Senior Director, Technical Operations & Automation

Company Overview Our mission at Ansa Biotechnologies is to revolutionize the way we make DNA. Compared to reading or editing life’s code, writing new code from scratch has remained one of the field’s most elusive challenges. At Ansa, we are putting nature to work, creating novel enzymatic solutions that will redefine how we build DNA. We believe that the biggest challenges our world faces will be solved using biotechnology and that DNA synthesis is the fuel for that transformation. Our enzyme-based approach (published in Nature Biotechnology) promises to dramatically accelerate innovation in biological research and biotechnology, including therapeutics, diagnostics, biomanufacturing, and synthetic biology. Job Description Ansa is seeking a deeply capable, visionary leader to partner with the COO in scaling our manufacturing organization and technical capabilities. This is a critical role for a company moving from early commercial traction into industrial-scale operations. This leader will be responsible for the architecture and execution of a world-class lab automation ecosystem, process engineering, bridging the gap between R&D and high-volume manufacturing. The ideal candidate combines strong scientific and engineering depth with operational rigor, capable of leading a multidisciplinary team. The role spans sustaining manufacturing operations support, process scale-up, automation, QA/QC partnership, transfer of processes from R&D into manufacturing, and capacity expansion planning, including future facility build-out. This is an on-site leadership role based in Emeryville, CA. Candidates must be in the Bay Area or willing to relocate. If you are energized by delighting customers and are stoked to help us ship DNA to world- changing biotech companies and research labs, then we want to hear from you! Key Responsibilities Process Scale-Up & Industrialization:  Develop strategies to scale sensitive biological reactions into robust industrial processes.  Establish a disciplined framework for tech transfer from R&D into Manufacturing, ensuring processes are controlled, documented, and scalable.  Drive initiatives to maximize first pass yields, reduce COGS through automation and improve cycle time. Automation & Lab Ecosystem Architecture:  Architect and execute a multi-year automation strategy for custom enzymatic gene synthesis, prioritizing modularity and extreme scalability.  Drive the Automation Index - increasing the percentage of hands-free synthesis workflows while achieving industry-leading first-pass yields.  Partner with Software teams to ensure seamless data flow between LIMS, scheduling software, and automated hardware. Operational Excellence & Monitoring:  Partner with Software teams to implement real-time Statistical Process Control (SPC) to monitor process performance and robotic precision.  Define and track critical KPIs: throughput capacity, cycle time, right-first-time yield, labor productivity, and synthesis cost. Quality, Compliance & Infrastructure:  Partner with Quality leadership to build robust systems with “Quality in mind” (ISO 9001/13485 readiness) including deviation management, CAPA support, and change control.  Partner closely with the COO on future facility build-outs, including equipment strategy, space planning, and infrastructure requirements to meet global demand. Cross-Functional Leadership:  Serve as a key cross-functional partner to R&D, Product Management, Commercial teams, Supply Chain, Finance, and Quality.  Help translate company strategy into a manufacturing roadmap that supports growth. Working Conditions & Physical Demands:  This position operates in both a professional office environment and a biotechnology laboratory/manufacturing environment.  Must be able to tolerate lab environments, wear standard Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and occasionally lift or move equipment up to 25 pounds.  Standard regional travel may be required for facility build-outs or vendor sit