Director of Product Development - Gene Editing

Associate Director/ Director of Product DevelopmentSalary: Up to £100,000 + Benefits (company shares, private medical, 5% pension contribution, 25 days holiday + bank holidays + Christmas shutdown)Location: Cambridge (4 days on site, 1 day work from home)About the jobWe are working with a Cambridge based start-up, who have a vision for affordable, safer and more efficient cell & gene therapies. This organisation is building a technology platform that enables fast, sensitive, quantitative and cost-effective characterization and optimization of genome editing technologies.Starting with powerful DNA break mapping technology, the data-driven platform reveals gene editing off-targets throughout the genome, enabling precise characterisation of how genome editors interact with and alter our genomes. This information is essential for the efficient development of novel genome editing systems, will unlock many new editing targets in the genome and enable life-saving therapies that are safer by design.As an ambitious and fast-paced start-up, we are looking for a talented and highly motivated product development scientist, with project leadership skills and a track record of delivery to share in this exciting opportunity.Reporting to the CTO, you will lead a highly skilled, interdisciplinary project team bringing the technology platform to market and extending its capabilities in future versions.Key Responsibilities:Act as R&D Lead for interdisciplinary product development programs that combine gene editing and NGS workflows with novel data analysis solutions, using a structured product development process.Provide technical direction, coaching and, potentially, line management to the lab-based R&D team.Use leadership and project management skills to drive progress towards project objectives.Implement and optimize processes and tools to ensure efficient development of high quality products.Lead phase-gate reviews with the Project Governance Team and deliver interim updates to executive leadership as needed.Identify program issues and use judgement to resolve or escalate them appropriately.Identify program trade-offs and facilitate trade-off decisions to remove obstacles to progress.Lead the resolution of complex development issues using systematic problem-solving methods.Analyse and manage risks to enable successful project completion.Drive the development of formulations, reagents and automation-ready workflows with market-leading performance and commercial-grade robustness and ease of use.Requirements:A PhD in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology/Genetics or similar discipline (PhD equivalent experience in a relevant Industry role will be considered).8+ years post-PhD experience with significant time spent in Industry.Experience of RUO or IVD product development in the life science sector, with a track record of successful delivery of products to market.Expert in the use of structured product development processes for commercialization of complex products such as NGS applicationsA background in the design and/or development of genetic analysis technologies will be particularly advantageous.Knowledge of next generation sequencing technology, including hands-on experience with a variety of NGS applications and a working knowledge of bioinformatics.Previous experience with mentoring, coaching or line management of R&D scientists.Demonstrable expertise in the use of project management skills to deliver timely results meeting customer or stakeholder needs.Excellent communication skills (both written and oral) with the ability to communicate complicated ideas and information effectively at all levels, including to executive leadership.Please apply with an up to date CV for consideration.