Head of Bioprocess

Who we are:

Life, Reimagined

Constructive Bio is a VC-backed biotechnology startup based in Whittlesford, Cambridge. Our unique technology turns living cells into biofactories, creating sustainable new materials and therapeutics. With full control of the genetic sequence and code, we are exploring chemical space previously unreached by natural biology.

Constructive Bio is a spinout from Professor Jason Chin's laboratory at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. Learn more about the Chin lab achievements here:

We secured $58 million Series A fundraising. Read more here:

What we're looking for:

We are seeking a highly motivated Head of Bioprocess to join our team. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in bioprocess development, with a proven track record of leading cross-functional teams and delivering scalable solutions in microbial fermentation and downstream purification. You will have experience in both strategic leadership and hands-on technical execution, ideally gained in a biotechnology or biomanufacturing setting.

The successful candidate will oversee the delivery of the Bioprocess function, collaborating closely with leadership across R&D, commercial, and regulatory teams to scope and execute work plans spanning strain development, protein engineering, and biomanufacturing process development. You will be responsible for structuring the team and its processes, managing internal and external stakeholders including CROs and CDMOs, and ensuring the successful delivery of both internal and partnered projects.

Responsibilities:

• Effectively Lead and manage the Bioprocess team, ensuring the team is appropriately resourced, skilled and deployed to key projects with clear deliverables in line with the company's strategy and commercial goals, and in alignment with the leadership and board.
• Take ownership of bioprocess capex and opex planning, tracking, and reporting. Communicate needs and expectations clearly to leadership and peers, while respecting organisational boundaries and decision-making processes, in line with company governance and approval processes.
• Planning and overseeing both upstream and downstream bioprocess unit operations at Constructive Bio's labs the development, bioproduction and commercialisation of microbial recombinant products, including mentoring of bioprocess scientists and engineers.
• Provide expert advisory and directional input in the experimental development and delivery of project activities that cover strain selection, media screening, bioreactor operation modes, primary recovery, clarification and product isolation techniques.
• Be responsible for identifying, engaging, and maintaining relationships with external collaborators and contractors to support the company's bioprocess development, including technical transfer of bioproduction processes.
• Identifying scale-up challenges and developing robust processes for transfer to industrial manufacturing scales, preparation and management of requests for proposals (RFPs) and technical transfer dossiers (TTDs).
• Ensure delivery of technoeconomic analysis (TEA) of bioprocesses — including mass balance, material cost, and scalability assessments for upstream and downstream activities — by managing internal expertise or external partners as appropriate.
• Lead the compilation and presentation of bioprocess scientific results to internal and external stakeholders, including to leadership, board, and in internal technical meetings.
• Continuously reviews and implements improvements for quality standards within company, actively enforces continued quality maintenance, leading improvements to quality standards within company.
• Reviewing, writing, and updating internal operating procedures and documentation for bioprocessing activities, ensuring compliance with safe working practices and company standards.

Requirements:

• A relevant STEM degree, PhD, or equivalent industry experience in bioprocess engineering principles or related fields.
• Extensive experience from multiple projects containing upstream and downstream process development and their transfer to industrial settings.
• Proven experience in managing scientists/engineers within the biotechnology industry
• Proven expertise in experimental process optimisation for fermentation, primary recovery, and chromatographic purification/isolation of proteins and peptides.
• Ability to design and lead the execution of process development experiments spanning bioprocessing procedures, with strong skills in data interpretation, drawing conclusions, and proposing next steps.
• Working knowledge of design of experiment (DoE) tools for process development and analysis in both upstream and downstream contexts.
• Experience with bioanalytical tools for collecting and analysing biological process data, including fermentation and purification metrics.
• Ability to author comprehensive and accurate SOPs, protocols, reports, proposals and technology documents.
• Strong communication and reporting skills, with the ability to work effectively in a diverse, multidisciplinary team.
• Capability to identify and develop new techniques and methodologies to support business needs in bioprocessing.

Desirable skills:

• Understanding of peptide processes, specifically their production, recovery and isolation procedures
• Examples of scale-up of fermentation processes from lab to pilot and industrial scales.
• Familiarity with technoeconomic modelling and cost analysis for bioprocess development.
• Power user in statistical data analysis, design of experiment tools for collecting more data with less experimental testing
• End to end exposure of proof of concept, feasibility, optimisation and technical transfer of biological products from fermentation
• Understanding of ICH guidelines and familiarity of the relevant quality frameworks that support experimental testing, risk assessment and Quality by Design approaches
• LEAN Six Sigma experience (green to black belt), or similar

What's in it for you? Why work at Constructive Bio?

We are a small but rapidly growing team, with a vision to become the programmable biomolecules company and push the boundaries of what's possible between biology and chemistry. As an early joiner, you will have a unique opportunity to help shape our trajectory and make real impact from day one.

We offer:

• Newly fitted dedicated site in Whittlesford near Cambridge – on-site parking and regular trains to Cambridge, London and Norwich
• Competitive salary
• Employee share option plan
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Private health insurance
• Pension plan (matching up to 8%)
• Collaborative and pioneering environment, at the leading edge of synthetic genomics and engineered translation

We want to build a team with trust and respect for each other and create a culture of collaboration, openness, curiosity, and scientific excellence.

We are built on three principles:

• We imagine:
  We think big and plan our own path for success.
• We pioneer:
  We take action and grow together as one to break moulds.
• We deliver:
  We take ownership and work together to deliver excellence.

Constructive Bio is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Please note that we work in a dog-friendly office