About Us:

Culture’s mission is to make bioprocess development and scale-up as fast and easy as scaling software. Since our founding in 2016, our work has been to enable biotech and biopharma companies to accelerate the development of their therapeutic targets to get to the clinic – and potentially patients - faster and easier. In accomplishing that purpose, the team at Culture is just one step away from impacting patient well-being and positive health outcomes.

Culture’s first offering enabled biopharma, biotechnology, and synthetic biology companies to run their bioprocessing R&D in the cloud and we continue to innovate with both hardware and software into other areas with additional offerings.

The Opportunity:

Culture Biosciences seeks a VP of Operations to head up our South San Francisco-based bioreactor operations. This role provides strategic and operational leadership to achieve business objectives and ensures we meet client requirements. This role leads a group of 30 team members and collaborates cross functionally with sales, R&D, manufacturing, finance and product.

What you'll do:

• Head up the day-to-day operation of Culture’s bioreactor processing service operations.
• Oversee the integration of microbial, mammalian and viral vector applications into both product and service offerings.
• Implements scalable and profitable bioreactor operations that balance customization for clients without compromising operational efficiency.
• Develop metrics and KPIs to align commercial and operational objectives.
• Forecast and develop strategic plans for capacity planning
• Participates in new product launches and drives capacity expansion.
• Fosters a culture of client-focused and client-centric processes across commercial and operations teams, ensuring seamless communication and solution development.
• Introduces advanced technologies as appropriate such as AI and machine learning to streamline project programming and execution, enhancing the precision and efficiency of biomanufacturing processes.
• Defines and controls budget and spending for services and products, ensuring fiscal responsibility and alignment with strategic financial goals.
• Serves as site leader for laboratory
• Works with the business development team to maintain alignment of commercial and operations teams to focus on successful project completions, client needs, and transparent, real-time business solutions.
• Cultivates an innovative and appropriate risk-taking work environment; addresses misalignments and ensures that team members feel valued and integral to the company's success.
• Deepens the technical understanding of Adeno-associated virus vectors (AAV), microbial, and mammalian manufacturing within the team; ensures high quality operational execution.
• Assists with the exploration and validation of new market segments and opportunities; helps prepare the organization for adaptive growth without extensive capital increases.
• Leads initiatives to address sustainability, particularly in the use of plastics and other consumables, aligning with modern environmental standards and client expectations.

About you:

• 15+ years of operations experience in the bioprocessing or biomanufacturing industry with a minimum of 7 years leadership experience.
• Advanced degree in science, engineering or related field required
• Cell/Gene Therapy, Viral Vector and contract development and manufacturing operations (CDMO) experience preferred
• Demonstrated successful experience leading operations in a services business
• Demonstrated startup experience or leading organizations through growth and organizational change
• Experience as a change agent in scaling a business
• Experience leading organizations of at least 30 people that includes multiple layers of leadership with increasing responsibility
• Experience building and developing high performing teams and ability to create strong partnerships, internally and externally
• Experience both with early stage start-up organizations as well as established commercial organizations preferred
• Lean certification preferred; Six Sigma certification is a nice to have

In return, we offer a supportive environment. Our company values are:

• Lift others up. Because we all do better when we help each other succeed.
• Commitment to reliability. Our teammates and customers are counting on us.
• Think like an owner. Progress is driven by teams who care.
• Try new things. Big innovations start with small ideas and actions

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 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 $290,000 to $325,000. 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, 10 paid company holidays and a week-long winter break
• 12 weeks of parental leave at full salary
• For onsite employees:
• Commuter benefits
• Access to on-site child care facility, subject to availability
• Free onsite breakfast, lunch, snacks, coffee, and gym (varies based on COVID-19 restrictions)

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.