Vice President of Research and Development - State College, PA

WE ARE MINDFUL, ORGINAL, & BOLD

Phospholutions, Inc. is an award-winning and venture-backed agtech start-up company enhancing global phosphorus use. Phospholutions is experiencing exponential growth with the recent launch of their proprietary RhizoSorb® technology helping reduce the environmental impact of fertilizers and helping growers achieve more from their crop inputs.

Headquartered in State College, PA, Phospholutions is growing their team to support the commercial launch of RhizoSorb® technology following multiple years of successful field trials, three decades of academic research, and backed by leading industry investors, with the Vice President of Research and Development position!

If you are a problem solver, enjoy strategic and innovative thinking, have scientific expertise in agriculture (specifically fertilizer), are self-driven to achieve ground breaking milestones and are seeking a new career opportunity, we highly encourage you to apply for this position!

JOB OBJECTIVE

The Vice President of Research and Development (VPRD) position is responsible for managing and maximizing the value of technology within our company. The VPRD will drive the strategy of our Research and Development (R&D) team to ensure technological resources align with the company's goals while overseeing the development and distribution of technology to our company, clients, vendors and key-stakeholders. Responsibilities include identifying technology opportunities to advance company objectives and lead all research trials including lab, field, greenhouse, etc. The VPRD will be primarily responsible for supervision, leadership, motivation, mentoring and growth of the R&D Team. This role will work closely with the Commercial team and will report to the COO.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS/ABILITIES: The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate core competencies in the following areas:

• Manage relationships with third party researchers, organizations and scientific leaders to promote the company's reputation in our industry and drive our market position
• Monitor research progress, report on project updates and potential challenges and prepare, analyze and clearly present targets, outcomes, final reports and data in a timely manner
• Use industry knowledge in numerous areas from product concept to lab evaluations, to initial proof-of-concept evaluations, to field trials, all the way through launch of new commercial products
• Manage patent filings, product registrations, trademarks, licenses and compliance matters for existing and new IP
• Stay up to date with technology and industry trends
• Oversee the R&D team and internal research resources and capabilities to achieve company goals, meet milestones and expand the company's technology
• Prepare and submit grant applications and applications for funding
• Outline team goals and metrics making them into executable R&D plans to further research and product development objectives
• Provide a vision for 5 to 10 years out regarding new opportunities with our current technology and for new technologies we can develop to further enhance our IP portfolio, products, and value of the company
• Prepare and manage R&D team budget and complete projects on time
• Serve as a technical sales resource

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Ph.D. in Agronomy, Material Science, Chemistry, Biology, Plant Science, Soil Science or related field from an accredited university or college
• 10+ years' experience in the agriculture industry and/or academia
• Experience researching and understanding technical patents
• Experience with plant agriculture products in the area of regulatory and intellectual property framework
• Proven track record of building and leading high-performing teams and developing leaders
• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States. This company does not sponsor applicants for work visas
• This position is subject to 25 to 35% travel for business/commercial needs.
• Location preference is State College, PA or St. Petersburg, FL; will also consider remote candidates

Phospholutions, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, familial status, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please send an e-mail to [email protected] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.