Chief of Staff to the CSO

A Bit About Us:

We are Arcadia Science, a company founded and led by scientists. Our mission is to transform evolutionary innovations into real-world solutions by openly developing more efficient, replicable, and sustainable ways to leverage the biology of diverse organisms.

The Opportunity:

We're seeking a Chief of Staff who will report directly to our Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), Prachee Avasthi. This high-impact role is crucial as we expand our strategy and operations at Arcadia. You'll be responsible for managing scientific operations, streamlining communication and decision-making processes, and optimizing the CSO's day-to-day work as second-in-command. Your role will involve managing both internal and external relationships.

The ideal individual is a PhD scientist with strong operational talents: solid judgment, concise and precise communication skills, and the ability to balance complex projects. We're looking for current or recently practicing scientists who want to transition to enabling scientific operations, strategy, and management at a fast-paced startup. This role is an excellent fit for a recent PhD or postdoc interested in gaining critical skills relevant to biotech leadership at an executive level. We're particularly interested in candidates with computational skills and a desire to operationally experiment with more efficient ways of working. The position will require the individual to be on-site full-time at our Berkeley, California headquarters. 

What You’ll Do at Arcadia:

• Manage scientific operations across the organization on behalf of the CSO by embedding with scientific teams to identify blockers, track progress toward goals, and surface critical action items.
• Participate in recruitment and vetting of scientific talent as we grow our organization.
• Orchestrate process improvements for internal communication by leveraging modern automation tools.
• Maturely triage and manage sensitive topics such as team performance and personnel issues in partnership with the CSO.
• Lead special strategic projects at the CSO’s directive.
• Manage communications between the CSO and internal leadership or external collaborators.
• Optimize the CSO’s calendar to maximize efficiency and protect focus time for strategic work.
• Prepare slides and materials for internal and external presentations.
• Opportunity for additional scope based on your strengths and the organization's evolving needs.

Required:

• Has a PhD in the biological sciences and has worked directly on scientific research programs within the last three years.
• Demonstrates working knowledge of biological research at diverse scales, from proteins to phylogenies.
• Possesses computational skills and practical experience in machine learning, computational biology, or evolutionary biology.
• Has at least one year of hands-on experience with project management.

Our Ideal Chief of Staff:

• Is mission-oriented and eager to learn about building a new science organization.
• Is an iterative, data-driven problem solver with computational skills who enjoys optimizing processes and operations.
• Excels at diving into diverse and sometimes abstract problems to arrive at practical solutions.
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment and can adapt quickly to changing demands.
• Pays close attention to detail and excels in prioritizing tasks amidst many responsibilities.
• Is a concise and precise communicator, able to effectively engage with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrates firm personal and professional boundaries, maintaining confidentiality and trustworthiness.
• Is proactive, consistently follows through on commitments, and anticipates the needs of the CSO.

Compensation:

Successful applicants can expect to be compensated between $140-185K with benefits and a highly competitive equity offering, depending on experience level. Arcadia is a fully on-site team. The position will require the individual to be on-site at our Berkeley, California headquarters.

Arcadia Science is an equal-opportunity workplace; we welcome people from all backgrounds and communities. We provide competitive compensation and practical benefits to keep you happy and healthy so that you can do your best work.

Application Process:

Interested applicants should send a resume and fully answer all application questions addressing their interest in and qualifications for the position. Please note that failure to follow instructions and address all questions will lead to automatic disqualification. 

Please note that an offer of employment from Arcadia is contingent upon the successful clearance of a reference and background check.