Commercial Partner

Syenex; Evanston (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Syenex, Inc. is seeking a Scientific Commercial Partner to bridge deep scientific training with commercial strategy and client-facing execution.

You will work with cell and gene therapy developers to translate our delivery technology into tailored solutions and help move opportunities toward deals. Between the scientific team and customers, you’ll engage in technical discussions, build relationships, and help shape early commercial motion under the Head of Commercial.

Qualifications

• PhD or master's in molecular biology, cell biology, virology, immunology, or synthetic biology.
• Strong written and verbal communication to translate biology into messaging.
• Willingness to travel 30–50% for client visits and conferences.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with ability to develop relationships.

Responsibilities

• Own a portfolio of biotech accounts and build trusted relationships with scientists and leaders.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities through outbound prospecting, conferences, and networking.
• Translate delivery technology into audience-specific technical and commercial messaging.
• Partner with customers to scope and support experiments with our scientific team.
• Take a consultative approach to selling and uncover real value for customers.
• Support deal progression alongside Head of Commercial and coordinate proposals.
• Feed customer and market insights back into product and roadmap.
• Represent Syenex at scientific and industry conferences.

Education

PhD in Molecular Biology

Masters in related field

Job description

About Syenex

Syenex is building the delivery infrastructure for the next generation of genomic medicines. Our platform combines cell-specific delivery vectors with programmable payload systems, giving cell and gene therapy developers a faster, more precise way to deliver engineered therapies — designed from the outset to scale into rapid clinical validation through streamlined CDMO+CRO channel partnerships and comprehensive pre-clinical support. We're a small, scientifically-driven team, and we're now building Syenex's first commercial function to bring these tools directly to the biotech developers who need them.

About Syenex

Syenex is building the delivery infrastructure for the next generation of genomic medicines. Our platform combines cell-specific delivery vectors with programmable payload systems, giving cell and gene therapy developers a faster, more precise way to deliver engineered therapies — designed from the outset to scale into rapid clinical validation through streamlined CDMO+CRO channel partnerships and comprehensive pre-clinical support. We're a small, scientifically-driven team, and we're now building Syenex's first commercial function to bring these tools directly to the biotech developers who need them.

About The Role

Syenex is hiring a Scientific Commercial Partner — a recent PhD who wants to apply deep scientific training beyond the bench, at the intersection of science, strategy, and sales. You'll work directly with cell and gene therapy developers to understand their delivery challenges, translate Syenex's technology into solutions for their programs, and help them prove out how our platform fits into their pipeline.

This role sits between our scientific team and our customers: you'll need to be conversant enough in delivery biology, vector engineering, and cell therapy development to have a real technical conversation with a CSO, Head of R&D, or process development lead — and entrepreneurial enough to turn that conversation into a relationship and, eventually, a deal. You'll partner closely with our Head of Commercial to build Syenex's early commercial motion, with real ownership over how we approach and win new accounts.

What You'll Do

• Own a portfolio of prospective and existing biotech accounts — building trusted relationships with scientists and leaders, including CSOs, Heads of R&D, and process development leads, at cell and gene therapy companies
• Proactively identify and pursue new business opportunities through outbound prospecting, digital tools, market research, and networking at scientific conferences and events
• Translate Syenex's delivery technology — cell-specific delivery vectors and programmable payload systems — into compelling, audience-specific technical and commercial messaging via email, calls, presentations, and live demonstrations
• Partner with customers to scope and support experiments that validate Syenex's platform for their specific application, working cross-functionally with our scientific team
• Take a consultative approach to selling — understanding a customer's program and biology deeply enough to identify where Syenex creates real value, rather than pushing a one-size-fits-all pitch
• Support deal progression alongside the Head of Commercial: technical discussions, proposal development, and coordination through negotiation and close
• Feed customer and market insights back into the product and scientific roadmap, helping Syenex prioritize what to build next
• Represent Syenex at scientific and industry conferences (e.g., ASGCT, CAR-TCR, BIO International, ISCT), including partnering, presentations and events where relevant

What You'll Bring

• PhD or masters in molecular biology, cell biology, virology, immunology, synthetic biology, or a related field (completed or defending soon)
• No prior commercial experience required — some exposure to industry, technology translation, or customer-facing work (internships, consulting projects, entrepreneurial side projects) is a plus but not expected
• Genuine curiosity about the business side of biotech and a desire to build a career in commercial or technical sales rather than continue at the bench
• An extroverted, entrepreneurial mindset — energized by talking to people, comfortable with ambiguity, and motivated by results rather than a fixed research agenda
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex biology into clear, compelling messaging for a range of audiences
• Comfort adopting modern commercial tools quickly — CRM platforms, AI-assisted research and writing tools, and virtual presentation/demo tools
• Willingness to travel meaningfully (roughly 30–50%) for customer visits and conferences
• Ability to operate independently in a fast-moving, still-being-defined commercial function, while staying closely aligned with the Head of Commercial

Why Join Syenex

This is a rare chance for a scientist to move directly into a commercial career without first doing a multi-year bench postdoc or industry R&D stint. You'll be mentored directly by our Head of Commercial, given real ownership over accounts and strategy from day one, and positioned to grow into senior commercial or business development leadership as Syenex scales.