Biotechnology: Ray Lockard

Ray Lockard is the Director of Quality Assurance for Alnylam Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, MA.

How did you choose your career? Was this an easy or hard process for you? If you struggled, how did you overcome these struggles?

I chose the industry more than the career path. My father was involved in the engineering side of the pharmaceutical industry, and introduced me to the validation field, which involves the testing of analytical processes or manufacturing equipment. I majored in Biology as an undergraduate, and liked to work on cars. My father suggested that for the validation field I didn't need an engineering background, that I could get in on the ground level and move forward from there. He thought it would be a good fit for my interests, and he was right. I got a job at Jacobs Engineering, which is a 70,000–80,000 person firm with a pharmaceutical division. It paid pretty well, the travel involved appealed to me and it wasn't a desk job. I worked on a contractual basis with site validation personnel around a new facility. I got to see how many different companies approach validation, the different types of equipment involved, and the manufacturing side of the pharmaceuticals industry.

What kind of training, both formal and informal, did you receive to prepare you for your career? How did you choose what additional training to pursue and how did you choose where to do it?

My science background in biology as an undergraduate gave me the background to understand processing perspectives, fermentation, cell culture, and proteins. Much of my training was on the job where I was able to pay attention to detail. I have also had the opportunity to attend seminars and conferences about 1–2 times each year.

What was the process like to apply for your first job after your training was over? Was it easy or difficult? How did you cope with any difficulties? Did that differ from subsequent jobs you've had?

Networking and using connections was very important. Some people are averse to this, but for me the Jacobs connection got my foot in the door for an interview. I felt additional pressure at the interview and when I started my job because they knew who my father was and so I felt the need to perform at the same level. I didn't have a specific skillset right out of university, so it was intimidating to ask them to take a chance on me; I just threw myself out there on a personal level. The company was looking for good personality traits as well as a specific skillset, and I had good interactions with the hiring manager in the interview. In contract work, you essentially get re-interviewed every few months when you go to a new job. They really look for an outgoing personality and the ability to look people in the eye and give honest answers.

What advice would you give to someone interested in following a similar career path?

My work in the validation field exposed me to work in quality assurance and I've had the opportunity to work in this field. The job market is tough. Even if an advertised job is in a slightly different field or company than you had envisioned working, go ahead and take it. If you develop a good skillset and show that you can learn, this can lead you down a path to where you want to go in your career. Just take a job in the industry, and then you can move within a company.

What would you have done differently in preparing for your career?

I got my M.B.A. about five or six years ago. I probably would have done an M.S. in a field such as chemistry in parallel with the M.B.A. in order to get more in depth skills. You can learn by osmosis in smaller companies. I would have liked to balance my biology background with chemistry, but I wouldn't change anything in my career path. I've created a wide base of opportunity with a wide skillset. It may not be for everybody, but it works for me.

How much do you like what you do? Why? Is it what you imagined it would be? If not, how have you adapted?

I like that I do. The skillsets and personality traits needed, identifying processes and workflows, this is a lot of what I need to do. I like working with my hands and this is what I'm doing on a professional business level. It's very rewarding. The hard part is making the next step and building the processes to the next level. If the company isn't seeking to build processes from phase 1 to 2 to 3 of clinical trials, then you might flatline in your ability to advance because you might want to do more, but it might not match with the company's needs.

How do you achieve career-life balance? Is this easy or hard to do? How many hours do you typically work per week?

Good question. Historically this hasn't been a problem, but as I continue to work for smaller, innovative companies, the connection to the organization doesn't drop off at the end of day. You get ownership of a project and you need to be agile and flexible. Try not to set a regimented schedule at home that needs to be adhered to at all costs, because some flexibility will be required. Keep your eye on the sum total of time together as a family. Try to make vacations actual vacations, and have family time at home in the early evening, but then you can pick up some work later in the evening,

What strategies have you figured out over time to help you succeed?

Leveraging what I think are some better personality traits in the business environment. Creating personal relationships at the business level gives you professional capital in an organization. Communication on a one-on-one basis applies in both your personal and business life. Having the support of groups helps internally. You need to look out for the people who work for you.