Strategy Lead, Academic
Over the coming years, biotech will fundamentally rewrite the way we live. Gene editing and cell therapy are dramatically changing how we treat cancer and other major illnesses. Biofuels and biomaterials are transforming the cars we drive, the clothes we wear, and the makeup of everyday objects. Crop science and synthetic biology are producing sustainable and ethical food. Benchling’s mission is to accelerate the research that propels us towards this reality, and magnify its impact, through modern software.
Every day, scientists around the world use Benchling’s applications, platform, & analytics in their efforts to solve humanity’s most pressing problems. For these scientists, Benchling is the central technology they use to conduct their research. Our customers include pharmaceutical giants, leading biotechs, and the world’s most renowned research institutes.
POSITION OVERVIEW
Benchling is hiring an Academic Lead for its Strategy team, who will be responsible for creating and executing a multi-year strategy in this market. We are looking for an entrepreneurial individual who thrives on results and is passionate about enabling any scientist to access modern R&D tools and accelerating the dissemination of cutting-edge science. The successful candidate will demonstrate structured thinking, exceptional communication skills, and deep empathy for our academic community. The lead will regularly collaborate with senior management, product, and all of our go-to-market (GTM) functions to help the organization execute on its mission and operating goals.
The ideal candidate will have experience with consumer products, growth/growth marketing, and exposure to research in academic labs, venture creation, and/or biotech startups. Prior experience with high growth, consumer software or technology companies is preferred.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Conduct primary qualitative and quantitative user research to understand key problems, personas, and unmet needs
- Identify new areas of opportunity and related product experiments that can prove out the value of new areas quickly
- Develop, instrument, and continuously iterate on a growth strategy
- Map the competitive landscape and value chain/ecosystem
- Develop a multi-year strategic plan for the Academic market, inclusive of growth/adoption, revenue (as applicable), and other key metrics such as engagement
- Present defensible cases to senior leaders for why (and why not) to pursue specific in-market opportunities
- Build relationships with cross-functional product and go-to-market (GTM) teams
- Collaborate closely with product, product marketing, and sales teams to build, launch, and grow adoption in the Academic market
- Develop high-level product strategy with product management
- Develop messaging, including core value proposition, positioning, and differentiation with product marketing
- For the Institutional category of the Academic market, develop a sales roadmap and work with sales to guide key deals and grow customer adoption
- Support partnership and business development activities in the Academic market
- Travel up to 25% as needed to meet with customers, prospects, and end users
ABOUT YOU
- 4-8 years of experience working in consumer product or growth/growth marketing, ideally with some exposure to academic labs/research, venture creation, and/or biotech startups
- Experience with development of professional communities
- Possess a product-centric view of problem solving and an understanding of consumer product growth
- Entrepreneurial mindset with a strong will to win in the marketplace
- Bias towards execution and proving ideas with users
- Think in frameworks and first principles; comfortable explaining the “why” behind your thinking
- Communicate clearly across all mediums, especially written
- High degree of organization and attention to detail
- Prioritize well and move easily between long-term projects and short-term deal sprints
- Invest in building reusable processes and work products
Benchling welcomes everyone. We believe every member of our team enriches our diversity and inclusion by broadening our ways of problem-solving for future challenges. Even if you don't meet 100% of the qualifications for this job, we strongly encourage you to apply.
LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES
- Admit mistakes and shortcomings
- Deliver results
- Disagree and commit
- Obsess over customers
- Rely on work ethic
- Show empathy
- Recruit and develop the best
- Sweat the details
- Think and communicate clearly
- Unite around the mission
PERKS AND BENEFITS
- Work with a talented yet humble team
- Competitive compensation & equity package
- Quarterly mental health days
- Weekly virtual social events, and annual company retreats
- 401k, Medical, dental, and vision insurance (US Employees Only)
- Monthly health & wellness stipend (Currently US Employees Only)
- Yearly educational stipend (Currently US Employees Only)
- To support remote work conditions, Benchling provides each employee a one-time stipend of $1,000(USD) upon commencing employment, and additional discounted employee purchase plans for home-office equipment.
In following best practices and safety protocols, all Benchling employees are expected to work remotely until we are further advised that it is safe for employees to resume work in their respective office locations.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We also consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.
