(Sr.) Director of R&D

About us:

Nomic was founded with the purpose of making biology easier to measure. To do this, we have untangled some of the most difficult problems in protein profiling. Our team is combining DNA nanotechnology, high-dimensional flow cytometry, laboratory automation, and machine learning to develop the world’s highest throughput proteomic platform: the nELISA.

Since spinning out of McGill University, we have partnered with and provided platform access to dozens of drug discovery groups including GSK, 4 of the top 10 pharmas, and leading biotechs. We have recently launched a state of the art manufacturing and protein profiling facility that enables multiplexed measurement of >2.5M samples a year, generating an effective 500M protein assays in the process.

We are building a diverse team of engineers, scientists, and world-changers. We like to break down difficult problems using a first principles approach, often leveraging the latest breakthroughs from across the scientific and technological spectrum to drive our mission forward.

Nomic is headquartered in Montreal, Canada with a satellite research lab in Boston, Massachusetts. The majority of our team is based in Montreal and works in a new, shared office/laboratory space.

About the role:

As the Director of R&D for our biosensing platform at Nomic, you will steer the early stage R&D of our next-generation biosensor technology, the nELISA. You will also leverage your deep technical expertise and leadership skills to drive innovation, optimize processes, and mentor a talented team of scientists and engineers. While you will need to be able to dive deep into the details of the R&D experiments, your core responsibilities will also encompass leading R&D initiatives, managing cross-functional projects, managing a fast growing team of scientists and engineers in the lab, and generally ensuring the successful translation of our research efforts into improvements in our scalable nELISA platform.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic & Technical R&D Leadership:

   • Work with company leadership to develop and execute the strategic vision for nELISA R&D, aligning with the company’s goals, our product and roadmap, and our understanding of the market.

   • Innovate on the current nELISA biosensor technology, and oversee the identification and implementation of new technologies and methodologies to enhance the platform’s capabilities and performance.

2. Project Management:

   • Lead and manage large-scale R&D projects, ensuring timely delivery of milestones and alignment with project goals.

   • Coordinate with other teams in the company to plan cross-functional projects, including our Product team, the Lab Automation Engineering team, our Process Development and Content Development teams, and Manufacturing Operations and Lab Profiling Operations, to ensure seamless planning and execution of R&D initiatives.

   • Monitor and manage project budgets, resources, and timelines to achieve efficient and effective outcomes.

3. Technical Oversight:

   • Provide expert guidance on the design and development of the nELISA, including optimization of biosensor and assay parameters, and integration of new biosensing technologies to the platform.

   • Oversee the development and validation of biosensor prototypes and ensure rigorous testing and data analysis to support experiment outcomes and higher level decisions.

   • Foster a culture of deep understanding of biosensor technologies, including surface chemistry, immunoassays, DNA logic gates, and fluorescence-based biosensing.

4. Team Leadership and Development:

   • Mentor and lead a diverse team of scientists and engineers, fostering a collaborative and innovative research environment.

   • Identify and nurture talent within the team, providing opportunities for professional growth and career development.

   • Establish clear objectives and performance metrics for team members, ensuring alignment with departmental and organizational goals.

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration and Communication:

   • Collaborate with other departments to ensure smooth transition of technologies from early stage R&D, to process development, to commercial deployment.

   • Support company leadership in engaging with external partners, academic institutions, and industry stakeholders to advance biosensor research and development.

   • Provide regular updates to senior management on project progress, challenges, and strategic opportunities for platform engineering.

6. Process Improvement:

   • Continuously evaluate and enhance R&D processes and workflows to improve efficiency, scalability, and reproducibility.

   • Implement best practices and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for biosensor development and testing.

   • Bring first-hand experience in best practices and frameworks for quality, process improvement, and staged de-risking and development workflows, and translate these into improved cross-functional processes for R&D at Nomic.

What we’re looking for:

• Advanced degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) in Bioengineering, Biotechnology, or a closely related engineering discipline, with a strong track record of both technical achievement and management success in biosensor research and development.

• 8+ years of experience in biosensor development and/or platform technology development, with a proven ability to lead and manage complex R&D projects and teams working on a platform technology similar to the nELISA. Must include demonstrated technical expertise in a broad range of biosensor technologies, including immunoassays, surface chemistry, bead-based assays, DNA-based logic gates, and other proteomic or genomic platform tools.

• Strong leadership skills with a track record of mentoring and developing high-performing, cross-functional teams. Experience building out a core platform R&D team.

• Outstanding communication skills, with the ability to convey complex scientific concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Excellent problem-solving abilities, with a focus on innovative and practical solutions to complex scientific challenges.

• Fluency in English is required as our customers and vendors are primarily located in the USA. In addition, this position will interact with our team members within our USA entity.

Join us if you:

• Connect deeply with our mission, ambition and sense of duty. Our mission isn’t marketing flash: we developed our technology to better measure biology and discover biomarkers for early disease detection. We firmly believe we will be successful in literally eradicating certain diseases by enabling them to be diagnosed earlier. We also believe that our hard work to bring this technology to its full potential is our duty.

• Are up for a challenge and want to grow: We are a team of problem-solvers, and we continually put ourselves to the test and go into the unknown. We have a growth mindset, both on hard and soft skills, and we rely on each other to give critical and candid feedback to ensure that we can all reach our full potential.

• Want to be at the cutting-edge of biotechnology. The nELISA is a new tool that leverages DNA nanotechnology to generate proteomic data more efficiently than ever before. You get to design, build and run the system that will run the technology going forward.

• Prefer working and communicating within a diverse cross-functional team. You would get to interface with teammates from the Engineering, Operations, and Commercial teams on a daily basis, joining a collaborative, diverse, and inclusive team where your ideas will be valued.

If you are a people- and detail-focused technical leader with a passion for cutting-edge biotechnology and are eager to make a meaningful impact in the world, we invite you to apply and join us on our journey to redefine proteomics and the understanding of biology.