Lead Scientist (Director or VP) - The Steely Group

This position serves as the management lead for new product development. The role requires a scientific leader who can discover new technologies and apply them to develop new products and solutions for customers. The role will lead a scientific team responsible for genetic design and transformation, plant tissue culture, molecular biology, protein expression, genetics, greenhouse operations, nursery and breeding as well as seed line development. A successful candidate must have practical experience working in a commercial setting where adaptability to changing priorities is required. In addition, attention to budgets, product development timelines, and critical path planning are required for success.

The role reports to the CEO and is a key member of the management team. Compensation will be market-competitive base salary, cash bonus, 401-K with matching, and health, dental, and vision care.  Essential Responsibilities:
As the Vice President of Product Development, you will be at the forefront of cutting-edge research and innovation. The key responsibilities you will shoulder include:

• Recruit, train, develop, and retain a robust product development team including members with diverse skills and capabilities from Bachelor’s to Doctoral level in plant science, molecular biology, protein expression, genetics, breeding, and seed line development.
• Develop target product profiles for new products and prioritize new product development.
• Implement processes related to new product development and regularly report on key metrics such as key milestones, budgets, and projected timelines.
• Work collaboratively with other functions within the company including Product Applications, Manufacturing, Quality, and Product Development to drive new product launch and unlocking new revenue opportunities.
• Advocate at scientific events and author technical content to advocate for new products including publications in peer-reviewed journal articles, product application notes, webinars, posters, and presentations.
• Leverage project management tools like SmartSheet, to orchestrate product development activities, timelines and milestones for rapid prototyping and launch of new products with target customers.
• Cultivate and exemplify a fun, lively, high-performance culture marked by integrity, humility, and teamwork.
• Proactively identify new complementary technologies and advocate for their adoption when appropriate.
• Stay current with the latest scientific advancements in plant science, biotechnology, and protein chemistry and identify opportunities for improvement in workflows.
• Oversee the scientific development process for new product introductions focusing from gene synthesis to seed line development. Conduct and interpret scientific data and provide a robust challenge process related to scientific experiment design, methods and conclusions.
• Oversee the procurement, operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of lab instruments.
• Adhere to company policies and encourage development of company culture and teamwork.

Qualifications/Experience:

• Strong desire to make a positive impact
• Positive, can-do attitude.
• Cares more and works harder than others
• A Ph.D. Degree in a plant science field such as molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, or related field
• At least 7 years’ experience in a commercial product development position including lab experience with standard molecular biology and biochemistry methods such as PCR, ddPCR, ELISA, protein characterization, immunohistochemistry, gene expression analysis, plant phenotyping, bioinformatics, etc.
• Experience with statistical analysis and optimization software to develop and execute using a design of experiments approach.
• Experience presenting scientific information to large groups.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience with the Microsoft Office 365 suite of products, including Outlook, SharePoint, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• A right to work in the USA without sponsorship.