Manager, Technical Operations.

Company Description

Our mission at Ori Biotech is to enable patient access to a new generation of life saving cell and gene therapies. We have created a platform technology which automates cell and gene therapy manufacturing and has the potential to help make these treatments affordable and widely available to patients at scale.

Revolutionary scientific breakthroughs are currently being made in cell and gene therapy (CGT) to treat all types of disease ranging from cancer to rare genetic diseases. The first products using these technologies have come to market, and currently, there are more than 1500 clinical trials underway to bring even more products to the patients who need them.

The global problem faced by the sector is that while these treatments are life-changing for many patients, unfortunately due to the high associated manufacturing costs these treatments are only accessible by a few. This is where Ori Biotech comes in. Ori Biotech’s founding team is made up of cell and gene therapy/ life sciences veterans and has the backing of some of the top VCs in the US and  UK. Having closed its $100M Series B funding in January 2022, the company is in a rapid growth phase bringing on new team members to service its early access program and pre-commercial activities.

This is an excellent time to join our world class team and be an integral part of bringing the Ori platform to market.

Purpose of Role

The purpose of this role is to support technical work, processes and development with Ori customers. In this role, the Technical Manager will directly provide support for customers by designing and performing experiments, analyzing data, and reporting out conclusions to Technical Operations team.

Key Responsibilities

• Support laboratory-based development activities across a range of projects and clients
• Basic laboratory maintenance and organization
• Progression of research-based manufacturing processes to scalable clinical manufacturing protocols that become suitable for commercial use by incorporating Ori technology
• Collaborate with different partners and clients to address their needs and requirements.
• Support technology transfer to customers, through instrument setup/IQOQ, customer  trainings/demonstrations, troubleshooting exercises, and process development experiments
• Key technical point of contact to customers, where appropriate
• Experimental design and data analysis
• Work with a range of cell-based techniques and engineering techniques including cell culture, cell counts, flow cytometry, ELISA, qPCR
• Work with third party vendors for additional services (mycoplasma, sterility, endotoxin)
• Provide support and feedback to product design and development activities.
• Develop SOPs, protocols, and reports
• Evaluate new technologies, through lab work, for product fit within the market
• Complete stock management of Ori Biotech’s Laboratory
• Develop and secure a ‘Best in Industry’ technical and advisory reputation for Ori with  partners, customers and the industry as a whole
• Support and liaise with customers in their ongoing use and testing of the Ori device and managing structured feedback, reporting and application/publishing of data
• Assist customers in identifying relevant data to capture for the Ori system and potential uses  for that data in process development and optimization
• Work with customers and support the Ori Development Team in evolving the Ori platform to scaled out operations and full automation
• Provide specialist technical, process and manufacturing advice and support to the customer facing sales and account management teams acting as a Subject Matter
• Expert in customer discussions, as appropriate
• Support the generation of technical materials in collaboration with global team and customers to promote and position the Ori platform as the leader in the industry
• Represent the organization with industry bodies, as well as at industry events, expert panels, conferences and trade shows to present company technical innovation, data, impact on manufacturing and associated information
• Maintain active industry network to stay abreast of latest technology trends, partnership  opportunities and competitive technologies

Experience

• 6+ years of experience within an appropriate Life Science environment either with biologics or cell therapies
• Previous experience in a leadership role
• Experienced in novel cell processing technologies
• Cell culture experience with either Immune cells (Lymphocytes, PBMC, Dendritic cells), HSC CD34+ cells, hESC, hiPS, MSC or other clinically relevant cell types is essential
• Experienced in cell isolation from one or more of the following sources: apheresis, peripheral or cord blood and/or bone marrow
• Demonstrable experience in relevant analytical techniques (Cell counts, Flow Cytometry, metabolite analysis, PCR) is required
• Excellent working knowledge of cell therapy industry
• Working knowledge of GMP is required

Skills

• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work quickly and accurately with a strong focus on attention to detail
• Ability to be agile and work in a start-up environment
• Takes initiative when required but keeps others informed of decisions
• Excellent organisational skills and project management skills
• Keeps up to date with professional knowledge, expertise and best practice
• Proven ability to engage constructively with colleagues at all levels across different  departments to deliver objectives
• Passionate about wanting to make a difference in patient outcome

Qualifications

• PhD, MSc or BSc within a Life Science or Biochemical Engineering subject
• Excellent project management skills and attention to detail
• Fluent English speaker

Competitive salary and benefits package, including a pension scheme and private medical insurance