Origination: Senior Principal (Vice President or Sr. Vice President Level)

THE ROLE

As a Senior Principal, Origination at Flagship Pioneering, you will work closely with Molly Gibson, other scientists within her Pioneering Business Unit, and stakeholders across the Flagship enterprise. Molly’s PBU is focused on founding, building, and growing companies at the intersection of AI and Science, including companies like Generate Biomedicines and Lila Sciences. We are driven by making the impossible possible, creating a future where AI expands the boundaries of scientific imagination and creativity. Join us!

The central responsibility for your role is to originate and lead AI, science, and/or technology development in new platform companies. You will help to ideate, pressure-test, and refine novel venture hypotheses, identifying promising opportunities and defining the scientific or technology strategy for new ventures. Upon company founding, you will integrate within the company, driving every facet of the scientific strategy and execution, including hiring the team, management of day-to-day research operations, the identification and recruitment of critical partners and advisors, the establishment of foundational IP, and the establishment of working norms and culture.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Contribute to and lead Flagship explorations to rapidly assess interesting areas of science or technology and develop novel, actionable and high value venture hypotheses
• Outline key scientific questions to enable venture hypotheses and develop experimental plans to rapidly create value and pressure test ideas based upon strategic inflection points
• Define research goals, timelines, resourcing, and operating model of the science teams
• Build a world-class research team and culture. Manage performance through continuous feedback, mentoring, and development opportunities
• Source, recruit and manage KOLs and CROs to support the research plan.
• Support corporate development activities and continue to evolve the story
• Become an institutional subject matter expert, staying up to date on the literature, conferences, funding opportunities, and new developments
• Work closely with and leverage Flagship operations teams (Finance, IP, IT, HR, and Talent) expertise for maximal operational excellence

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate must have a STEM-based Ph.D. or equivalent advanced degree from a top university and demonstrated entrepreneurial experience. They will have an track record of success leading, building, and driving a scientific or technical research operations. The candidate must have a passion for novel science and should be operationally savvy.

Important skills/capabilities include:

• Ability to operate with high altitude preparedness and meticulousness
• Proven ability to rapidly become conversant in new areas of AI, science, or technology and capable of engaging thought leaders at the deepest level of technological understanding
• Passion for AI, scientific creativity, and innovation, curiously seeking new information and techniques
• Ability to define a clear and compelling value proposition of a given scientific opportunity and effectively and cogently communicate that to technical and non-technical audiences
• Excellent analytical skills and ability to synthesize & communicate complex information rapidly and effectively
• Energetic self-starter who strives for peak performance and faces obstacles with enthusiasm
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment
• Open, transparent communication style and demonstrated willingness to engage in difficult conversations in a professional and productive manner
• Passion for growth and development, with clear demonstration of openness to both giving and receiving feedback and track record of acting on feedback
• Values ascending as a team while demonstrating abilities to lead and manage
• Unmatched sense of grit and agility
• No ego

EDUCATION

The ideal candidate will have a PhD or comparable scientific credentials

COMPENSATION

An attractive compensation package will be offered based upon background and experience, including significant stock options.

LOCATION: Cambridge, MA

ABOUT FLAGSHIP PIONEERING

Flagship Pioneering invents and builds platform companies, each with the potential for multiple products that transform human health, sustainability and beyond. Since its launch in 2000, Flagship has originated more than 100 companies. Many of these companies have addressed humanity’s most urgent challenges: vaccinating billions of people against COVID-19, curing intractable diseases, improving human health, preempting illness, and feeding the world by improving the resiliency and sustainability of agriculture.  

Flagship has been recognized twice on FORTUNE’s “Change the World” list, an annual ranking of companies that have made a positive social and environmental impact through activities that are part of their core business strategies and has been twice named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies. Learn more about Flagship at www.flagshippioneering.com.

At Flagship, we accept impossible missions to enable bigger leaps. Our core values guide us through uncertainty and toward lasting impact.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We recognize that great candidates often bring unique strengths without fulfilling every qualification. If you have some of the experience listed above but not all, please apply anyway. We are dedicated to building diverse and inclusive teams and look forward to learning more about your background and interest in Flagship.

Recruitment & Staffing Agencies: Flagship Pioneering and its affiliated Flagship Lab companies (collectively, “FSP”) do not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to FSP or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Flagship Pioneering’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of FSP, and FSP will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.

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The salary range for this role is $265,000 - $330,000. Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. Flagship Pioneering currently offers healthcare coverage, annual incentive program, retirement benefits and a broad range of other benefits. Compensation and benefits information is based on Flagship Pioneering's good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.