Head of Strain Development
2 days ago
Paris
Head of Strain Development Paris, France | €90,000 - €120,000 + Equity I'm partnering with a venture-backed industrial biotechnology company developing an AI-enabled bioproduction platform designed to manufacture high-value ingredients using engineered microorganisms. Having successfully moved beyond proof-of-concept science, the business has secured significant funding, established fermentation capabilities, generated patented discoveries and is now scaling towards industrial deployment. They're looking for a Head of Strain Development to lead the scientific engine behind that ambition. This is an opportunity to take ownership of strain engineering strategy, build a scalable development platform and deliver the production strains that will underpin the company's future success. The company is initially focused on astaxanthin and beta-carotene, with ambitions to build a broader portfolio of industrial ingredients over the coming years. You'll work at the intersection of: • Industrial biotechnology, • Metabolic engineering, • Protein engineering, • Synthetic biology, • Fermentation, • Platform development What You'll Be Responsible For Deliver commercially relevant production strains • Develop next-generation astaxanthin production strains, • Deliver competitive beta-carotene strains, • Support future ingredient programmes from research through industrialisation readiness Build a scalable strain development platform • Integrate metabolic engineering, protein engineering and screening capabilities, • Create efficient design-build-test-learn workflows, • Develop processes capable of supporting a growing ingredient portfolio Drive strain performance • Identify pathway, cofactor, transport, toxicity and regulatory bottlenecks, • Apply rational design, directed evolution and molecular engineering approaches, • Translate biological insights into measurable performance improvements Lead and develop the team • Manage and mentor scientists and technicians, • Establish clear scientific standards and operating procedures, • Build a culture of accountability, ownership and continuous improvement Remain scientifically hands-on • Design experiments, • Troubleshoot critical technical challenges, • Review data and guide scientific decision-making, • Support high-priority programmes directly when required What They're Looking For Technical Experience • MSc or PhD in Metabolic Engineering, Synthetic Biology, Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology or related discipline, • 10+ years of relevant experience, including PhD experience, • Demonstrated success engineering microbial production strains, • Deep expertise in metabolic engineering, • Strong protein engineering knowledge, including directed evolution and rational design, • Strong molecular biology background, including construct design, cloning and transformation, • Experience designing or operating screening platforms, • Strong experimental design and data-analysis capability, • Experience working with industrial IP and commercially relevant technologies Leadership Experience • Experience managing scientists and technicians, • Ability to develop strain engineering strategy from first principles, • Strong decision-making and prioritisation skills, • Commercial awareness and understanding of scale-up challenges, • Clear communication and leadership capability Package • €90,000 - €120,000 base salary, • Significant equity participation, • Health insurance for you and your family, • Transport allowance, • Lunch vouchers, • Team events and lunches If you've successfully engineered microbial production strains and are excited by the opportunity to build a world-class strain development platform, I'd be keen to speak confidentially.