Founded by Flagship Pioneering in 2021, Metaphore Bio is pioneering molecular mimicry to design medicines that outperform today’s drugs for maximum patient impact. Powered by our proprietary MIMIC platform, a computationally driven bioplatform that couples machine learning with functional molecular mimicry, we engineer therapeutics to trigger precise biological responses, opening opportunities to treat targets previously deemed intractable. Our recently announced $600M research collaboration with Novo Nordisk aims to develop next-generation therapeutics for obesity management. Metaphore combines deep biology, cutting-edge computation, and visionary execution to create breakthrough medicines that can change patient outcomes on a global scale.
Flagship Pioneering is a bioplatform innovation company that invents and builds platform companies, each with the potential for multiple products that transform human health or sustainability. Since its launch in 2000, Flagship has originated and fostered more than 100 scientific ventures, resulting in more than $90 billion in aggregate value. Many of the companies Flagship has founded 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 .
Position Summary:
Metaphore Bio is seeking an entrepreneurial, execution-focused VP of Platform Operations & Development to design, build, and lead our lab of the future. This role will own the integration of R&D operations, automation, and digital infrastructure to create a seamless, highly reliable, and innovation-driven experimental environment. The ideal candidate will bring vision and practical expertise in modern laboratory operations, cutting-edge automation, and research informatics. You will architect and industrialize the operational backbone of our discovery platform, enabling scientists to work faster, smarter, and at scale, while ensuring high-quality, reproducible data generation to power our AI/ML-driven discovery engine.
You will be a key member of the R&D Leadership Team, responsible for shaping strategy, integrating operational functions across discovery, and driving the technical and cultural transformation needed to support Metaphore’s next phase of growth. The ideal candidate will bring substantial experience in scaling protein therapeutics platforms from early-stage discovery through IND to early clinical development. Strong leadership and team-building skills are essential, as are an innovative outlook and a propensity for leveraging novel approaches to generate new, transformative medicines.
Responsibilities:
Lab of the Future Design & Implementation
* Architect and lead the transformation of Metaphore’s R&D infrastructure into a fully integrated, automation-enabled, digitally connected lab.
* Champion the adoption of modern lab technologies, automated workflows, and informatics platforms to maximize efficiency, scalability, data quality and accessibility.
* Oversee the design, deployment, and continuous improvement of a modern informatics stack for data capture, analysis, and sharing across teams.
* Ensure operational systems and digital infrastructure are optimized to support advanced computational models, including machine learning and AI-driven drug discovery.
R&D Operations Excellence
* Build and manage an operational framework that enables scientists to seamlessly execute complex experimental programs with speed and rigor.
* Enable efficient therapeutic program parallelization by strategically designing, building, and harmonizing productized workflows.
* Partner with scientific leaders to design standardized, productized workflows across the discovery value chain, eliminating bottlenecks and enhancing reproducibility.
* Develop robust capacity planning and resource allocation processes to enable parallelized program execution.
Leadership, Development & Strategic Collaboration
* Partner closely with discovery, computational, and leadership teams to align operational capabilities with scientific priorities.
* Manage and expand external relationships with technology providers, automation vendors, CROs, and academic collaborators.
* Build and lead a multidisciplinary platform operations and data team, blending expertise in lab operations, automation engineering, and research informatics.
* Foster a culture of innovation, inclusivity, and scientific excellence, while mentoring emerging leaders.
* Present to the company’s Board of Directors, Scientific Advisors, and external stakeholders
Qualifications:
* 12+ years of experience in biotech/pharma R&D operations, automation, or research informatics, including leadership of mid- to large-size technical teams.
* Advanced degree (PhD, MS, or equivalent) in a relevant field such as bioengineering, automation engineering, computational biology, or related discipline.
* Proven track record of designing and implementing automation-heavy, digitally integrated laboratory environments.
* Experience leading and overseeing multiple development programs from early discovery up to early clinical development, focusing on efficiency and excellence
* Deep experience with lab and data management systems (e.g., LIMS, ELN, integrated data lakes) and modern software tools for R&D enablement.
* Strong operational leadership skills with the ability to manage multidisciplinary teams in fast-paced, high-growth settings.
* Demonstrated ability to balance strategic vision with hands-on execution.
* Experience driving cultural and technological transformation in R&D organizations.
* Demonstrated ability to work with highly technical teams in a fast-paced environment
* Ability to develop and recruit top scientific talent
Values and Behaviors:
Flagship is an experiment in institutional, entrepreneurial, and innovation practiced in the context of a small company with an insurgent mindset. We are seeking individuals with an entrepreneurial spirit, strong communication skills, and comfort in working in and contributing to a dynamic and cross-functional team environment. The level of the role will be commensurate with the education and years of experience of the identified candidates.
At Flagship, we recognize there is no perfect candidate. If you have some of the experience listed above but not all, please apply anyway. Experience comes in many forms, skills are transferable, and passion goes a long way. We are dedicated to building diverse and inclusive teams and look forward to learning more about your unique background.
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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