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MaverickX is seeking a Director of Bioprocess Development to lead scientific and technical strategy for microbial process development and scale-up. This is a senior leadership role responsible for translating biological processes from laboratory development through pilot and commercial scale, with oversight of upstream fermentation, downstream processing, and analytical development.
Key responsibilities include:
**Scientific & Technical Leadership**: Define scientific and technical strategy for microbial process development and scale-up. Provide technical direction across upstream fermentation, downstream processing, and analytical development. Establish development strategies to ensure process robustness, reproducibility, scalability, and manufacturability. Serve as the senior technical authority for critical process and scale-up decisions.
**Process Development & Scale-Up**: Lead translation of biological processes from laboratory development through pilot and commercial scale. Establish scale-up strategies and performance targets for productivity, yield, and process robustness. Direct process characterization, risk assessment, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement. Oversee process data review and guide experimental and development strategies.
**Technical Operations & Manufacturing**: Provide strategic oversight for pilot-scale operations and manufacturing readiness. Lead technology transfer from R&D to pilot and commercial manufacturing. Provide technical leadership for process equipment selection and manufacturing facility development. Establish technical standards for process execution and manufacturing operations.
**Organizational & Cross-Functional Leadership**: Define technical priorities, development roadmaps, and resource allocation across programs. Build, mentor, and lead multidisciplinary scientific and technical teams. Partner with Research, Engineering, Quality, and Operations to advance development and manufacturing objectives. Provide technical representation in strategic discussions with senior leadership and external partners.
The company values customer-first thinking, extreme ownership, relentless execution, radical candor, and shared success through meaningful equity participation.
**Requirements**:
- PhD in Biochemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, or related scientific/engineering discipline with 12+ years of relevant industry experience; OR Master's degree with 15+ years of relevant experience
- Significant leadership experience in bioprocess development, biomanufacturing, or biotechnology with demonstrated responsibility for technical strategy and execution
- Deep expertise in microbial fermentation and downstream process development, including scale-up principles and process optimization
- Demonstrated experience advancing processes from laboratory or bench scale to pilot-scale manufacturing
- Proven experience leading and developing multidisciplinary scientific and engineering teams
- Demonstrated ability to establish technical priorities, make complex scientific and engineering decisions, and manage multiple development programs
- Strong track record of solving complex process development and scale-up challenges
- Experience working effectively across scientific, engineering, quality, and manufacturing functions
- Excellent leadership, communication, decision-making, and stakeholder management skills
- Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving, and highly collaborative environment
**Preferred Qualifications**:
- 15+ years of experience in industrial biotechnology, biopharmaceuticals, microbial fermentation, or large-scale biomanufacturing
- Experience taking a biological product or manufacturing process through full lifecycle from early development to commercial production
- Experience establishing or scaling a process development, bioprocess engineering, or technical operations organization
- Direct experience with pilot-scale and commercial-scale fermentation systems, including equipment in the multi-thousand-liter range
- Experience leading design, buildout, commissioning, or technical operation of pilot or commercial biomanufacturing facilities
- Strong working knowledge of downstream processing, including product recovery, separation, purification, and formulation operations
- Experience with technology transfer to CDMOs, CMOs, or internal commercial manufacturing facilities
- Experience with process economics, capacity planning, manufacturing strategy, and evaluation of cost of goods
- Experience interacting with equipment vendors, engineering firms, external manufacturing partners, and strategic customers
- Experience developing technical governance systems, stage-gate processes, or portfolio management frameworks
- Experience in startup, scale-up, or high-growth industrial biotechnology environment
- Experience supporting products used in industrial, mining, environmental, agricultural, or specialty chemical applications
