Position: Associate Director, NGS Product Management

Department: Marketing

Position Type: Full-time

Location: Boulder, CO (preferred) or remote

Experience: MS degree in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics, or a related scientific discipline required; PhD or MBA preferred. 10+ years of relevant industry experience in life sciences, biotechnology, or genomics. 5+ years of product management experience, including ownership of product strategy, roadmaps, and commercial performance. 3+ years of people management experience, with demonstrated success leading, coaching, and developing Product Managers or cross-functional teams.

Position Summary

Watchmaker Genomics is seeking a strategic and commercially minded Associate Director of NGS Product Management to lead product strategy and portfolio development across our next-generation sequencing (NGS) business. This role will oversee a diverse portfolio of NGS sample preparation technologies, including DNA and RNA library preparation, amplification, methylation, and related workflow solutions, reporting to the Director of Product Management.

The Associate Director will lead and develop a team of Product Managers, driving portfolio strategy, product innovation, commercialization, and lifecycle management. Working closely with R&D, Applications, Commercial, and Marketing, this individual will translate market opportunities and customer needs into differentiated products and sustainable commercial growth.

The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise in NGS workflows with strong commercial acumen, strategic thinking, and demonstrated success leading products and teams in a dynamic life sciences environment.

Responsibilities

Portfolio Strategy & Business Leadership

Lead NGS portfolio planning, business case development, and product prioritization, balancing market opportunities, technical feasibility, and commercial potential.
Drive portfolio performance through pricing, forecasting, and growth strategies that support revenue, profitability, market penetration, and product differentiation.

Team Leadership & Development

Lead, mentor, and develop a team of NGS Product Managers, establishing clear goals, priorities, accountability, and performance expectations.
Provide strategic direction and hands-on guidance to Product Managers, supporting effective decision-making, cross-functional collaboration, and execution across product lines.

Product Innovation & Development

Lead market assessment, competitive intelligence, and customer discovery to identify unmet needs, validate product opportunities, and define differentiated product requirements.
Partner with R&D and Applications to guide new product development, evaluate technical and commercial tradeoffs, and ensure alignment with customer requirements, portfolio priorities, and development milestones.

Commercialization & Lifecycle Management

Lead product commercialization and lifecycle strategies, partnering with Product Marketing, Sales, and Applications to ensure successful launches, market adoption, and sustained growth.
Support strategic accounts and key partnerships, translating customer requirements and market opportunities into product strategies and development priorities.
Monitor product performance, competitive developments, and customer feedback to guide product improvements, portfolio expansion, and end-of-life decisions.

Education and Experience

MS degree in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics, or a related scientific discipline required; PhD or MBA preferred.
10+ years of relevant industry experience in life sciences, biotechnology, or genomics.
5+ years of product management experience, including ownership of product strategy, roadmaps, and commercial performance.
3+ years of people management experience, with demonstrated success leading, coaching, and developing Product Managers or cross-functional teams.
Strong technical expertise in NGS workflows, including DNA and RNA library preparation, sequencing technologies, and relevant downstream applications.