At Element Biosciences, we are passionate about our mission to empower the scientific community with more freedom and flexibility to accelerate our collective impact on humanity. We have built a highly efficient product-driven organization where employees can learn, grow, and thrive in a challenging but encouraging environment. We are committed to scientific integrity, collegiality, honesty, objectivity, and openness.
Element Biosciences is seeking a Senior Engineer, Strategic Sourcing with a background in biology or chemistry and technical operations. This role involves developing relationships with suppliers, Operations, and R&D to implement sourcing strategies throughout the product development pipeline. Initiatives include analysis of early designs for fit to COGS targets, conducting make vs buy studies, compiling bill of materials (BOMs), optimizing cost from prototype to production, and driving supply chain efficiency. Experience in sourcing and supplier development across biology or chemistry commodities is required. Must operate in a fast-paced environment with rapidly shifting priorities over a large diversity of projects. Ability to deliver with focus while maintaining flexibility is key to success. This role will report to the Director, Strategic Sourcing and will be an on-site/San Diego HQ position.
If you possess the following and want to make a meaningful impact, we invite you to explore this role.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
- Source life sciences consumables for new product development and manufacturing. Includes oligos, proteins, reagents, reagent formulations, and complex chemicals
- Develop commodity strategies based on technology roadmaps
- Optimize costs, quality, and risks through supplier selection
- Build partnerships with strategic suppliers for continuous improvement
- Assess design concepts for cost, profitability, and manufacturability
- Mitigate supplier and supply quality risks before launch through processes such as DFM
- Handle quotations, bid analyses, and pre-launch cost savings opportunities
- Create product bill of materials and cost forecasts for new products
- Manage COGS targets during concept to on-market phases - utilize industry benchmarks, market analysis, and cost breakdown structures
- Negotiate legal contracts with favorable costs and terms
- Lead supplier development projects and manage supplier performance
- Drive make/buy decisions
- Ensure supply continuity, cost optimization, and quality
- Resolve product quality issues with internal and external partners
- Monitor supplier key performance indicators
- Conduct semi-annual reviews with strategic suppliers
- Communicate progress to stakeholders via presentations and reports
- Execute tasks and projects as needed to enable product development and business growth
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related field preferred
- 5-8 years experience in life sciences technical sourcing, process engineering, supplier quality engineering, technical sourcing, or procurement engineering required
- Experienced in a fast-paced Operations environment
- Technical operations and sourcing experience in biological/chemical commodities required
- Supplier qualification experience preferred
- Understanding of supply chain concepts
- Strong communication and collaboration skills
- Experience managing vendor relationships and contracts in life sciences
- Proficiency in data management, Microsoft Excel, and PowerPoint
- Familiarity with PLM and ERP systems
- Ability to develop BOMs and COGS models
- Detail-oriented, organized, and analytical
- Comfortable in dynamic environments with shifting priorities
- Willingness to provide unbiased views and challenge assumptions made by others
Physical Requirements:
- Must be able to lift 15 pounds
Location:
- San Diego, CA
Travel:
- Travel required might be up to 10% (supplier visits)
Job Type:
- Full-time/Exempt
Base Compensation Pay Range:
- $105,000 - $137,000
In addition to base compensation noted above, you will be eligible for stock options, discretionary annual bonus, no cost health insurance plans, 401k with company match, and flexible paid time off.
Please note: Base compensation will depend on multiple factors, including geographic location, qualifications, and experience.
We foster an environment such that all people are afforded the freedom to pursue their passions without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status or any other characteristics protected by law.
What We Do
Element Biosciences is a multi-disciplinary startup focused on innovating genetic analysis tools for the research and diagnostic markets. We are developing a modular and high-performing DNA sequencing platform that will deliver high-quality data, increase workflow flexibility, and make next-generation sequencing technology more accessible. Our proprietary approach to improving the signal-to-noise ratio allows us to provide groundbreaking innovations in surface chemistry, instrumentation, and biochemistry to drastically decrease run costs and capital costs while delivering high sequencing data quality.
