Associate Director, Microbiology & Assay Development

BioTalent; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

BioTalent is seeking an Associate Director of Microbiology to build and lead a new microbiology function supporting the development of an innovative molecular detection platform. This hands-on leadership role requires defining strategy, building a team, and driving assay development, verification, validation, and commercialization in a fast-paced R&D setting.

You will oversee microbial culturing, DNA workflows, and cross-functional collaboration with R&D, Quality, Regulatory, and Clinical teams

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or related field.
• 10+ years of microbiology experience within biotech, molecular diagnostics, or clinical laboratory settings.
• Experience leading scientific teams and assay development programs.
• Strong knowledge of FDA-regulated environments, ISO 13485, and design controls.

Responsibilities

• Lead microbiology strategy across assay development, sample preparation, and V&V activities.
• Build and scale the microbiology team, processes, and laboratory infrastructure.
• Oversee microbial culturing, sample preparation, strain management, and genomic DNA workflows.
• Partner cross-functionally with R&D, Quality, Regulatory, and Clinical teams.
• Support regulatory submissions, quality systems, and commercialization efforts.
• Develop SOPs, documentation, and microbiology best practices in a regulated environment.

Skills

Leadership

Strategy development

Cross-functional collaboration

Assay development

Regulatory experience

Project management

Education

MS or PhD in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or related field

Job description

BioTalent is seeking an Associate Director of Microbiology to build and lead a new microbiology function supporting the development of an innovative molecular detection platform. This hands-on leadership role requires defining strategy, building a team, and driving assay development, verification, validation, and commercialization in a fast-paced R&D setting.

You will oversee microbial culturing, DNA workflows, and cross-functional collaboration with R&D, Quality, Regulatory, and Clinical teams