COO

Signatur Biosciences Ltd; Luik; On-site; EUR 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Base salary + equity

Annual leave

Private medical insurance

Other benefits to be defined

Job summary

Signatur Biosciences seeks a hands-on COO to lead operations, manufacturing execution, and quality system implementation at the Liège site, ensuring scalable, compliant, and fast growth as we move from development to commercial-stage operations.

Reporting to the CEO, you will manage on-site teams, collaborating with quality, regulatory, R&D, HR and finance, embedding ISO 13485 and IVDR readiness into daily practice while partnering with external stakeholders to accelerate delivery.

Qualifications

• Strong operational understanding of IVD manufacturing processes and constraints.
• Hands-on experience operating within ISO 13485 compliant quality systems.
• Ability to balance regulatory requirements with speed and pragmatism in execution.
• Sound judgment in scaling manufacturing processes while maintaining quality and compliance.
• Comfortable engaging on technical topics with scientists, clinicians, and external partners.

Responsibilities

• End-to-end operational execution across manufacturing, quality, and internal processes.
• Ownership of manufacturing operations, including day-to-day execution, scale-up readiness, commercial distribution and alignment with quality and regulatory requirements.
• Operational interfaces with suppliers, partners, and external vendors, including supplier agreements, cost control, and active management of COGS.
• Ensuring successful interface with development to enable efficient transfer of products into routine manufacturing and distribution.
• IVDR readiness by coordination of regulatory driven operational activities.
• Internal operating cadence and prioritisation, keeping processes lean and fit for purpose.

Skills

IVD operations

ISO 13485

Regulated environments

Startup experience

Bias for action

Job description

Today, precision medicine coupled with advanced diagnostics is taking over. However, those innovations in medicine come with an ever-increasing price tag driven by more expensive and complicated solutions making them less accessible unless we do something about it.

Signatur Biosciences was established with the mission of making cutting-edge diagnostic tools accessible to more patients around the world. As a startup we have developed a technology to profile complex molecular signatures in a single reaction using qPCR machines already in place in every biomedical lab around the world. Signatur Biosciences is a startup with a remote workforce, predominantly in London, UK, and is establishing a new laboratory facility in Liège, Belgium.

We're worried about accessibility in precision diagnostics and are building a team of individuals who share our passion for solving this problem through close collaboration and a sense of urgency. We're building a different kind of company, where employees think like owners, act with authority, and collaborate closely with one another.

We are seeking a highly motivated and driven COO to join our team. In this role, reporting to the CEO, you will be responsible for operationalising the strategy and ensuring the company runs efficiently, predictably, and at speed as we transition from development to commercial-stage operations. You will work closely with the entire team, including quality, regulatory, R&D, HR, laboratory operations and finance and further build on these existing competencies to develop a fully integrated manufacturing capability.

If you are a hands-on, execution-driven operator with deep experience in regulated IVD environments, a strong sense of ownership, and a bias for action, we’d love to speak with you.

About the role:

As COO, you will take full ownership of operations, manufacturing execution, and quality system implementation at the Liège site, ensuring that Signatur Biosciences scales efficiently while remaining compliant with ISO 13485 and IVDR requirements.

You will be accountable for the on-site team in Liège (currently ~6 people and expanding), providing senior leadership to translate company strategy into concrete execution and ensuring a high-performing and motivated team as part of an international organization

As COO, you will be an integral part of the executive team, working closely with the CEO, to help shape and develop the organization to ensure the successful execution of the company's strategy.

This is not a corporate or purely strategic role — it is a hands-on leadership position, embedded in the lab and close to the work.

Success in this role means that teams are empowered, decisions are taken at the right level, and the company operates with clarity, speed, and confidence.

Technical Expertise

Strong operational understanding of IVD manufacturing processes and constraints

Handson experience operating within ISO 13485compliant quality systems

Ability to balance regulatory requirements with speed and pragmatism in execution

Sound judgment in scaling manufacturing processes while maintaining quality and compliance

Comfortable engaging on technical topics with scientists, clinicians, and external partners

Skills, Experience & Attributes

Strong experience in IVD or medical device operations, ideally molecular diagnostics

Solid hands-on knowledge of ISO 13485 and regulated manufacturing environments

Startup experience from early development through early commercial stages

Pragmatic, hands-on operator with a strong bias for action

Comfortable being present on site and close to execution

Senior leadership in a dynamic environment

Direct experience with IVDR implementation or preparation

Manufacturing scaleup experience in diagnostics or medical devices

Main Responsibilities:

End-to-end operational execution across manufacturing, quality, and internal processes

Ownership of manufacturing operations, including day to day execution, scaleup readiness, commercial distribution and alignment with quality and regulatory requirements,

Operational interfaces with suppliers, partners, and external vendors, including supplier agreements, cost control, and active management of COGS

Ensuring successful interface with development to enable efficient transfer of products into routine manufacturing and distribution

IVDR readiness by coordination of regulatory driven operational activities

Internal operating cadence and prioritisation, keeping processes lean and fit for purpose

People and Functional Development

Lead, coach, and develop the on-site operations team, providing hands-on support where needed

Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and delivery

Working with external HR providers ensure compliance, and seamless integration, of all national legal employee requirments

Set clear expectations and provide timely, direct feedback to help individuals and teams perform at their best

Make sound people decisions that support a high-performing and resilient organisation.

Ensure roles, responsibilities, and decision rights are clearly defined and understood

Project and Product Delivery

Support the development and translation of company strategy into clear operational priorities and executable plans

Ensure on-time delivery of key operational, manufacturing, and quality milestones

Be fully accountable for COGS

Coordinate cross-functional execution across R&D, manufacturing, quality, and external partners

Identify risks early and take corrective action to keep projects on track

Support the transition from development activities to commercial stage operations

Ownership over consensus

Speed of execution

Clear decisions and follow-through

Building systems that enable people to move fast and do great work

Compensation and Benefits at Signatur Biosciences include:

Base salary + equity

Annual leave

Private medical insurance

Other benefits to be defined

As we continue to grow, our benefits package may evolve. The benefits outlined above are accurate as of the job posting date, but may differ at time of hire.

Further information

Signatur Biosciences is an equal-opportunity employer promoting diversity and inclusion in the workspace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding), genetic information, taking or requesting statutorily protected leave, or any other basis protected by law.