Director, Bioware

Exthymic•San Diego, CA

9h•$170,000 - $210,000

About The Position

Exthymic is an early-stage deep-tech startup focused on making curative cell therapies widely accessible to prevent millions of cancer deaths. Our platform allows for patient-specific treatment manufacturing at the point of care, moving beyond traditional centralized biopharma models. We are seeking a Director, Bioware to lead and manage the Bioware team, reporting to the Chief Scientific Officer. This role involves owning the planning and experimental design for product development, communicating research findings to leadership and the team, and partnering with senior leaders to define technical strategy and communicate the roadmap to clients and partners. The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced startup environment, build strong relationships, take ownership of products from development to commercialization, and manage competing priorities with confidence and accountability.

Requirements

Ph.D. in chemistry, biochemistry, bioengineering, materials science, or a related discipline; or a Bachelor’s/Master’s degree with directly equivalent industry experience.
8+ years of relevant industry experience in one or more of surface chemistry, protein or small molecule engineering, NGS, and bioconjugation, with a track record of advancing products from research to development.
Direct people-management experience, including hiring, building, and leading scientific and technical teams.
Enthusiasm for working both strategically and hands-on.
Demonstrated product/project management ownership, including building and running a product-development process, timelines, phase gates, and cross-functional dependencies in ambiguous environments.
Hands-on expertise with experimental design and statistical analysis to drive efficient, data-driven development.
Experience managing vendor and supplier relationships, including contract negotiations, quality agreements, and supply chain planning.
Experience contributing to strategic planning, technology roadmapping, or platform-level investment decisions.
Comfortable operating in an early-stage startup with evolving priorities, a lean team, and developing processes from the ground up.

Nice To Haves

Experience in cell therapy, gene therapy, or a related advanced therapeutic modality.
Experience working with CDMOs or contract manufacturers on technology transfer or process development.
Familiarity with design control, quality systems, or regulatory requirements for a biological product.
Experience evaluating and working with job-specific AI tools is a plus.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage research associates and scientists, including hiring, management, and development.
Own team priorities and individual growth, providing scientific leadership through coaching and collaborative bench work.
Lead experimental design across the Bioware team, ensuring sound design, isolation of critical parameters, and maximization of experimental information.
Set the standard for rigorous, well-documented, reproducible experimentation.
Serve as a player-coach in the lab, being hands-on with experiments, troubleshooting, and keeping work moving.
Translate complex scientific work into clear presentations for leadership and team members.
Identify, evaluate, and manage relationships with key vendors, suppliers, and contract partners.
Negotiate supply agreements, set quality expectations, and develop supply chain resilience.
Serve as the technical and product-development lead for biochemical manufacturing and design, guiding products through development to commercialization.
Coordinate design inputs, manage stage-gate milestones, and ensure documentation supports regulatory submissions and commercial transfer.