Lead Science Strategist for Biosensor Development

Science Strategy Lead — Fixed-Term Contract About the Role We are looking for an experienced science strategy leader to join us for a fixed-term engagement and help take our product from its current R&D stage through to completion. This is a hands-on, high-ownership role for someone who can both think strategically about the science and roll up their sleeves to keep multiple technical teams aligned and moving toward a shared finish line. You'll be the technical throughline connecting our microbiology, biochemistry, and product development efforts — translating scientific complexity into a clear roadmap, making tough prioritization calls, and making sure every team understands how their work fits into the bigger picture. What You'll Do - Develop and own the end-to-end science strategy and technical roadmap needed to complete product development, including key milestones and decision gates - Evaluate current experimental approaches, data, and results across microbiology and biochemistry workstreams, and recommend adjustments where needed - Identify the highest-risk technical unknowns and prioritize the work that resolves them fastest - Coordinate across R&D, process development, and other technical teams to keep everyone working toward the same goals and timeline - Translate scientific progress and tradeoffs into clear updates for non-scientific stakeholders (leadership, investors, or business partners as needed) - Flag risks, bottlenecks, or scientific dead ends early, and propose pivots or alternative approaches when something isn't working - Help set realistic timelines and hold teams accountable to technical milestones ## Required Skills & Experience - PhD (or equivalent significant industry experience) in microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, or a closely related field - Strong hands-on background in microbiology and biochemistry, with the ability to critically evaluate experimental design and data - Demonstrated experience taking a biotech or life sciences product from R&D through to a finished, scaled, or launched outcome — not purely academic research - Experience working in or with startups or small, resource-constrained teams - Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex science clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences - Proven ability to coordinate across multiple teams or functions and drive alignment without necessarily having direct authority over every team involved - Comfortable making decisions under scientific uncertainty and owning outcomes, not just recommendations ## Nice to Have - Prior experience in a Chief Scientific Officer, VP of R&D, or Head of Science Strategy–type role - Experience with fermentation, strain engineering, or bioprocess development - Familiarity with regulatory or IP considerations relevant to biotech product development - Experience presenting to investors or boards How to Apply Please include: 1. A brief summary of your relevant scientific background and industry experience 2. An example of a time you took a biotech/life sciences product from early R&D to completion 3. Your availability and rate expectations for this engagement We're looking to move quickly — thank you for your interest in helping Manakin Bio get this product across the finish line.