Director, Head of Product Development

FL103 is an early‑stage company developing sensitive molecular technologies to detect disease from minimally invasive samples. The company aims to enable earlier detection, monitoring, and improved patient stratification across oncology, neurodegenerative disease, and other major disease areas. Position Summary Director of Product Development – A scientific and operational leader responsible for translating early assay and biological discoveries into robust, scalable, and clinically meaningful diagnostic assays. Key Responsibilities Product Development & Assay Optimization 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. Translational Development Partner close 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. Team Leadership & Culture Building 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. External Collaboration & Strategic Engagement 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. Qualifications PhD in Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, or a 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. Experience with extracellular vesicle biology or advanced cell‑resolved diagnostics is a plus but not required. Benefits Salary range: $179,000 - $236,500. Health care coverage, annual incentive program, retirement benefits, and a broad range of other benefits. Equal Employment Opportunity Flagship Pioneering is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or veteran status. #J-18808-Ljbffr Dormont Manufacturing Co