Senior Manager of Research and Development

Pendulum™•San Francisco, CA

4d•$190,000 - $210,000

About The Position

Pendulum is leading a revolution to improve physical and mental health by understanding, restoring, and enhancing the human microbiome. The company has developed proprietary probiotic pipelines, a unique discovery platform, and the world's first manufacturing technology for producing bacteria in an anaerobic environment at scale. Pendulum's medical probiotics have transformed the consumer probiotics market into a new category of therapeutic offerings. The company has experienced explosive growth, earning a spot on Forbes Magazine's "The Next Billion Dollar Startups" list. Pendulum is seeking individuals who want to improve people's lives globally and thrive in a cross-functional, collaborative, and inspiring environment. The team consists of scientists, engineers, physicians, marketers, and analysts passionate about improving human health through interdisciplinary research. Pendulum fosters a transparent team culture where effective communication drives success. The Senior Manager of Research and Development will manage and execute key R&D projects and programs from early development to commercialization, reporting to Product leadership. This role involves leading project teams, collaborating with cross-functional teams, fostering innovation, generating data for marketing, and ensuring products meet regulatory and quality requirements. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in biopharma-related disciplines, a strong understanding of microbiome science and products, and a history of contributing to successful market products. The successful candidate will be a highly collaborative, results-oriented manager with strong critical and analytical thinking skills, blending hands-on scientific work with people leadership. This role requires driving project and team priorities in alignment with clinical, commercial, and business goals. As a scientific lead, the individual will guide bench scientists, troubleshoot experiments, and promote scientific excellence. Collaboration with cross-functional teams is essential for a shared vision of success. The company operates in a fast-paced, lean, and collaborative environment, seeking resourceful individuals who can think big and execute effectively, while being passionate about a rapidly scaling young brand.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Microbiology, Immunology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or a related field (or an M.S. with equivalent additional experience).
Minimum 5-7 years of progressive experience in R&D within the biopharma or biotech industry, with at least 2–3 years in a management or team-lead role.
Record of high-quality achievement demonstrated by increasing responsibilities, promotions, peer-reviewed publications, patents, and/or successfully developed products.
Track record of supporting effective cross-functional teams and collaborating closely with bench scientists. Direct experience developing novel assays directly or indirectly with external academic collaborators.
Experience generating and standardizing experimental data to integrate with AI, machine learning, and predictive in silico workflows.
Hands-on expertise in microbiome research or related disciplines.
Experience contributing to products moving from concept to market in a regulated environment.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to design and interpret complex experiments, analyze large datasets (e.g., microbiome sequencing data, metabolomics), and draw meaningful conclusions.
Deep understanding of microbiome science, probiotic strains, formulation science, and biopharma product development.
Strong leadership, communication, and project management skills.
Ability to foster cross-functional collaboration and manage external partnerships.

Nice To Haves

Publications or patents in microbiome-related fields.
Familiarity with relevant cell culture and in vitro assays critical to characterizing strains, understanding their function, and optimizing formulations.

Responsibilities

Contribute to the R&D strategy and roadmap aligned with the company’s vision and business goals, and own execution of assigned programs, balancing internal efforts with effective external collaborations.
Stay current on emerging trends and opportunities in probiotics, microbiome research, and related biopharma fields.
Work closely with the Executive, Clinical, Revenue, Data and Product teams to support and help drive key cross-functional initiatives.
Serve as a resource and contributor across multiple departments for cross-functional projects, including consumer studies, investigator studies, and regulatory dossiers.
Coordinate with other key departments, including Marketing, as well as external partners, to support science-based initiatives, including consumer studies.
Communicate R&D progress, findings, and project plans to Product leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
Attend and, where appropriate, present at industry conferences and scientific meetings.
Lead the design, development, and optimization of assigned microbiome products, formulations, and delivery systems.
Support innovation through collaboration with academic institutions, research organizations, and industry partners.
Contribute as a scientific lead on the science team, partnering with scientific staff to help develop a scientific roadmap and research strategy.
Inspire a culture of scientific rigor and innovation, translating discoveries into high-impact applications.
Establish clear goals, KPIs, and performance metrics for your team and projects.
Manage, mentor, and develop a team of scientists, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration.
Provide technical guidance, troubleshoot experimental challenges, and ensure the successful execution of research projects.
Oversee multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring timely delivery of milestones within budget.
Have a multiplicative effect by building and harmonizing data analysis infrastructure and best practices within the team and aligning analysis and infrastructure practices with Pendulum’s Data Science and Engineering.
Coordinate with cross-functional teams to manage external partnerships, including contract research organizations (CROs) and manufacturing partners.