Biotech R&D — M1
RDSCIE.BIOTECHR5DD3.M1
Biotech R&D — wet-lab discovery and translational science for biologics and cell/gene therapy programs, spanning mammalian cell culture, CRISPR-based cell engineering, molecular biology, and functional immune assays from antigen design through hit identification, lead selection, and IND-enabling studies. Distinct from computational/bioinformatics-only focuses (here NGS analysis supports bench programs) and from process/CMC manufacturing focuses (here the emphasis is discovery experimentation and program science, not GMP production scale-up). The Management track owns people leadership, lab operations, program timelines, CRO/vendor oversight, and scientific strategy rather than primarily executing experiments.
Biotech R&D — wet-lab discovery and translational science for biologics and cell/gene therapy programs, spanning mammalian cell culture, CRISPR-based cell engineering, molecular biology, and functional immune assays from antigen design through hit identification, lead selection, and IND-enabling studies. Distinct from computational/bioinformatics-only focuses (here NGS analysis supports bench programs) and from process/CMC manufacturing focuses (here the emphasis is discovery experimentation and program science, not GMP production scale-up). The Management track owns people leadership, lab operations, program timelines, CRO/vendor oversight, and scientific strategy rather than primarily executing experiments.
Focus — Biotech R&D
Biotech R&D — wet-lab discovery and translational science for biologics and cell/gene therapy programs, spanning mammalian cell culture, CRISPR-based cell engineering, molecular biology, and functional immune assays from antigen design through hit identification, lead selection, and IND-enabling studies. Distinct from computational/bioinformatics-only focuses (here NGS analysis supports bench programs) and from process/CMC manufacturing focuses (here the emphasis is discovery experimentation and program science, not GMP production scale-up). The Management track owns people leadership, lab operations, program timelines, CRO/vendor oversight, and scientific strategy rather than primarily executing experiments.
Material PAY and SKILL differential vs the function baseline.
Responsibilities by level
What this person actually does at each level on the management track — escalating scope, not one generic blob. Your level is highlighted.
- Supervises a team of research associates and technicians performing routine mammalian cell culture of tumor cell lines and primary immune cells, assigning daily bench work and reviewing technique
- Oversees daily lab operations for the unit including buffer/reagent preparation, inventory tracking, and equipment calibration and safety compliance
- Reviews experimental records in Benchling ELN/LIMS for completeness and ensures data summaries are prepared accurately for team meetings
- Troubleshoots experimental issues alongside staff, escalating significant anomalies to senior scientists and ensuring methodical follow-up
- Coordinates short-term assay schedules and consumables spend against the unit's operating budget
- Leads a skilled team of scientists and senior associates owning execution of flow cytometry, ELISA, multiplex cytokine, and qPCR assays to defined timelines
- Reviews experimental designs including DoE-based studies proposed by team members and ensures statistical and technical rigor before execution
- Coordinates cross-functional cooperation for material transfer and inter-department experimental planning
- Owns tactical outcomes for a workstream such as a cell-engineering or assay-development effort, balancing throughput against data quality
- Mentors junior managers and senior ICs on experimental troubleshooting and prioritizes the team's tasks against project milestones
- Manages a discovery department or functional lab (e.g., cell engineering, immuno-assays) responsible for its operations, budget, and headcount
- Evaluates diverse scientific issues and emerging data trends across multiple workstreams to redirect experimental approaches
- Directs CRISPR-based cell line engineering, lentiviral transduction, and molecular cloning programs, ensuring deliverables meet program objectives and timelines
- Begins oversight of CROs and external vendors for outsourced assays, holding them accountable for timelines and data quality
- Leads functional teams in design and interpretation of experiments and reviews study reports authored to support tech transfer and IND submissions
- Manages multiple discovery sections or critical functions (e.g., cell biology, molecular biology, and assay development) and aligns their plans with portfolio strategy
- Sets functional scientific strategy and policies that shape how programs progress from antigen design through hit identification and lead selection
- Engages senior leaders on functional strategy, resourcing trade-offs, and risk to program activities where delays could jeopardize timelines
- Oversees a portfolio of CRO and external partner engagements globally with accountability for outsourced timelines, budgets, and data integrity
- Serves as functional expert in due diligence for asset in-licensing and discovery partnerships, providing scientific assessment to senior leadership
- Directs strategic discovery areas through subordinate department managers, with decisions impacting division or company-wide R&D operations
- Defines scientific methods and program strategy across IND-enabling studies through clinical development, setting objectives, success criteria, and milestone plans
- Influences executives and major external collaborators on key scientific and partnership decisions affecting the pipeline
- Serves as discovery lead or co-project lead on critical programs, owning overall scientific strategy to meet product target profiles
- Establishes division-wide standards for data quality, scientific rigor, and CRO governance, and resolves complex org-wide capability or capacity issues
Level guidelines
The universal leveling rubric applied to this function — how scope, complexity, collaboration, and experience step up across levels.
| Level | Knowledge & Application | Complexity & Problem Solving | Collaboration & Interaction | Typical Degree & Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | Functional expert in core bench techniques (mammalian cell culture, basic molecular biology, routine assays); applies established lab practices and SOPs to supervise execution. | Limited scope; resolves routine experimental and operational issues using established practices, escalating novel observations to senior scientists. | Daily interactions with team staff and peer scientists; communicates results, anomalies, and schedules within the immediate group. | Functional/technical expert with some leadership exposure; typically prior senior associate or scientist experience plus initial supervisory duties. |
| M2 | Applies specialist depth in assay development, DoE, and cell engineering to guide a skilled team and validate experimental designs. | Exercises judgment within known scientific factors; adapts designs and troubleshoots multi-step workflows within an established framework. | Cross-functional cooperation for material transfer, inter-department planning, and data presentations; coordinates beyond the immediate team. | Roughly 2–5 years in team leadership or specialist scientific roles; manages skilled ICs or junior managers. |
| M3 | Broad command of discovery science across cell biology, molecular biology, and assays; applies trend evaluation to set departmental direction and budgets. | Addresses diverse scientific and operational issues; evaluates data trends to redirect approaches across multiple workstreams. | Leads functional or customer/partner teams; interfaces with CROs and other business units on project execution. | Typically 5–7+ years managing professionals and budgets; may lead managers or cross-functional professionals. |
| M4 | Sets functional scientific strategy aligned with business objectives across multiple sections; deep understanding of discovery-to-IND translation. | Resolves strategic and policy-level issues; weighs trade-offs where errors could jeopardize program timelines or business activities. | Engages senior leaders on functional strategy and acts as a liaison across marketing, development, quality, and external partners and CROs. | Typically 8–10+ years; complex multi-team or critical-function leadership with portfolio and vendor accountability. |
| M5 | Defines methods and program strategy with division- or company-wide implications; recognized scientific leader from discovery through clinical development. | Solves complex org-wide scientific and capability issues; defines new approaches and governance standards across the function. | Influences executives and major external collaborators on key strategic and partnership decisions; leads through department managers. | Typically 10–12+ years including second-level management and strategy work directing strategic discovery areas. |
Skills
Focus-specific skills the role applies — the relevance layer beyond the occupational base.
- Mammalian cell culture
- Culturing tumor cell lines, primary cells, stem cells/iPSCs and 3D organoids/spheroids, including sterile suspension culture and transfection.
- Gene editing and cell engineering
- Genome editing and engineering, particularly CRISPR-based systems, vector design, lentiviral transduction, and cell line engineering.
- Molecular biology
- Complex molecular cloning; PCR, qPCR, ddPCR on DNA and RNA; NGS library prep and analysis; gene editing technologies (CRISPR, ZFN).
- Assays and characterization
- Flow cytometry, ELISA, Western Blot, multiplex cytokine assays, qPCR, and protein expression, purification and characterization.
- Experimental design / DoE
- Independently designing experimental studies including statistical analysis such as design-of-experiments.
- Data analysis
- Analyzing and interpreting experimental data using curve-fitting and statistics.
- CRO and vendor oversight
- Managing contract research organizations and external partners day-to-day to achieve project goals with accountability for timelines and data quality.
- Scientific leadership and strategy
- Setting program strategy, providing strategic scientific direction, and leading complex cross-functional programs.
- Scientific communication
- Writing and presenting research papers, reports, proposals, patents and publications and communicating across departments.
- Mentoring
- Supervising and mentoring junior scientists and technicians.
- Lab operations management
- Overseeing daily unit operations including inventory, equipment calibration, safety compliance, scheduling, and budget tracking.
Provenance
The evidence base behind this profile — every layer is sourced; quality is scored by an adversarial review panel (1–5; passes at ≥4 on the minimum dimension).
Level — M1 — Manager (Team Lead)
Front-line people manager of a single team; owns delivery, coaching, and execution.
- Scope
- A single team
- Autonomy
- Manages within established goals
- Complexity
- Day-to-day delivery and people issues
- Impact
- Team output and health
- Decision rights
- Owns team execution, hiring input, performance
- Leadership
- Direct people management of one team
- Typical experience
- 3–6 yrs
Adjacent roles
Nearest roles by structural coordinates (level + taxonomy). Distance 0 → 1; each carries its 3-state match band. How coordinates work → · Compare side-by-side →
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O*NET / SOC
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