Product Manager, Precision Enzymes

Watchmaker Genomics; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Watchmaker Genomics, based in Cape Town, seeks a Product Manager or Senior Product Manager to lead the precision enzyme program, guiding strategy, roadmap, and lifecycle management across standalone and integrated enzyme technologies.

You will collaborate with R&D on characterization, scale-up, and OEM needs, drive cross-functional initiatives, and present updates to senior leadership. International travel is expected.

Qualifications

• MS in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or related field; PhD a plus.
• Minimum of 6 years industry experience, including R&D.
• Product Management experience preferred; customer-facing roles considered a plus.
• OEM / B2B enzyme or reagent product experience strongly preferred.
• Experience defining and launching products with customer requirements in a quality management system.

Responsibilities

• Drive the product strategy and multi-year roadmap for the enzyme portfolio, supporting standalone products and integration into NGS/MDx tools solutions.
• Serve as the enzyme portfolio expert and product manager with R&D on characterization, scale-up, and OEM requirements.
• Lead new product development initiatives in partnership with stakeholders.
• Represent enzyme programs in portfolio governance and product care, with quarterly touchpoints.
• Translate market intel into roadmap decisions; partner with Technical Marketing on positioning and launches.
• Present to senior leadership in business reviews.

Skills

Molecular biology

Enzymology

NGS workflows

OEM / B2B experience

Product management

Cross-functional teamwork

Communication

Global travel

Data analysis

Education

MS in Molecular Biology or Biochemistry

PhD preferred

Tools

PCR / qPCR

NGS workflows

QMS familiarity

Job description

Watchmaker is inviting applications for the full-time position of Product Manager or Senior Product Manager, Precision Enzymes & Emerging Technologies based in Cape Town, South Africa. The successful candidate will thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced working environment and contribute directly to our company culture and success.

The position provides an opportunity to manage our precision enzyme portfolio, reporting to the Associate Director, MDx & Enzymes Product Management. The Product Manager ensures continuous business success through new product development, OEM commercial strategy, and lifecycle management across the enzyme portfolio, with emphasis on differentiated enzymes. The ideal candidate brings a firm grounding in molecular biology and enzyme-based knowledge across NGS and molecular diagnostics.

Responsibilities

• Drive the product strategy and multi-year roadmap for the enzyme portfolio, supporting both standalone enzyme products and enzymes integrated into Watchmaker's NGS and MDx tools solutions.
• Serve as the enzyme portfolio expert and technical product manager within the organization, engaging credibly with R&D on characterization, scale-up, and OEM technical requirements.
• Be a key leader in new product development projects in close partnership with key stakeholders.
• Lead enzyme new product development initiatives and serve as the product management representative for enzyme technologies incorporated into new NGS and MDx tools product development.
• Support execution of the multi-year product strategy and roadmap across standalone enzyme products and internally integrated enzyme technologies, including opportunity assessment, positioning, financial analysis, and commercialization planning.
• Support on-market product care and be a champion for product care initiatives required to meet/exceed customer’s forecast and requirements
• Create and maintain competitive assessments, market trends, and product performance
• Balance internal platform requirements with external market opportunities to maximize the value of Watchmaker's enzyme technologies across multiple product lines.
• Lead high-touch external engagements.
• Translate market and competitive intelligence into roadmap and product decisions; partner with Technical Marketing on positioning, launch, and sales enablement.
• Represent enzyme programs in the Portfolio Committee and Product Care, and support on-market product care with quarterly touchpoints.
• Present to senior leadership in regular business reviews and marketing updates.

The above responsibilities are not exhaustive and other similar duties may be required from time to time.

Skills And Requirements

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• The ability to multitask, be able to work at a high standard, perform consistently under pressure along with pre-determined deadlines and work without supervision.
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work as an effective member of a team.
• Good communication and personal task management skills and a high level of self-motivation and initiative.
• A creative and disciplined approach to problem-solving.
• Time management and prioritization under deadlines
• High level of accuracy in documentation, record-keeping, and reporting.
• Deep molecular biology / enzymology knowledge of DNA- and RNA-modifying enzymes and NGS and/or MDx workflows.
• Demonstrated OEM / B2B product or commercial experience in enzymes, reagents, or life-science tools, including pricing, custom deals, and partnership / supply dynamics.
• Track record of defining and launching products, and of documenting customer / product requirements in a quality management system.
• Experience presenting technical information to audiences with varied scientific backgrounds, and influencing and gaining consensus across cross-functional teams.
• Hands-on familiarity with standard molecular biology techniques such as PCR / qPCR and next-generation sequencing.
• This position requires international travel, approximately 3-6 trips annually.

Education And Experience

• MS in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or related scientific field required; PhD a plus
• Minimum of 6 years industry relevant experience, including R&D
• Product Management experience preferred; customer-facing roles considered a plus
• Experience as part of a new product development core team required; OEM / B2B enzyme or reagent product experience strongly preferred

Applications without a Letter of Motivation will not be considered. Applicants must be South African or be eligible to work in South Africa and already possess the necessary work permits or visas, or be able to obtain them before responding to this vacancy.

To ensure your application is considered, please submit it by 11 September 2026. Please note that this position may close earlier if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

If selected to participate in the interview process, the names and contact information of three professional references who are able to assess your suitability for the position in terms of the specified requirements will be requested. We will also request a current pay slip.

SOUTH AFRICA - WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER

Watchmaker Genomics is committed to being an equal opportunity employer and creating a culturally diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability status, age, or veteran status or any other characteristics as protected by applicable law.

All applicants will be asked if they are currently eligible to work in South Africa. South African citizens are preferred.

This position may be subject to pre-employment checks, including driving history check, drug screening and a background check for any convictions directly related to its duties and responsibilities. All pre-employment checks will comply with all applicable laws.