R&D Operations Lead

Company Description S-Biomedic is an early stage and translational biotech R&D company dedicated to skin health, pioneering pre-, pro
- and post-biotic ingredients with a focus on skin commensal microbes. The company develops novel active ingredients for cosmetic formulations that offer distinctive positioning and targeted skin benefits. Its solutions are supported by clinically substantiated efficacy claims, giving partners and customers confidence in performance. By leveraging a proprietary technology platform and deep expertise in the skin microbiome, S-Biomedic is redefining skincare and dermatology. The company focuses on innovative, microbiome-based solutions for a wide variety of skin conditions. --------------------
- Role Description The R&D Operations Lead plays a pivotal role in coordinating the S-Biomedic R&D program and team with an aim on effective delivery of activities across the company’s microbiome research lines while keeping an eye on developmental feasibility and scale-up. The role's principal function is to ensure scientific and technical excellence with hands-on leadership and translating scientific objectives into high-quality execution. This is position requires a blend of hands-on scientific knowledge, technical team management, and project management to ensure success and reports directly the company R&D Director.
• Manage and coordinate the active R&D projects portfolio, including scope definition R&D activity proposals, planning, resource allocations, risk management, and timely communication of progress, conclusions, and next-step recommendations
• Maintain a strong technical understanding of ongoing work and engage with Scientists and Technicians to assess execution quality, troubleshoot persistent problems and improve robustness, reproducibility and efficiency
• Foster the personal and scientific development of the team; lead the recruitment and onboarding, objective setting, performance follow-up, and training plans in coordination with HR
• Lead regular project and portfolio reviews focused on progress, technical challenges, upcoming decisions, dependencies and corrective actions
• Plan, perform, evaluate, and document experiments in the field of general microbiology, molecular biology, fermentation and downstream processing, with a focus on skin microbiome research and product development
• Drive external research execution by selecting partners, defining scopes and study designs, drafting and reviewing service/collaborative agreements align on deliverables, timelines and budget, review reports ensuring results are integrated into internal knowledge
• Develop, maintain, and implement SOPs and manages the R&D Quality Management System (QMS)
• Coordinate lab operations with internal and external stakeholders (Lab Manager, VIB) to ensure compliance with biosafety, safety, and labour rules; support readiness for audits
• Coordinate procurement, commissioning, and lifecycle follow-up of lab equipment and external services required to execute the research program efficiently
• Continuously improve project-management practices, experimental workflows and team operating processes, balancing structure and accountability with the flexibility required for research.
• Maintain a proactive problem-solving culture in which challenges are identified early, discussed constructively and converted into clear actions.
• Support R&D budgeting and cost follow-up --------------------
- Experience Substantial relevant experience in a laboratory-based research, biotechnology, life-sciences, or comparable experimental R&D environment. Demonstrated experience managing multiple concurrent scientific or technical projects and coordinating laboratory operations is required. Experience leading or coordinating laboratory personnel, ideally with direct management responsibility for Technicians, is strongly preferred. --------------------
- Education Master’s degree or PhD in a relevant scientific discipline with 3
- 5+ years experience in industrial R&D programs