Senior Manager of Research and Development

Job description

About Pendulum Pendulum® is leading a revolution that is occurring around the world to improve physical and mental health by first understanding, then restoring and enhancing the human microbiome. Studies have shown that our microbiome (the bacterial communities in and on our bodies) is linked to everything from metabolism and diabetes to longevity, weight loss, healthy immune systems, cancer prevention, feelings of well-being, inflammatory bowel disease, and even healthy skin. We have just scratched the surface of understanding the impact that our microbiome has on our lives. During early life, we develop a diverse and balanced microbiome that plays a critical role in shaping our long-term health. Over our lives, a combination of diet, lifestyle, antibiotics, and aging can decrease the effectiveness of our microbiome. Pendulum recognized the enormous impact they could have on people’s lives if they were able to address the imbalances in the microbiome. To accomplish this, Pendulum created proprietary probiotic pipelines and a unique discovery platform to identify key, novel bacterial strains and the prebiotics that feed them. The company has also built and developed the world’s first manufacturing technology to produce bacteria in an anaerobic (oxygen-free) environment at scale. The medical probiotics that Pendulum has formulated have transformed the consumer probiotics market into a new category of therapeutic offerings that deliver the power and efficacy of pharmaceuticals with the safety and accessibility of a natural probiotic. Due to Pendulum’s explosive revenue and customer growth over the last two years, the company earned a spot on Forbes Magazine’s exclusive “The Next Billion Dollar Startups” list. Please continue reading if you want to improve people's lives globally and love working in a cross-functional, collaborative, inspiring environment. We are a highly collaborative team of scientists, engineers, physicians, marketers, and analysts interested in improving human health using the latest research from diverse fields, such as microbiology, molecular biology, high-throughput genomics, distributed computing, pharmaceutical development, and nutrition. We firmly believe in cultivating a transparent team culture where effective communication drives both individual and collective success. Position Summary The Senior Manager of Research and Development will manage and execute key R&D projects and programs, from early development to commercialization, under the direction of Product leadership. This includes leading project teams and collaborating with cross-functional teams, fostering innovation, generating data to support marketing teams, and helping ensure products meet regulatory and quality requirements. The ideal candidate will have solid experience in biopharma-related disciplines, a strong understanding of microbiome science and products, and a track record of contributing to successful products in market. The successful candidate will be a highly collaborative and results-oriented manager with strong critical and analytical thinking skills. This role demands a blend of hands-on scientific work and people leadership. As a manager, you will help drive the priorities of your projects and team, aligning your research efforts with broader clinical, commercial and business goals. As a working scientific lead, you will directly guide bench scientists, troubleshoot experiments, and foster a culture of scientific excellence. You will serve as a collaborative partner to cross-functional teams, ensuring seamless collaboration and a shared vision for success. Things move quickly around here, and we seek someone who thrives in a fast-paced, lean, collaborative environment. While we want someone who can think big, we also need someone who can be resourceful in how they approach executing. They should be passionate and comfortable working with an exciting young brand as it quickly scales. What You'll Do Research Leadership & Execution Contribute to the R&D strategy and roadmap aligned with the company’s vision and business goals, and own execution of assigned programs, balancing internal efforts with effective external collaborations. Stay current on emerging trends and opportunities in probiotics, microbiome research, and related biopharma fields. Work closely with the Executive, Clinical, Revenue, Data and Product teams to support and help drive key cross-functional initiatives. Serve as a resource and contributor across multiple departments for cross-functional projects, including consumer studies, investigator studies, and regulatory dossiers. Coordinate with other key departments, including Marketing, as well as external partners, to support science-based initiatives, including consumer studies. Communicate R&D progress, findings, and project plans to Product leadership and cross-functional stakeholders. Attend and, where appropriate, present at industry conferences and scientific meetings. Innovation and Product Development Lead the design, development, and optimization of assigned microbiome products, formulations, and delivery systems. Support innovation through collaboration with academic institutions, research organizations, and industry partners. Contribute as a scientific lead on the science team, partnering with scientific staff to help develop a scientific roadmap and research strategy. Inspire a culture of scientific rigor and innovation, translating discoveries into high-impact applications. Team Leadership and Development Establish clear goals, KPIs, and performance metrics for your team and projects. Manage, mentor, and develop a team of scientists, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration. Provide technical guidance, troubleshoot experimental challenges, and ensure the successful execution of research projects. Project Management Oversee multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring timely delivery of milestones within budget. Have a multiplicative effect by building and harmonizing data analysis infrastructure and best practices within the team and aligning analysis and infrastructure practices with Pendulum’s Data Science and Engineering. Coordinate with cross-functional teams to manage external partnerships, including contract research organizations (CROs) and manufacturing partners. What You’ll Need Education Ph.D. in Microbiology, Immunology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or a related field (or an M.S. with equivalent additional experience). Experience Minimum 5-7 years of progressive experience in R&D within the biopharma or biotech industry, with at least 2–3 years in a management or team-lead role. Record of high-quality achievement demonstrated by increasing responsibilities, promotions, peer-reviewed publications, patents, and/or successfully developed products. Track record of supporting effective cross-functional teams and collaborating closely with bench scientists. Direct experience developing novel assays directly or indirectly with external academic collaborators. Experience generating and standardizing experimental data to integrate with AI, machine learning, and predictive in silico workflows. Hands-on expertise in microbiome research or related disciplines. Experience contributing to products moving from concept to market in a regulated environment. Skills Possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to design and interpret complex experiments, analyze large datasets (e.g., microbiome sequencing data, metabolomics), and draw meaningful conclusions. Deep understanding of microbiome science, probiotic strains, formulation science, and biopharma product development. Strong leadership, communication, and project management skills. Ability to foster cross-functional collaboration and manage external partnerships. Preferred Qualifications Publications or patents in microbiome-related fields. Familiarity with relevant cell culture and in vitro assays critical to characterizing strains, understanding their function, and optimizing formulations. Salary & Beneifts $190,000 - 210,000 Medical, Dental, and Vision Commuter Benefits Life & STD Insurance Company match on 401 (k) Flexible Time Off (FTO) Equity