scientist III

Strand Life Sciences Private Limited
12.2021 - Current
  • Leading NGS Lab Operations, ensuring seamless execution of high-throughput sequencing workflows while optimizing costs and efficiency. Led a seamless lab transition to a new 22,000 sq. ft. facility, completing the move in under four weeks with zero downtime for clinical diagnostics operations
  • Driving strategic procurement and vendor management, negotiating large value contracts with global suppliers (Illumina, IDT, Agilent, Thermo) to ensure cost-effective and uninterrupted reagent supply. Achieved ₹10 Cr+ in cost savings within 12–15 months through strategic vendor negotiations, multi-year contracts, and procurement optimization across reagents, consumables, and CapEx purchases
  • Pioneered NGS automation adoption, evaluating various platforms like Beckman Coulter, Hamilton, SPTLabs, Dispendix, Agilent, and PerkinElmer to enhance accuracy, scalability, and reaction miniaturization
  • Drove sequencing scale-up, transitioning operations from NextSeq to NovaSeq technology and spearheading the adoption of Oxford Nanopore instruments for expanded sequencing capabilities
  • Optimized assay workflows, enhancing efficiency and reducing operational expenditures by 20%, ensuring high-quality data output without compromising performance
  • Spearheaded commercial discussions for cutting-edge technologies and new assay implementations, aligning them with operational and budgetary goals to future-proof lab capabilities

Deputy Manager – Business Operations

Syngene International Limited
07.2021 - 11.2021
  • Collaborated with the Operating Unit Head to drive safety, compliance, and operational excellence across business and laboratory operations
  • Led CapEx and OpEx planning, ensuring cost-effective resource allocation and smooth lab operations
  • Partnered with cross-functional teams to create synergies, ensuring seamless execution of deliverables

Manager – Research Informatics Lab

Strand Life Sciences Private Limited
09.2020 - 06.2021
  • Spearheaded daily R&D lab operations, overseeing project management, client interactions, budgeting, and inventory management
  • Partnered with Business Development teams to scope, cost, and draft proposals for high-value NGS projects
  • Led a 10+ member team, fostering a culture of scientific excellence and operational efficiency

Scientist III / Senior Scientist I

Strand Life Sciences Private Limited
04.2015 - 08.2020
  • Developed and operationalized a high-throughput NGS assay for Oral Cancer biomarker discovery, enabling scalable data processing and analytics for clinical adoption
  • Standardized and validated liquid biopsy oncology assays, achieving CAP and NABL accreditation
  • Scoped and managed client service projects, including cost estimation, resource allocation, and timelines for execution

Research Associate

Ganit Labs
03.2011 - 03.2015
  • Mastered Next Generation Sequencing techniques in record time and developed protocols for nucleic acid extraction from various samples
  • Contributed significantly to the sequencing and transcriptome analysis of Azadirachta indica (Neem), a global milestone
  • Conducted nucleic acid extractions, library preparation, and sequencing for diverse applications, including whole genome, transcriptome, exome, and small RNA sequencing.
  • Managed multiple concurrent projects while ensuring high quality standards were met.
  • Exhibited excellent problem-solving skills by finding creative solutions to challenging issues.

Junior Research Fellow

SeriBiotech Research Laboratory,Central Silk Board
12.2009 - 03.2011
  • Selected from a competitive pool to work on a DBT-sponsored project investigating stress response mechanisms in silkworms
  • Discovered a novel mechanism enabling silkworms to combat parasite attacks

Education

MBA - General Management

Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode

MSc - Molecular Biology

Bangalore University

Skills

  • NGS Lab Operations Management
  • Cross-Functional Team Leadership
  • Stakeholder Engagement & Communication
  • Strategic Vendor & Supply Chain Management
  • Cost-Per-Test (CPT) Optimization
  • Project Budgeting & Financial Planning
  • Lab Automation
  • Clinical Assay Development, Validation & Optimization

Timeline

Senior Scientist III

Strand Life Sciences Private Limited
12.2021 - Current

Deputy Manager – Business Operations

Syngene International Limited
07.2021 - 11.2021

Manager – Research Informatics Lab

Strand Life Sciences Private Limited
09.2020 - 06.2021

Scientist III / Senior Scientist I

Strand Life Sciences Private Limited
04.2015 - 08.2020

Research Associate

Ganit Labs
03.2011 - 03.2015

Junior Research Fellow

SeriBiotech Research Laboratory,Central Silk Board
12.2009 - 03.2011

MBA - General Management

Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode

MSc - Molecular Biology

Bangalore University
Arun Hariharan