About Us:

Culture’s mission is to simplify and accelerate bioprocess development to enable our customers to bring their biopharmaceutical products to market faster.

With a focus on upstream cell culture process development, Culture has developed a unique platform that merges products, services and data management that can be applied to mammalian, microbial and viral vector production processes. This platform enables high-throughput process development projects to be rapidly and seamlessly executed directly by our customers in their own facilities, in our service laboratories, or both, all driven by our cloud-connected web application, accessible from anywhere, for designing, managing and analyzing experiments.

At Culture, we combine our passions for biomanufacturing, engineering, and operations to build new solutions that make bioprocess development faster. We value curiosity, communication, collaboration, a customer focused mindset and a drive for results.

The Opportunity:

As our Hardware & Consumables R&D Lead, you will spearhead the engineering efforts in designing, developing, and bringing to market new hardware and consumable products that meet the evolving needs of our customers. You'll lead talented engineering teams, foster a culture of innovation, and play a key role in external technical collaborations to expand our technological horizons.

What You'll Do:

  • Visionary Leadership: Inspire and guide the hardware and consumables engineering team, cultivating a creative, risk-aware, and execution-focused environment. Define product pillars and business goals collaboratively with stakeholders. Navigate complexity and prioritize effectively for team success.
  • Customer-Centric Innovation: Apply a deep understanding of customer needs to drive the creation of valuable hardware and consumable product designs. Invent and evaluate architectures that excel in customer satisfaction, cost-effectiveness, and reliability. Leverage emerging technologies to develop robust concepts and proactively address potential challenges. Analyze field data to continuously improve existing designs.
  • Strategic Execution: Establish clear team objectives aligned with overall product development goals for hardware and consumables. Facilitate alignment, track progress with key metrics, and provide constructive feedback. Build strong relationships across teams to enhance communication and streamline processes. Drive the team to meet targets and collaborate with functional leaders to resolve issues swiftly.
  • Data-Driven Decision Making: Champion a methodology that emphasizes the use of accurate data and sound judgment in decision-making related to hardware and consumables. Embody and promote the organization's culture and values. Identify and implement process improvements to accelerate and strengthen product development outcomes.
  • Team Empowerment: Manage, coach, develop, and mentor engineers and technical staff within the hardware and consumables teams. Recruit, nurture, and retain top engineering talent.
  • Process Excellence: Ensure adherence to Culture’s product development process guidelines and actively participate in design reviews for hardware and consumables.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Lead the engineering team in supporting Manufacturing, Materials, Test Engineering, and Service to ensure seamless transfer of hardware and consumables designs. Serve as a key Hardware and Consumables Design Engineering member on Design Review Boards.
  • Intellectual Property: Document, prepare, and review patent submissions related to hardware and consumables innovations.
  • External Engagement: Identify, evaluate, and actively participate in external technical collaboration projects with academic institutions, industry partners, and other relevant organizations to advance hardware and consumables technologies. 

What You'll Bring:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) required; Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (MSME) preferred, or equivalent degree in Physics / Systems Engineering.
  • A minimum of 10 years of experience in designing commercial bioprocessing equipment or medical device products, including injection molded consumables.
    • Proven track record of taking at least 3 commercial products through the complete product lifecycle.
    • Experience w/ high volume Injection molding
  • Minimum of 5 years of experience leading product development teams, or demonstrated leadership capabilities.
  • A high-performing, emotionally intelligent leader with a commitment to continuous learning.
  • Exceptional ability to lead, influence, collaborate, constructively challenge, communicate clearly, and thrive in dynamic, cross-functional teams.
  • Proven comfort in managing all phases of the product development lifecycle (design, implementation, debug, verification, qualification, transfer) in a regulated environment for both hardware and consumables.
  • Strong technical acumen and hands-on experience with complex hardware and single-use consumable products.
    • Proficiency in component selection, design for reliability, and manufacturability for both hardware and consumables.
    • Ability to assess complex trade-offs and risks to ensure market success of new designs and platforms.
    • Experience working with external agencies on safety and regulatory compliance. 
  • Excellent project management, planning, decision-making, negotiation, and change management skills. A knack for finding creative and simple solutions to complex technical challenges, and the ability to lead calmly under pressure.
  • Outstanding written, verbal, presentation, and documentation skills.
  • Experience participating in or leading external technical collaborations is a plus.

Location & Schedule

  • This is an on-site position. We’re looking for someone based in the San Francisco Bay Area who is able to work in person at our office in South San Francisco at least 4-5 days per week. 

Base Salary Range:

Culture Biosciences's compensation package includes market competitive salary, equity for all full time roles, and great benefits. Our expected salary range for this role is $230,000 to $260,000. We are hiring for multiple levels and backgrounds so final offers may vary within the range provided based on experience, expertise, and other factors.

Benefits:

  • Competitive salary and equity compensation
  • Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life insurance
  • Medical and Dependent Care FSA (prorated based on start-date)
  • 401(k) plan with company match
  • Responsible Time Off (non-accrual based) policy, 11 paid company holidays and a week-long winter break
  • 12 weeks of parental leave at full salary

Culture Biosciences provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants. We seek to build a company that promotes inclusion and expands the diversity of our industry as a whole. We encourage people with identities underrepresented in biotech and technology to apply.

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