(Senior) Director of Discovery

Location: The Engine, 750 Main Street, Cambridge, MA. The majority of work will be on-site with occasional virtual work.

Employment status: Full-time position with a competitive compensation and benefits package

Concerto Biosciences

Concerto Biosciences examines the microbial world with unmatched experimental depth to discover breakthrough microbe-based products. We draw inspiration from microbial ecology: Microbes all around us work in concert to improve human health, enhance food quality, and boost crop yield. Designing products that recreate these capabilities requires an unprecedented understanding of how microbes behave together. Concerto unlocks this knowledge with kChip, a discovery engine that physically constructs millions of miniature, defined microbial communities simultaneously. By observing the behavior of each community, Concerto rapidly identifies the most promising microbes, prebiotics, and postbiotics for development into new products. In our first endeavor, Concerto constructed >6 million communities of skin-dwelling microbes to discover an eczema-alleviating “ensemble” of bacteria that pacifies pathogenic S. aureus. We have since initiated discovery projects in vaginal health, gut health, and agriculture. In partnership with a diverse array of biotech and biopharma companies, Concerto aims to unleash a new era of microbial research and a treasure trove of microbe-based products.

We believe the best human communities, much like microbial communities, are diverse—composed of individuals with different backgrounds, cultures, genders, and beliefs. We are committed to building a company where you belong and where your voice is heard.

Role Description

As Concerto’s (Senior) Director of Discovery, you will lead the Discovery team (currently consisting of 3 Scientists + 1 Research Associate) to uncover cutting-edge microbe-based products. Working closely with the Chief Scientific Officer, you will drive the execution of our discovery workflow—spanning assay design, biobank development, massive kChip-enabled coculture experiments, hit identification, and hit-to-lead experiments—to deliver on key milestones in each discovery program. To facilitate this effort, you’ll bring deep technical knowledge (host-microbe interactions and immunology, microbiome science and microbial coculture, assay design) as well as managerial experience leading fast-paced, milestone-oriented, highly talented teams. The ideal candidate enjoys early-stage, big-concept biotech culture, with a readiness to mentor scientists, work through technical hurdles, and move projects forward with urgency. As a team player, you’ll work not only with your immediate Discovery team, but also coordinate with the Data & Software and Automation teams to efficiently advance our science. Finally, as an early member of Concerto, you’ll play a critical role in developing Concerto’s culture and translating our core values into practice.

Responsibilities

• Design strategies to meet company milestones associated with current and future Discovery programs
• Manage, develop, mentor, empower, and serve as a role model for our high-performing Discovery team
• Champion a culture of rigor, efficiency, creativity, well-documented experimentation, and strong communication
• Organize the Discovery team’s activities with clear timelines, go/no-go decisions, and execution strategies
• Brainstorm scientific/experimental ideas, strategies, and goals with your team members
• Effectively liaise with team leads and scientists/engineers across the Discovery, Data & Software, Automation, and Manufacturing teams to efficiently accomplish interdisciplinary efforts
• Present well-summarized scientific findings and plans at internal and external meetings
• Strategize with the CEO, CSO, and BD team on how to effectively leverage Concerto’s Discovery team toward meeting corporate milestones, including pipeline expansion, partnerships, and the development of new IP
• Establish, maintain, and leverage a network of external scientific advisors, KOLs, and industry professionals, particularly in the fields of microbiome science and microbial products, to advise on development and execution of research activities and increase Concerto’s visibility across the industry
• Keep informed of scientific and competitive developments; apply this knowledge to project strategy
• Ensure cost efficiency in all Discovery work (experiments, vendors/CROs, travel)
• Recruit new members to the Discovery team to meet demands of new projects and collaborations
• Embody Concerto’s core values in your work

Qualifications

• PhD in biological sciences (e.g. microbiology, immunology, bioengineering, biochemistry, molecular biology, etc.) or equivalent technical training
• 8+ years of industry experience with a focus on product discovery, including 4+ years guiding successful research teams and managing productive research projects and collaborations
• Outstanding mentoring and interpersonal skills, with a proven track record of working with highly skilled teams
• Experience leading 1+ discovery programs from application selection through hit/lead validation; or experience at multiple stages and readiness to lead effort across all stages
• Advanced knowledge base and technical skill set across the following fields: microbiome science, microbe-host interactions (including host immunology), microbial ecology, microbial physiology, and assay engineering
• Broad knowledge of microbial consortia discovery strategies and recent innovations in microbiome science
• Demonstrated ability to creatively problem solve, including hypothesizing, troubleshooting, and interpreting data
• Superior multitasking skills, with a proven track record of advancing multiple programs simultaneously across different applications  while anticipating future demands and strategically re-prioritizing/pivoting as needed
• Experience advising leadership through excellent oral and written communication of complex technical material

Relevant Links

• Kehe et al. PNAS 2019
• Kehe et al. Sci. Adv. 2021
• Our core values

Applications: Please send your resume or CV to Dr. Jared Kehe, CSO via LinkedIn (link below).