Job summary
Pairwise believes healthy food should be affordable, convenient, and sustainable. We believe gene editing can be used to accelerate plant breeding in leveraging the natural genetic diversity in agricultural crops to address global food challenges. We are bringing the benefits of these new innovations both to producers and directly to consumers through the produce aisle of their local grocery store. Located in the Raleigh-Durham metro area, Pairwise was formed in 2017 and has grown to about 100 employees to help meet our aggressive product development goals.
Pairwise is looking to hire a senior leader capable of bridging the gap between product discovery and commercial handoff. The Product Discovery Technical Program Lead will be responsible for developing and executing, in conjunction with the functional team leads, research plans to address key unknown questions around commercialization. At the completion of the discovery process, this person will manage the handoff of the project from R&D to Commercial. This role requires a strong understanding of what commercializing an agricultural product entails and how these requirements dovetail into R&D. Examples of job requirements include evaluating cropping systems, formulating research plans to test new plant material and managing the technical handoff from R&D to commercial. The job requires a strong ability to identify and make critical decisions while operating in a fast-moving environment. Preference will be given to candidates with a demonstrated track record of success in these areas. Depending on the candidate’s skill set, additional areas of responsibility are possible. Your contribution will be critical to helping Pairwise meet a set of aggressive targets and building a culture where science can be fun.
Summary of Job Responsibilities
- Ensure alignment between the product concept/definition and commercial
- Manage the evaluation of commercial testing of material
- Deliver a smooth handoff between R&D and Commercial
- Ensure commercial requirements are technically evaluated prior to handoff
- Develop technical programs to help drive answers to key scientific questions
Job Requirements
- 10+ years of experience operating in R&D commercial ag interface
- Ph.D. or Master’s degree in a relevant field; such as molecular biology, microbiology, biochemistry, biology, plant science, botany, agronomy, horticulture, evolution, ecology or any biological discipline.
- Previous experience in the commercialization of a product and a good understanding of what is technically required to commercialize a product in agriculture.
- Prior experience in product discovery and development
- Demonstrated focus on commercial outcomes
- Experience developing and leading technical programs
- Preferred experience in produce
- Demonstrated success working in a fast-paced, matrixed environment