Job Title

Title: GM/ DGM - Metabolic Engineering & Synthetic Biology Location: Gurugram About Us Absolute is a bioscience company founded with the idea of a shared future where both people & planet win together. The company’s vision is to build a thriving future for people and the planet by harnessing the power of nature, science & exponential innovation. Today, Absolute’s Bio division has evolved into a generation-defining bioscience company across Agriculture, Human Health & Sustainable Materials. Operating across 30+ countries, Absolute’s Agtech businesses encompass – Climate Solutions, Soil Health testing, Crop Insurance & Tech driven commodities trade. Absolute’s revolutionary businesses are backed by Xenesis, a stellar team of 150+ scientists making breakthroughs in their fields. Absolute is backed by Sequoia, Tiger Global, and Alpha Wave, Absolute's angels include Nadir Godrej- MD of Godrej Industries, Kamal Aggarwal- Promoter of Haldiram, and Kunal Shah- founder of CRED, among others. Job Description: We are currently looking for an seasoned Leader for in strain engineering and metabolic engineering (GM/DGM) to work in the field of synthetic biology and Microbial Genetics. Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following: Laboratory and Research Operations Work with laboratory strains of Escherichia coli, fungi, yeast etc using aseptic technique for culturing, maintenance, and transformation. Perform advanced molecular biology techniques like recombinant cloning, assembling, genome editing and recombinant knockouts. Perform genome editing of micro-organisms for improved phenotype and heterologous production of recombinant molecules. Carry out fermentation studies for recombinant strains for yields and scale up studies. Design, implement, and characterize novel gene constructs. Metabolic engineering of recombinant strains and analyzing flux. Prepare and execute established methods and SOPs. Deliver high-quality results in a timely manner and communicate the same with stakeholders. Drive process improvements Leadership and Strategic Planning: Lead and inspire a multidisciplinary team of scientists and researchers, fostering collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement. Establish and communicate clear goals and objectives for the R&D team, ensuring alignment with the company's mission. Drive the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel products based on protein and strain development applications. Research and Development Management: Oversee the design, execution, and analysis of experiments and studies related to Biocare segment, ensuring high scientific rigor and compliance with regulatory guidelines. Utilize molecular biology and genomics expertise to guide research projects, optimize methodologies, and drive innovation in strain and protein engineering, and genetic modification. Manage research projects, timelines, and budgets, ensuring efficient resource allocation and timely completion of milestones. Lead efforts to translate research findings into commercializable products, including identifying scalable manufacturing processes and addressing technical challenges for commercialization. Team Development and Talent Management: Recruit, train, and mentor a high-performing team of scientists and researchers, with a focus on molecular biology and genomics expertise, fostering their professional growth and development. Conduct performance evaluations, provide constructive feedback, and implement strategies for talent retention and succession planning. Promote a culture of scientific excellence, innovation, and continuous learning in R&D. Educational and Essential Qualifications: M.Sc./Ph.D. in molecular biology, microbiology, biochemistry, biotechnology, synthetic biology or related field. 12+ years of postdoctoral experience in academic, pharmaceutical, or biotechnology industry settings working different recombinant platforms for production of novel molecules like flavours and fragrances. Experience in metabolic pathways engineering of Yeast and bacterial systems using advanced molecular biology tools. Experienced in working with metabolic pathways prediction tools. A strong grasp of fundamental molecular biology techniques is essential. Exposure to gene circuit design, cell engineering, strain development, is highly desirable. Demonstrated ability to work with highly skilled teams in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial and technical environment. Excellent communication and presentation skills, capable of conveying technical information in a clear and thorough manner. Comfortable delivering against challenging commitments. Confident, execution focused, team oriented, with an ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial environment. A desire to work in the impact space, with a passion to make the world a /"better/" place.