Associate Director, Trait Discovery

Job Title:

Associate Director, Trait Discovery Reporting to:

Director, Trait Strategy and Testing Location:

Durham, North Carolina About Pairwise: Pairwise

is a mission driven AgriFoodTech company pioneering the application of CRISPR technology in food and agriculture.

Founded in 2017

by leading scientists in the gene editing and biotechnology fields, Pairwise holds licenses from Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital to base editing and high-fidelity enzymes – in addition to our own proprietary, company-developed suite of novel tools. Anchored by our

Fulcrum platform

and deep technical and agronomic expertise in more than 60 crops, we’re accelerating innovation in plant genetics, food and agricultural products, supply chains, and production systems. Our expert team delivers commercially viable products that benefit the planet, consumers, growers, and our business partners. After successfully delivering 27 novel traits to Bayer’s pipeline during our first collaboration for corn, soy, wheat, and canola, our

second collaboration

currently underway isfocusedon developing climate-friendly short-stature corn – with more partnerships on the horizon. Our consumer-facing pipeline includes seedless blackberries and pitless cherries. Named one of

America’s Top GreenTech Companies , Pairwise is based in the start-up friendly Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina. About This Role: Inspiration, engagement, innovation, creativity, knowing the work you do will have a deep and lasting impact on science and the future of agriculture are all individually great reasons to get out of bed and go to work every day. But what if you could have them all in one position? At Pairwise, we’re all inspired by our values & mission, building a healthier world through better fruits and vegetables, and the connection we each have to that mission. When you have a company full of passionate people who are inspired by the work they do, it makes for a team of truly engaged people who are motivated to work together, be creative, and push the bounds of what’s possible, and in the end bring new food to the world in new ways. The Associate Director, Trait Discovery is a dynamic, exciting, and high-profile position within Pairwise leading a well-resourced team along with cross-functional projects to build value for Pairwise and our collaborators. This is a player/coach position exercising deep molecular genetics expertise and leadership capabilities. As a people leader and cross-functional leader you’ll be instrumental in delivering high-value projects. The person who takes this role will have the opportunity to lead novel crop trait development projects and interface with the Pairwise technology development team to develop novel gene editing tools. Come join a fantastic team of scientists and leaders at the cutting edge of new breeding technologies. Essential Functions: Collaboration/Project Leadership:

Lead and contribute to trait gene target nomination and gene editing derived allele design. Evaluate the feasibility and difficulty of nomination delivery proposed by collaborators. Develop and provide an understanding of the business value of each project, including selection, prioritization, and resourcing of projects and especially the benefit to be derived from each. Lead collaboration science update meetings to exchange and develop trait-focused gene editing nominations; provide in-depth context for hand-off; and share results of phenotypic evaluations. Driving communication, definitions, documentation, requirements and alignment across the project team. Develop and maintain a deep understanding of Pairwise data systems for project leadership and editing tracking. Demonstrate full project management capability through effective and efficient project leadership. Utilizing Pairwise Project Management documents and procedures (e.g. Project Charter, Project/Science Plan, GANTT charts, etc.).

Lead core team of Trait Discovery scientists. Participate in, and contribute to, company-wide project governance teams as required. Representing the needs and interests of responsible projects, while balancing the needs of the entire Pairwise pipeline creating maximal value. Support Collaboration Committees by providing scientific context and advice for project development and strategic planning. Responsible for ultimate assurance all deliverables have been completely and accurately satisfied, while ensuring engagement & alignment from stakeholders. Demonstrate strong collaboration with R&D Leadership, the Portfolio Team, and R&D Functional Teams in the development and implementation of R&D project strategy, planning/resourcing, goal setting, establishment of KPI and metric targets. Develop a working familiarity with target crop agronomy and cropping systems (where required), being prepared to coach relevant stakeholders to facilitate the execution of projects. Required Education & Experience: PhD or equivalent in plant developmental genetics, molecular genetics, plant biology, molecular biology, plant breeding, plant physiology or related field is required. Five or more years of experience in industry or equivalent with a successful track record of creating novel traits with gene editing. Three years project management/leadership experience Exceptional communication & organizational skills Player/coach mentality Offerings: Comprehensive Benefits Plan, including Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA/FSA, 401k, Life Insurance, Short-Term & Long-Term Disability, and more Flexible PTO (use what you need, when you need it), in addition to company holidays. Casual work environment. Mission-driven organization focused on creating healthier fruits and veggies. A cutting-edge, driven community looking to lead the industry in innovation and nutrition. Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to use hands to manipulate office equipment and techniques that require fine motor skills and repetitive motions. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. The employee is regularly required to talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. EEO Statement: We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Pairwise we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. No Recruiters please

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