Job Title: Head, Product Development
Reporting to: Head, Product Discovery and Testing
Location: Durham, North Carolina, USA
About Pairwise:
Pairwise is a mission-driven, food+tech company dedicated to building a healthier world through better fruits and vegetables. Pairwise was founded in 2017 by scientists at Harvard University, MIT, and Broad Institute who are eminent in the field of gene editing, as well as biotechnology industry pioneers. Our team is tuned in to consumer food trends, and we believe that consumers deserve more variety and innovation in their fresh food choices. We are primed to deliver that innovation through one of the best gene-editing platforms in food and agriculture. Pairwise has an exclusive 5-year research collaboration with Bayer to develop products in corn, soybean, wheat, canola, and cotton. Plus, Pairwise is developing new types of leafy greens, berries, and stone fruit, with the first product expected in late 2022. Pairwise is based in the start-up friendly Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina.
About This Role:
This role is responsible for taking edited seeds and plants through the process of product development and optimization, and delivering in collaboration with the Commercial team, the final version of the product to the market. This Head will work closely with other R&D Heads and the Commercial team to optimize for market the edited seeds and plants through food science, post-harvest processing and packaging. This key bridge role will work hand in hand with the Commercial team to develop and deliver label claims, nutritional data and other essential data to support marketing claims. Key will be the ability to work closely with marketing’s consumer insights team to guide final product configuration and testing.
Essential Functions:
• Responsible for the product development pipeline across our consumer crop portfolio
• Manage post-harvest physiology, packaging, nutrition, sensory, food science and development of product configuration
• Work with marketing and their consumer insights to guide product development activities to meet the needs of targeted market segments
• Own the handoff between R&D and commercial for the final, configured product
• Lead and develop teams and their leaders, creating organizational clarity
• Support understanding of product fit and targets throughout the overall R&D organization
• Drive alignment of development outcomes to achieve product specifications
• Work as a member of R&D leadership to effectively manage the organization
Required Education & Experience:
• Masters in a relevant technical field, PhD preferred
• 10+ years experience managing product development organizations
• Strong track record of delivering research outcomes tied to business objectives
- Demonstrated ability to manage teams and create organizational clarity
Offerings:
• Comprehensive Benefits Plan, including Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA/FSA, 401k, Life Insurance, Short-Term & Long-Term Disability, and more!
• Flexible PTO (use what you need, when you need it), in addition to company holidays.
• Casual work environment.
• Mission-driven organization focused on creating healthier fruits and veggies.
• A cutting-edge, driven community looking to lead the industry in innovation and nutrition.
EEO Statement: We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.