Product Manager - Biology & Lab Systems
Ohalo Genetics
Position: Product Manager - Biology & Lab Systems
Location: South San Francisco
Type: Full-time
Desired start date: ASAP
The Opportunity:
Ohalo is moving beyond R&D into a phase of massive operational scale. The bridge between our "Boosted Breeding" breakthroughs and our ability to execute lies in the systems we build. We are seeking a PM to own the digital and physical workflows that enable our scientists to program plants-from genomic discovery to large-scale breeding pipelines. This is not a role for a dashboard PM, it is a role for an operator who understands that in biology, the ground truth happens at the bench. You will build the foundational operating system for a new era of agriculture, working at the intersection of molecular biology, data science, automation and software.
Responsibilities:
- Own the Scientific Workflow: Deeply embed with molecular biologists and breeders to map complex biological processes and translate them into robust, scalable software, hardware/automation and data systems.
- Define Problems from the Bench: Spend significant time in the lab; identify the friction points where biological variability meets system rigidity.
- Drive End-to-End Delivery: Own the entire lifecycle-from identifying a gap in genomic data tracking to deploying solutions that allow scientists to make breeding decisions 10x faster.
- Ship Pragmatic Systems: Focus on utility and reliability. You will partner with world-class scientists to turn experimental breakthroughs into industrial-grade systems.
- Manage Scientific Trade-offs: Make high-stakes decisions when biological constraints conflict with software scalability.
- Bridge the Data Gap: Ensure our data platforms capture high-fidelity ground truth to power our AI and ML breeding models.
- Extreme Ownership: You aren't just writing specs; you are responsible for the outcome-whether that’s a successful data migration or a new automated sequencing workflow.
Requirements / Candidate Profile:
- Technical Foundation: Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Bioengineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.
- Proven Track Record: 3–5+ years of product management experience in biotech, life sciences, or complex scientific platform environments working directly with software and hardware engineers.
- Scientifically Fluent: You don't need a PhD, but you must be able to hold your own in a deep-dive conversation with a genomicist.
- Operational Systems DNA: Demonstrated success building tools, platforms, or data systems where user experience directly impacts operational efficiency.
- Ownership Mindset: You have a history of taking a manual, Excel-based process and turning it into a streamlined, automated system.
- Clear Communicator: Ability to distill highly abstract biological concepts into clear technical requirements for engineering teams.
Nice to Have / Bonus Points:
- Direct experience with genomic data, liquid handling robots, LIMS and integrated hardware/software platforms.
- Experience in plant breeding, CRISPR, or agricultural biotechnology.
- Experience working alongside AI/ML teams in an applied scientific setting.
- Experience at a high-growth startup (Series A through C).
The anticipated pay range for this role is $115,000 – $145,000 per year for our South San Francisco, CA location, though salary will be based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, and location.
About Ohalo:
Ohalo™ aims to accelerate evolution to unlock nature's potential. Founded in 2019, Ohalo develops novel breeding systems and improved plant varieties that help farmers grow more food with fewer natural resources, increasing the yield, resiliency, and genetic diversity of crops to sustainably feed our population. Ohalo's breakthrough technology, Boosted Breeding™, will usher in a new era of improved productivity to radically transform global agriculture. For more information, visit www.ohalo.com.
Notes: If you previously applied for a job at Ohalo Genetics, we encourage you to restate your interest in the position by submitting your application.
No visa sponsorship is available for this position at this time.
No recruiters, please.