Senior Manager​/Director, Strain Development

The Fynder Group began with a NASA‑funded mission to the volcanic springs of Yellowstone National Park. There, we discovered a remarkable fungal microbe: an extremophile, Fusarium strain flavolapis (Fy). Fy’s evolutionary resilience provides the naturally efficient and versatile biological backbone for our expertise in the development and scaled manufacturing of filamentous fungi.

From our origins in Yellowstone, we’ve developed a vertically integrated biotechnology platform that centers on the unique capabilities of extremophiles to engineer disruptive solutions to problems that require differentiated performance.

We offer a fast‑paced, startup environment centered around solving complex, world‑changing problems.

We are seeking an engaged, strategic, and accomplished R&D leader to serve as the Senior Manager or Director of Strain Development (level to be determined based on qualifications). You will serve as the resident technical expert on the engineering of filamentous fungi, leading a high‑performing team of scientists and research associates. You will drive the implementation of molecular tools to genetically modify our strain and drive the development of strains expressing heterologous proteins.

The successful candidate will coordinate cross‑functional collaboration with protein chemistry, fermentation, analytical, regulatory, and new business development. You will be an accomplished leader and scientist with technical and business acumen to drive research projects from ideation to finish line.

• Strategic & Technical Leadership
  • Set Direction & Priorities:
    Manage and set strategic direction for scientific staff, engineer filamentous fungi, and characterize proteins; translate high‑level corporate OKRs into actionable technical milestones.
  • Team Building & Mentorship:
    Build, lead, and mentor a productive technical team of scientists and research associates, fostering a collaborative culture where individuals develop technology you’d never achieve on your own.
  • Innovation Management:
    Manage innovation activities, project proposals, and the execution of complex research projects within agreed timelines, maintaining business and technical acumen.
• Advanced Fungal Engineering & Synthetic Biology
  • Strain Design & Builds:
    Design advanced strain builds to develop new products and realize the full potential of our Fusarium strain as an expression host.
  • Tool Development:
    Develop and optimize cutting‑edge molecular biology, synthetic biology, and gene‑editing tools (including CRISPR/Cas platforms and traditional transformation methods) specifically tailored for filamentous fungi.
  • Genotype‑to‑Phenotype Discovery:
    Lead efforts to discover deep biological connections between genotypes and key phenotypes of Fusarium to engineer improved strains with enhanced yield, stability, and secretion profiles.
• High‑Throughput Screening, Automation & Data Analytics
  • Biofoundry & HTP Screening:
    Modernize and scale high‑efficiency micro‑scale screening protocols, automation systems, and liquid‑handling workflows to increase efficiency of fungal strain engineering and mutant screening.
  • Data‑Driven Insights:
    Champion a science‑based, data‑driven approach to solving technical bottlenecks, utilizing advanced statistical methods, Design of Experiments (DOE), and standard genomics databases.
  • Multi‑Omics Integration:
    Oversee the integration of Next‑Generation Sequencing (NGS) data, transcriptomics, and metabolic flux analysis to accelerate predictive strain engineering.
• Cross‑Functional Integration & External Collaboration
  • Cross‑Functional Interface:
    Interface seamlessly with Fermentation, Protein Chemistry, Analytical development, Regulatory, Manufacturing, and New Business Development to ensure seamless tech transfer of optimized strains from benchtop to commercial scale.
  • External Ecosystem Partnerships:
    Identify, engage, and establish internal and external technical collaborations with customers, industry peers, and academic partners to bring emerging methods into the company.

• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Genetics, Microbiology, or a related technical biological…