Vice President, Head of Research and Platform Development
About the role
The VP, Head of Research & Platform Development will define and execute FL110’s scientific strategy and lead the development of our nanopore-based protein reading platform. This role requires a proven track record in leading complex, multidisciplinary research programs and translating scientific breakthroughs into enabling technology platforms.
Responsibilities
Define and execute FL110’s scientific strategy and long-term platform roadmap.
Establish technical milestones, success criteria, and research priorities across the platform.
Identify critical technical risks and develop strategies to accelerate platform progress.
Ensure scientific investments are aligned with company objectives and future product requirements.
Lead & manage multidisciplinary research teams advancing FL110’s protein reading platform.
Drive integration across nanopore science, protein translocation, molecular engineering, chemistry, and computational analysis.
Prioritize and guide research efforts to maximize platform performance and technical differentiation.
Foster a culture of scientific rigor, innovation, and executional excellence.
Partner closely with the VP of Technology & Development to translate research advances into future products and instrument architectures.
Align research priorities with engineering, product development, and data science teams.
Contribute to company strategy, organizational planning, and resource allocation.
Serve as a collaborative and impactful member of the Leadership Team.
Build and manage collaborations with academic, industry, and strategic partners.
Contribute to intellectual property strategy and scientific positioning.
Represent FL110 with investors, advisors, and external stakeholders.
Help recruit, develop, and retain world-class scientific talent.
Qualifications
PhD in biophysics, molecular biology, bioengineering, chemistry, physics, nanotechnology, or a related discipline.
10+ years of scientific leadership experience beyond doctoral training.
Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary research organizations.
Experience advancing complex technologies from fundamental research toward scalable platforms or products.
Strong systems-level thinking and ability to integrate work across multiple scientific domains.
Proven ability to lead through ambiguity and make high-quality decisions under uncertainty.
Excellent communication, leadership, and team-building skills.
Nice to Have
Experience with nanopore technologies, single-molecule sensing, sequencing, proteomics, microelectronics or related fields.
Experience developing life science tools, instrumentation, diagnostics, or platform technologies.
Familiarity with protein engineering, molecular motors, membrane proteins, or biological nanopores.
Experience leading programs that span biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, and computational sciences.
Prior experience in venture-backed startups or rapidly growing technology companies.
Track record of building strategic scientific partnerships and generating intellectual property.