Director or Senior Director of R&D Program Management

Mori (formerly known as Cambridge Crops) is a fast-moving food technology company aiming to transform the food, agriculture, and packaging industries economically and sustainably. Leveraging the unique properties of a naturally derived protein found in silk, Mori creates an all-natural food ingredient and coating which slows down the spoiling process and preserves the shelf life of perishable foods, including whole and cut produce, meat, seafood, confectionery, and snacks. Having recently raised $52M in Series B1 funding and executing each day on their mission statement “More Food, Less Waste,” Mori’s team is well-positioned to transform the food supply chain at each point in its lifecycle, from agriculture to grocery stores.

The primary role of the Director or Senior Director of R&D Program Management will be to define a roadmap for project management, create and preside over a project prioritization framework, and drive the culture of project management across the organization whereby functional leaders operate with project managers to ensure delivery of required projects to further company goals.

In addition, the Director or Senior Director of R&D Program Management will develop appropriate strategies to assess the company’s operational performance, including functions related to portfolio valuation, milestone decision making and prioritization. They will also be responsible for the R&D-wide support functions such as laboratory operations, to ensure our R&D organization and its laboratories are running productively, efficiently, and safely.

The Director or Senior Director of R&D Program Management will report to the SVP Head of Research & Development and be required to work cross-functionally with Materials R&D, Fresh Foods R&D, Shelf-Stable Foods R&D, Product Management, Commercial, Legal, and Finance to achieve the best outcomes for Mori and our customers.

Key Outcomes

• In 2024, partner with R&D, Product Management, and Commercial to ensure the successful launch of several new products.
• Within 1 month, take ownership of management of R&D project portfolio, and direct management of ~5 high-profile R&D projects.
• Within 2 months, partner with Product Management to define a roadmap for R&D Program Management encompassing tools, team needs, and ownership across the organization.
• Within 1 month, assume leadership of Laboratory Operations function , and management of of Laboratory Operations Manager and team.
• Starting in ~6 months, and an ongoing basis, hire, on-board, and develop a small team of A-players to manage projects in the R&D program.
• On an as-needed basis, use existing Project Management tools and add new tools for new/more efficient ways of working.
• Understands and embodies our purpose and core values.

Competencies

• Excellent communication and soft skills and ability to translate between R&D and other components of the business.
• Able to understand R&D and product development projects, and connect them to the broader business context.
• Able to break down complex projects into accurate and concise plans using relevant tools.
• Able to present program status end-to-end for executive stakeholders.
• Seen across the organization as someone who gets things done and gets others to get things done.
• Excellent ability to multi-task to achieve overall R&D and Product objectives.
• Excellent ability to create a unified approach with disparate activities.
• Assertive without being aggressive.
• Ability to work with individuals at all levels of seniority.
• Exceptionally organized and detail oriented.
• Flexible - able to adapt to change and Mori’s culture.

Compensation

• Base salary range from $150,000 - $190,000 based on experience.

Requirements

Ideal candidates will have the following qualifications:

• A BS in a relevant life sciences or engineering field is required.
• A MS or PhD in a relevant life sciences or engineering field is preferred.
• An MBA or other formal business training is preferred.
• 10+ years of industry experience, with 5+ years in a project, program, or portfolio management capacity is required.
• Experience in managing cross-functional programs, as well as functional teams, is required.
• Experience in launching products in the food or agriculture sector is highly preferred.
• Experience working at a multi-location/site startup or other similarly fast-paced environment is highly preferred.
• Travel to other locations as needed (expected not to exceed 10% of time).
• Expected to be in the office 4+ days per week, unle