Research Automation Lead

Retro Biosciences is a fast-growing biopharma startup using high-throughput, high-dimensional approaches to develop therapies for diseases driven by the biology of aging. We are looking to expand our exceptional team at our Redwood City location.
We are looking for a highly organized and self-motivated person to lead our Research Automation team. The research automation team is a multifaceted team of scientists and engineers who partner with our scientific programs to automate and streamline their processes and accelerate the science. In this role, you will coordinate the team’s efforts towards the highest-impact solutions for Retro, while also contributing to the team’s work as a hands-on individual. You will report to the CEO. 
This position is an onsite role based in Redwood City. 
About You:You crave a challenge and feel energized to roll up your sleeves alongside the group. You believe in leading through collaboration with and empowerment of your team. You’re excited to be part of a team who embodies the “more pirate than navy” mindset - ready to embrace unconventional approaches and use fast iteration to find the unknown unknowns.

Responsibilities

•  Work cross-functionally to develop a deep understanding of the scientific processes and identify the key bottlenecks that could be improved with automation. 
• Balance participation as a hands-on contributor to the team's work and as a people manager.
• Research and continually develop your knowledge of state-of-the-art tools that Retro can use to advance our research in innovative ways. 
• Work in lock-step with scientific teams to automate key experiments and increase research velocity, as well as develop novel assays in-house.
• Develop a deep understanding of the skills within the automation team in order to most effectively allocate team time and resources. 
• Work as a collaborative leader to align automation team on the highest-impact work for Retro as a whole.

You might thrive in this role if you:

• Are highly knowledgeable in a bio/technical or bioengineering discipline with 5+ years of relevant experience.
• Have experience leading a highly-interdisciplinary team in a fast-paced environment.
• Have hands-on knowledge of and experience with commercial liquid handling systems.
• Are proficient with any major programming language (especially python).
• Have experience with one or more of the following standard life-science application areas: microbiology, molecular biology, flow cytometry, high content analysis (HCA), high throughput screening (HTS), genomics, and sequencing.
• Resist the attempts by vendors to trap your brain in their hypnotic “we know best” chant.
• Are excited about 10x faster iteration loops than big pharma and academic labs and vertical integration of core, mission-critical functions.

Bonus points if you:

• Have led the deployment of automated cell culture systems.
• Have experience with assay development.
• Have worked with cell therapies.

About Retro Our leadership team is a group of mission-driven, kind, and thoughtful individuals. We take pride in evolving a work environment that fosters collaboration, open communication, and authenticity. We believe that great results are best delivered by a highly creative group working in concert. We are an equal-opportunity employer and value diversity at our company; we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.