COO​/Vice President, Engineering & Operations

COO/Vice President, Engineering & Operations

Location: Sterling, VA

Our client is an industrial biotechnology company revolutionizing chemical production with its patented bioreactor technology. Its mission is to make high-performance renewable chemicals affordable. The company operates at the intersection of biology and hardware engineering to build a new kind of continuous flow bioreactor that leverages the innate features of its platform organism. This team believes that innovations occur at the intersection of disciplines and seeks candidates who thrive at the interface between engineering, biology, chemistry, and materials science.

The company is backed by leading venture funds including SOSV, Closed Loop Ventures Group, GS Futures, and First Bight Ventures.

The COO/Vice President, Engineering & Operations will have demonstrated experience in supporting a wide variety of functions critical for the development of a product-focused biotechnology platform, as well as ensuring continued operational success. More specifically, the candidate will lead the design, development, and implementation of the company’s continuous fermentation and product purification technology. This role requires a strong background in scaling from pilot plant to commercial production, aerobic or anaerobic fermentation, downstream process design and process simulation, and a firm understanding of unit operations to achieve desired product quality and cost.

Preferably, the candidate will have hands‑on experience interfacing with scaling partners, especially EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) firms. The candidate should be comfortable working and making decisions in a fast‑paced, multidisciplinary environment.

• Benefits package that includes company stock options, 401K, and employee + dependent medical, dental, and vision healthcare coverage.
• 15 paid vacation days and 10 paid holidays per year

• Lead the design, optimization, and scale‑up of the company’s continuous fermentation and downstream purification process design for a broad range of specialty, fine chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients.
• Work with industry partners to develop process flow diagrams, utility flow diagrams, P&IDs (including controls strategies), and heat and mass balances
• Support process simulation models through acquisition of physical property data.
• Analyze data from pilot plants and laboratory experiments to validate unit operations and key process parameters.
• Collaborate with EPC contractors to execute engineering development, process design packages, and procurement strategies for new facility.
• Oversee the interface between engineering teams and the manufacturing floor to ensure successful process implementation and commissioning of recycling units.
• Identify and implement process design improvements to enhance performance, reduce emissions, and optimize energy usage.

• Ensure compliance with industry regulations and environmental standards throughout all stages of process design and execution.
• Work cross‑functionally with R&D, operations, and business development teams to align technological solutions with business goals.
• Work closely with operations team to schedule production to meet customer needs.
• Develop and manage training tools to enhance operator performance and skill development.
• Manage customer relationships and perform customer visits and sample testing.
• Support development of analytical methods to ensure data reliability and process validation.
• Manage the Company’s quality control program.

• Risk assessment and HAZOP experience.
• Strong technical understanding of aerobic fermentation, process chemistry, understanding of standard chemical synthesis techniques, and chemical engineering unit operations.
• Proven ability to track, manage, and report on the progress of complex projects, and to consistently meet deadlines.
• Proven ability to use statistical methods to design, analyze, and interpret the results of complex experimental programs.
• Demonstrated…