Lead and mentor a very accomplished team.

Develop high-performance production strains.

Build and optimise strain engineering platforms.

Join an ambitious deep-tech organisation developing next-generation bio-manufacturing technologies at the intersection of synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and data-driven research. This is a hands-on leadership role where you’ll take ownership of strain engineering strategy, platform development, and scientific delivery, helping to build a high performing biological R&D engine capable of delivering industrial scale production strains.

What you’ll be doing:

Lead the strain development function, delivering microbial production strains for high-value industrial ingredients.
Drive the development of a high throughput strain engineering platform that integrates metabolic engineering, protein engineering, automated screening, fermentation feedback, and data driven decision making.
Identify and overcome biological bottlenecks across pathways, precursor availability, cofactor balance, transport, toxicity, expression systems, stability, and regulatory mechanisms.
Design and execute strain improvement strategies using rational engineering, directed evolution, library approaches, and advanced genetic engineering techniques.
Work closely with fermentation, scale-up, automation, and data science teams to accelerate strain performance and industrial readiness.
Establish robust scientific workflows, experimental standards, documentation practices, and data management systems that support scalable R&D operations.
Develop and maintain an IP-aware development strategy, identifying commercially valuable innovations and protecting technical advantage.
Lead, mentor, and develop a team of scientists and technicians while fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and collaboration.
Personally contribute to experimental design, troubleshooting, and critical laboratory activities when required.

What experience you’ll need to apply:

Significant experience engineering microbial production strains within synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, industrial biotechnology, or a related field.
MSc or PhD in Synthetic Biology, Microbiology, Metabolic Engineering, Biotechnology, Biochemical Engineering, or a related discipline.
Strong track record delivering measurable improvements in microbial strain performance for industrial or commercial applications.
Deep understanding of metabolic pathway engineering and the ability to diagnose and solve complex biological bottlenecks.
Experience applying protein engineering techniques, including rational design, directed evolution, and library-based approaches.
Hands-on molecular biology expertise, including construct design, cloning, transformation, screening, and strain characterisation.
Strong experimental design and data analysis skills, including statistical approaches and modern computational tools.
Experience developing and managing high-throughput screening workflows and translating screening results into production performance improvements.
Demonstrated leadership experience managing scientific teams within a research, start-up, scale-up, or industrial R&D environment.
Ability to balance scientific rigour with commercial priorities and deliver results within ambitious timelines.
A proactive, organised approach with strong communication skills and a focus on continuous improvement.

Desirable:

Experience scaling biological products from laboratory research through fermentation development and industrial deployment.
Experience working with automated laboratory systems, high-throughput experimentation, or AI/ML-assisted research workflows.
Knowledge of intellectual property strategy and commercialisation within biotechnology.
Previous experience building scientific platforms or research functions within a fast-growing company.

What you’ll get in return for your experience:
An opportunity to join a pioneering organisation developing transformational biological manufacturing technologies with the potential to reshape the production of industrial ingredients. This role will be highly influential in defining scientific strategy, building world-class biological capabilities, and driving the development of commercially viable production platforms. You’ll work alongside an ambitious multidisciplinary team in a collaborative environment with significant opportunity for ownership, innovation, and long-term impact.
Competitive salary.

What’s next?
If you’re excited by building high-performance strain engineering platforms and delivering breakthrough biotechnology at industrial scale, we’d love to hear from you, please direct any questions to Jazz@adlib-recruitment.co.uk or apply now for more information.

Head of Strain Development