Head of Analytics

The organization

To strengthen Biotalys’ valuable team of dedicated employees, and to bring novel biocontrol products on the market, Biotalys is looking for a highly motivated and innovative Head of Analytics. The growing demand for healthy, safe and sustainable food has increasingly imposed restrictions on agricultural practices. Therefore, improving food production efficiency in a sustainable way, while safeguarding the environment and its natural resources, is essential.

At Biotalys they the ambition to transform food protection, shaping the future of a sustainable and safe food supply. Biotalys is a rapidly growing and transformative food and crop protection company developing a new generation of protein-based biocontrol solutions.

Based on their ground-breaking technology platform, they have developed a broad pipeline of effective and safe products with novel modes of action, addressing key crop pests and diseases across the whole value chain, from soil to plate. Their products combine the high-performance characteristics of chemicals with the clean safety profile of biologicals, making them ideal crop protection agents for both pre-and post-harvest applications.

The company headquarters is located in the vibrant biotech cluster in Ghent, Belgium. 

The position

As the Analytical Team Head, you will define and drive the overall analytical strategy for discovery and development programs. This includes identifying critical quality attributes and setting appropriate control strategies. Furthermore, you will assure all CMC and Discovery analytical deliverables are met in time, from candidate selection through regulatory submission. You will lead the physicochemical analytics team, using your expertise in analytical method development and characterisation of proteins. Additionally, project planning and assuring both timelines and high quality of deliverables by the team are part of your responsibilities as well.

Furthermore, you will:

• Lead the physicochemical analytics group, providing technical, managerial and strategic leadership to the group.
• Lead the development of overall analytical strategy, managing delivery and timeline of analytical development activities. This includes method development, stability studies and regulatory filings.
• Support active ingredient substance and plant protection product process development including characterisation of starting materials, intermediates, final active ingredient and finished product.
• Oversee areas of analytical development including management of the analytical representatives on early, late and commercial project teams, early molecule developability assessment, technology innovation, method development, comparability and product characterisation.
• Mentor analytical representatives to achieve analytical team objectives.
• Oversee the selection, method development, assay transfer, qualification and work carried out by contract research or manufacture organisations.
• Collaborate with Research to bring new molecules into process development. Deploy resources intelligently to perform at-risk development activities prior to a development decision.
• Oversee relevant CMC sections of regulatory submissions and serve as subject matter expert in regulatory interactions.
• Drive bringing in new technologies in analytical development to support the company’s business objectives.
• Encourage personal growth. Foster good teamwork and communication amongst staff. Build a reputation for excellence both as an individual and as a team.
• Establish control strategy approaches that enable fast regulatory entry with sufficient product knowledge to also allow moving quickly into late-stage/commercial development and product characterization.
• Collaborate effectively with different key stakeholders within and outside Biotalys.

Candidate profile

What are we looking for?

• Ph.D/MS degree in protein chemistry, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, or similar
• At least eight years of industrial experience in analytical development of early and late-stage biologics.
• Extensive experience in the analytical development space, including solid knowledge of protein chemistry and analytical techniques.
• Leadership role in taking late-stage programs through product characterisation.
• Experienced in management of, and outsourcing to CRO’s.
• Experience in authoring relevant CMC sections of regulatory submissions and served as subject matter expert in key regulatory interactions.
• Proven record of strong managerial skills.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to distill key information from various data sources.
• Possess the ability to solve problems methodically; able to take initiative and act independently.
• The flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances and manage activities to meet the needs of the business while maintaining a focus on quality.
• Must have excellent written and oral communication skills.
• On-site presence is mandatory

The offer

Teamwork, innovation, passion, well-being and accountability are the Biotalys values that guide their business and that they prize when they recruit new talent and reward their employees. They strive to create an exciting and dynamic working environment in which you will be challenged to take initiative, contributing to the success of the company. You will work in a multicultural and multidisciplinary team of top innovators in the AgFood biotech industry who will support you to further develop and grow your personal skills. You will be rewarded with a competitive salary and benefits package.

Interested?

You can apply to this position by using the link below. For more information please contact Jamie van den Ban, Associate Consultant | Research and Development | Food, Feed and Plant (Sciences), +31(0)6-82 66 54 05, +31(0)23-75 486 60.