Strong Career, Strong Family: Helen Harrington Shares Her Non-Negotiables for Work-Life Balance 

At Danaher, nothing is stopping you from growing a successful career and a family at the same time. Just ask Helen Harrington, PhD, Product Management Director, who discovered that well-being and work-life balance are both part of Danaher’s winning culture. It’s one of the many reasons she has chosen to stay with Phenomenex (a Danaher business) for over 18 years.

headshot of helen harrington
Helen Harrington, Product Management Director at Phenomenex

Tell us about your background. 

Science has been a love of mine since I was a child, so when I finished high school, I went to Manchester University in the UK to study chemistry. I started toward a degree in medicinal chemistry but quickly realized that biological science was less interesting to me than analytical science, so I shifted my focus to analytical chemistry. After graduating with honors, I stayed at Manchester University to pursue my PhD in Synthetic Organic Chemistry. From there, I moved to the U.S. where I completed my post-doctoral research in Chicago, at the University of Illinois researching treatments for Ebola. 

How did you come to Phenomenex? 

I’ve always craved a fast-paced professional life, so in 2007 when my tenure ended in Chicago, I moved back to the UK and started work at Phenomenex. I was drawn to the technical sales role as it allowed me to use my analytical experience in a very fast-paced, results-driven environment, which I have always enjoyed.  

How has your career progressed since joining the company? 

During my first 10 years, I served in a variety of sales roles, including sales lead for the UK and Ireland, and biopharma technical specialist supporting customers with method development. These helped me gain insight and expertise, while increasing my responsibilities over time. Today, I lead a motivated team developing new products in the biopharma market.  

What challenges did you face along the way in your career?

One of the biggest challenges stemmed from balancing my professional ambitions with being a parent. When my first daughter was born in 2010, work flexibility became very important. My workdays (including travel) were often very long, so I sought out more flexible alternatives. 

Phenomenex was extremely supportive, allowing me to stay in my Technical Specialist role and work a part-time schedule—only three (eventually four) days a week. While this decision prevented me from becoming a manager, it enabled me to continue working in the field I love while also spending time with my young family. I had no desire to leave Phenomenex for a company less accommodating. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the advent of remote work opened up my career options. When my children were younger, I invested time developing my skills in new product development; however, my unwillingness to relocate to the US limited my opportunities up to that point. With the ability to work remotely, geographical location became less of a barrier. I was fortunate to be offered a remote position in Product Management, which I could do out my office in the UK. I’ve been in this role for the past four years.

  • a woman and three young girls in karate uniforms post in front of a sign alongside an older man
  • a young girl dressed in a blazer, holding a coffee cup, purse and folder and wearing a Phenomenex branded badge

Over the years, how has Phenomenex helped you protect your work-life balance? 

Phenomenex has always supported me with a flexible schedule and understanding managers. They also respect my non-negotiables, which include walking my children to school each morning (I don’t work before they go to school), attending twice-weekly karate lessons with them and reading to my younger children at night (which can be impacted by work across multiple time zones). As long as I tick these boxes, the rest of my schedule can be extremely fluid.  

These priorities force me to manage my time efficiently and focus on the most valuable projects. Phenomenex’s commitment to open dialogue around family needs has allowed me to pursue a rewarding career and my personal aspirations.

Do you feel like you’ve achieved the right balance? 

Yes. As a working parent with a non-conventional schedule, I used to spend a lot of time questioning whether I was achieving the right balance between supporting my career and colleagues and still giving enough to my family. 
 
Not too long ago, a funny thing happened. At my children’s school, my girls were tasked with dressing up as someone in a profession they admire—someone who uses science in their work. While most children (including my youngest) chose nurses, doctors, veterinarians and astronauts, my middle daughter came down the stairs ready for school dressed as me. 
 
This reaffirmed for me that—with the incredible support I receive from Phenomenex to remain flexible—I can be a role model, inspiring our next generation of scientists along the way.


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