Cambridge, MA Origination Associate​/Senior Associate, Summit Pioneering

Cambridge, MA, USA

About the role: As an Associate or Senior Associate within Jacob (Jake) Rubens’ Pioneering Business Unit (PBU) at Flagship Pioneering, you will ideate, research, and refine novel venture hypotheses, validate key underlying unknowns of biology or technology, and transition pressure-tested ideas into building a New Co around the science. You will help drive every facet of company origination from the early stages including identification and recruitment of critical partners and advisors, establishment of foundational IP, hiring and leadership of the early scientific team, and establishment of working norms and culture for the team.

In this role you will partner with stakeholders across the broader Flagship ecosystem to bring the full experience of Flagship to support your companies. A successful candidate will become an expert on the foundational science of the company, frame and clearly communicate the strategy, and translate that strategy into a plan and lead operationalization of that plan alongside a Principal or Partner on the venture creation team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Contribute to and lead Flagship explorations to rapidly assess interesting areas of science and develop novel, actionable and high-value venture hypotheses
• Outline key scientific questions to enable venture hypotheses and develop experimental plans to rapidly create value and pressure test ideas
• Identify, build, and maintain relationships with appropriate academic KOLs and thought experts, ie, introducing them to the Flagship model, getting early buy-in, vetting/validation and de‑risking key concepts of venture hypotheses
• Understand IP landscape, formulate initial strategy, and write seminal applications for the technology and company. Assess patentability of existing IP landscape, including of key competitors and of potentially licensable estate
• Develop corporate strategy and operations plan for the company. Define value creation, identify application spaces, build out organizational chart, define company goals, timelines and resourcing and identify strategic inflection points to set the company on the path to rapid growth and success
• Develop audience‑specific pitches for company
• Support business development activities and continue to evolve the story
• Manage and coordinate early scientific and IP employees. Source, recruit and manage KOLs and early‑stage employees as well as relationships with CROs.
• Manage & lead scientific team (internal or external) and daily research. Manage operational tasks, including establishing lab facilities, purchasing, HR, real estate acquisition, etc.
• Become institutional subject matter expert and transfer knowledge to active company team. Stay up to date on the literature, conferences, funding opportunities, and new developments.
• Work closely with and leverage Flagship operations teams (Finance, IP, IT, HR, and Talent) for maximal operational excellence

Professional

Experience and Qualifications:

The ideal candidate has a STEM‑based PhD or MD from a top university and 2 or more years of experience in life sciences biotech, start‑up or entrepreneurial activities. The candidate must have a passion for novel science and be operationally savvy.

Important skills and capabilities include:

• Proven ability to rapidly become conversant in new areas of science and capable of engaging thought leaders at the deepest level of technological understanding
• Ability to define a clear and compelling value proposition of a given scientific opportunity and effectively and cogently communicate that to technical and non‑technical audiences
• Excellent analytical skills and ability to synthesize & communicate complex information rapidly and effectively
• Obsession with mastering the details without losing sight of the big picture
• Energetic self‑starter with strong presence and the ability to work effectively in an entrepreneurial environment
• Excellent intellectual agility to rapidly context‑switch across projects
• Open, transparent communication style and demonstrated willingness to engage in difficult conversations in a professional and productive manner
• Passion for growth and development, with clear demonstration of…