Director, Head of Product Development

Flagship Pioneering•Cambridge, MA

About The Position

Flagship Labs 103, Inc. (FL103) is an early-stage company developing advanced molecular technologies for early disease detection using minimally invasive biospecimens. They aim to enable earlier disease detection, longitudinal disease monitoring, and improved patient stratification across oncology, neurodegenerative disease, and other major disease areas. FL103 was founded by Flagship Pioneering, an innovation enterprise focused on creating companies with breakthrough technologies. FL103 is seeking a scientific and operational leader to translate early assay and biological discoveries into robust, scalable, and clinically meaningful diagnostic assays. This role involves driving the development and optimization of highly multiplexed molecular assays for plasma-based applications, focusing on improving assay sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility, and analytical performance. The ideal candidate will have expertise in translational assay development within molecular diagnostics, liquid biopsy, or advanced biomarker platforms, and experience converting complex biological signals into deployable diagnostic workflows. The role requires operating as a player-coach in a collaborative, fast-moving environment, building and mentoring a growing product development organization.

Requirements

PhD in Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, or related field
10+ years of industry experience, with significant experience developing and optimizing molecular diagnostic or liquid biopsy assays
Proven experience translating early-stage biological discoveries into robust, deployable assay workflows
Deep expertise in one or more of the following: Highly multiplexed molecular assays, Proximity-based assay technologies, qPCR and/or NGS-based assay readouts, Liquid biopsy and plasma-based diagnostics, Protein and/or RNA biomarker detection, Ultra-sensitive molecular detection platforms
Demonstrated experience improving assay reproducibility, sensitivity, specificity, and analytical robustness in complex biological samples
Experience developing assays intended for clinical studies, translational programs, CLIA/LDT environments, or diagnostic applications
Strong understanding of assay validation, analytical performance metrics, and product development workflows
Experience operating in highly cross-functional environments spanning biology, chemistry, automation, translational science, and computational teams
Prior experience building and mentoring scientific teams in high-growth biotech or diagnostics organizations
Entrepreneurial mindset with comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-moving startup environments
Strong organizational skills, scientific rigor, and problem-solving capabilities

Nice To Haves

Experience with extracellular vesicle biology or advanced cell-resolved diagnostics is a plus but not required

Responsibilities

Lead development and optimization of highly multiplexed molecular assays for plasma-based applications
Translate early biological and assay signals into robust, reproducible, and clinically meaningful diagnostic outputs
Identify and resolve sources of technical variability, assay artifacts, and background signal
Drive improvements in assay sensitivity, specificity, multiplexing performance, and reproducibility
Develop analytical workflows, assay QC frameworks, and validation strategies to support future clinical deployment
Help establish scalable assay development pipelines and best practices across product development activities
Partner closely with platform and discovery teams to prioritize and advance clinically actionable programs
Support development of assays across multiple disease areas including oncology and neurodegenerative diseases
Build the technical and operational foundation for future CLIA/LDT deployment and clinical validation activities
Collaborate cross-functionally with computational, clinical, automation, and external partner teams to advance product readiness
Build, mentor, and manage a high-performing assay and product development team
Operate as a highly engaged player-coach, contributing directly to experimental design, troubleshooting, and assay strategy
Foster a culture of scientific rigor, operational excellence, adaptability, and mission-driven execution
Help introduce structure and prioritization into a fast-moving, innovation-driven startup environment
Interface with external collaborators, CROs, diagnostic partners, and technology vendors to accelerate assay development
Collaborate closely with founders, Flagship leadership, and internal business functions to align technical execution with company strategy
Contribute technical expertise and product development insight in discussions with current and future partners