Technical Programme Manager

Basecamp Research exists to push the forefront of complex biological design by completely rethinking the data and AI stack necessary to achieve it. We unlock the potential of our planet’s unexplored biodiversity to solve some of biotechnology’s hardest problems, demonstrating the value of nature’s undiscovered biology. At the core of our platform is a proprietary data asset of genetic information collected from across the tree of life through global expeditions and partnerships. Having recently closed our Series B (bringing total funding to $85M), we scaled our data asset 10× in just a few months – to billions of genes – cementing it as the single largest genomics database of life on Earth. We use this data to train a new generation of biological foundation models with applications in therapeutics, nutrition and agriculture. At Basecamp Research, we pride ourselves on being a diverse, exciting, fun, and flexible place to work. Our team of biologists, engineers, ML scientists, and field explorers is united by a sense of adventure and the belief that nature has already designed the solutions to our planet’s greatest challenges – we just need to go out and discover them! If you feel passionate about the power of biology, data, and AI to build a better world, we’d love to hear from you.

About the role

We are seeking a highly capable and proactive Technical Programme Manager to join our London team, embedded within the CTO’s organization. This role supports our technology and data groups across Genomics, Engineering, AI, Product, and Computational Biology, helping all these teams work together smoothly and efficiently. You will serve as the connective tissue between these departments – driving internal operational efficiency, coordinating cross-team projects, managing key partnerships, and overseeing the tools and operations that our technical teams rely on. In this role, you will focus on optimizing processes, facilitating collaboration, and supporting the team in acquiring & managing cloud, compute, and software requirements. You’ll work closely with the CTO and technical leads to anticipate needs and clear roadblocks, ensuring our computational scientists and engineers can focus on pioneering research and development. This is an ideal opportunity for a hands‑on operator who thrives in a fast‑paced startup environment where no two days are the same and wants to make a big impact on how a frontier biotech company scales its operations.

Main responsibilities

• Cross‑Functional Coordination: Work across Genomics, Engineering, AI, Product, and Computational Biology teams to plan and execute cross‑functional initiatives. Ensure different groups are aligned on objectives and timelines, and facilitate communication so that projects move forward smoothly.
• Process Improvement: Identify bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement in our internal workflows. Implement new processes or tools to boost operational efficiency, streamline project delivery, and eliminate friction, all while maintaining agility.
• External Partnership Management: Manage and develop relationships with external technical and scientific partners. This includes coordinating joint projects with research collaborators, universities, and technology vendors, and ensuring that these partnerships are productive and aligned with our goals.
• Tooling & Infrastructure Oversight: Oversee the selection, implementation, and optimisation of the software tools and platforms used by our technical teams (e.g. project management systems, knowledge bases, data pipeline tools). Make sure our engineers and scientists have the right tools and that those tools are well integrated and serving their needs.
• Cloud and IT Liaison: Serve as a liaison between our infrastructure team and our cloud and infrastructure providers (such as AWS and HPC/cloud compute partners). Monitor our usage and spending, plan for scaling needs, and work with providers to ensure we have robust, cost‑effective infrastructure in place.
• Operational Strategy & Support: Work closely with the CTO and team leads to prioritise technical operational initiatives and drive strategic improvements. Help plan resource allocation, support budgeting for technical resources, and assist leadership in developing operations strategy that supports our rapid growth.
• Knowledge Sharing: Promote effective communication and knowledge sharing across teams. Ensure that learnings, best practices, and project updates are documented (in a lightweight way) and accessible, so everyone stays on the same page without excessive bureaucracy.

Required skills and experiences

• Technical Operations Experience: 5+ years of experience in technical operations, program management, or a similar role within a tech‑focused or biotech organisation. You have a track record of coordinating complex projects and improving operational processes across multiple teams.
• Project Management & Organisation: Exceptional organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities and timelines. Proven experience driving projects from idea to completion, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
• Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Excellent communication skills with a talent for working with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders. You can interface comfortably with software engineers, data scientists, biologists, product managers, and external partners, translating needs and keeping everyone in sync.
• Technical Savvy: Familiarity with modern software development and data workflows. You don’t need to be writing code, but you should understand concepts like cloud infrastructure (e.g. AWS), DevOps or CI/CD pipelines, and data management well enough to have informed discussions and make effective decisions.
• Vendor/Partner Management: Experience managing relationships with external vendors or partners, especially in scientific or technical projects. You’re comfortable evaluating services, negotiating contracts, and collaborating with outside organisations to achieve shared objectives.
• Proactive Problem‑Solving: A proactive, resourceful, and independent mindset. You take initiative to identify problems or inefficiencies and act on them. You’re the kind of person who spots an issue and rallies the right people to fix it before it escalates.
• Adaptability: Comfortable with ambiguity and rapid change. Our environment evolves quickly – you should thrive in a dynamic setting and be flexible in adjusting plans, while maintaining a positive, can‑do attitude.
• Ownership & Drive: High degree of ownership over your work. You care about outcomes and reliably follow through on tasks and take pride in delivering quality results.

Advantageous skills and experiences

• Industry Domain Knowledge: Experience in the life sciences, biotech, or other R&D‑intensive industries. Understanding of domains like genomics, bioinformatics, or drug discovery can help you better support our teams (though it’s not a strict requirement).
• Scaling Startups: Prior experience at a high‑growth startup or in scaling operations for a technical team. Familiarity with the challenges of rapid growth and scaling infrastructure or processes would be a plus.
• Technical Background: Hands‑on technical skills are a bonus but not a requirement at all. Perhaps you’ve written code, managed cloud deployments, or analysed data in a past life – if so, you’ll have extra empathy for the technical staff you’ll be working with.

What we can offer

• Impactful Mission: The opportunity to be a key member of our team in an exciting, dynamic, and fast‑moving field. Your work will directly enable breakthrough discoveries and real‑world impact in biotechnology.
• Collaborative Culture: A fun, flexible, and supportive work environment with an office in the centre of London. We emphasise collaboration and personal development – you’ll be working cross‑team and cross‑function daily, alongside people who are passionate about what they do.
• Comprehensive Benefits: package, including equity, comprehensive medical cover with AXA, Critical Illness and Group Income Protection, Life Insurance, Pension Scheme, Generous PTO, Enhanced parental policy and so on.

Do you want to join our team as our new Technical Programme Manager? Then we’d love to hear from you!