Director of Field Application Specialist

Ansa Biotechnologies•Emeryville, CA

3d•$180,000 - $250,000

About The Position

Ansa Biotechnologies is seeking the first member of a new Field Application Specialist team to create and execute presales and post-sales customer success strategies, field support, technical training, and scientific presentations that drive customer adoption and retention. Reporting to the VP of Global Commercial Operations, this director will build and lead the field application team and develop the strategies, processes, and KPIs that support customer success and satisfaction. The role provides technical support for Ansa's gene synthesis products and services, including customer-site consultations, troubleshooting, onboarding, and training. It collaborates closely with the Head of Application Development and with R&D, Manufacturing, and Sales. The director also turns customer feedback into improvements to products, services, and application strategy; monitors customer success metrics; develops technical content; and represents Ansa at customer conferences, industry events, and technical meetings. Extensive travel is required, with at least 30% of time spent traveling.

Requirements

At least 10 years of customer-facing experience in field applications, technical sales, or applications-focused support.
At least 5 years of management experience leading technical or field application teams.
Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage customers and build relationships.
Strong understanding of DNA synthesis technologies and their applications in research and biotechnology.
Deep applied knowledge of genome editing, synthetic biology, and related molecular biology technologies.
Demonstrated ability to develop customer-facing technical content and training programs.
Demonstrated ability to present technical content and engage customers in technical discussions.
Experience in a startup or early-commercial company environment.
Proficiency with Salesforce.com and other commercial tools and applications.
Ability to travel extensively, at least 30%, for customer site visits, meetings, conferences, and events.
PhD in molecular biology, cell biology, chemistry, or equivalent, with a combination of education, training, and experience providing the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job.
10–12+ years of commercial life sciences, gene editing, synthetic biology, or omics applications/support experience.

Nice To Haves

Seven or more years of experience in gene editing, synthetic biology, or gene synthesis.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement a comprehensive field application and customer success strategy, including SOPs, metrics, tools, and reporting.
Design and build the field application organization, prioritizing stakeholder satisfaction, account retention, customer success, and revenue growth.
Lead and manage Field Application Specialists providing technical support at customer sites and driving adoption of Ansa's gene synthesis products and services.
Work closely with the Head of Application Development on application data and presentations, application development feedback, and content for presales and post-sales success.
Collaborate with R&D, Manufacturing, and Sales to integrate application support and field engagement strategies.
Conduct on-site customer visits and technical consultations to understand applications, troubleshoot challenges, and optimize customer success.
Monitor and analyze customer success metrics, identify improvement areas, and implement corrective actions.
Stay current with industry trends and customer application needs to keep field support and application offerings competitive and innovative.
Work cross-functionally to incorporate customer feedback into product development, service improvements, and application strategy.
Communicate technical information clearly to technical and non-technical customers and internal stakeholders.
Contribute application-focused technical assets, including application notes, case studies, technical guides, and customer success resources.
Gather customer feedback about user experience, application challenges, and technical needs.
Deliver technical consultations and application insights to support sales and new-customer onboarding.
Design and deliver customer training programs, workshops, and webinars.
Participate as a subject matter expert in customer conferences, industry events, and technical meetings.
Update CRM systems with customer interactions, technical issues, and application feedback.
Ensure seamless onboarding and maximize customer success and adoption from day one.