Come find your purpose at Future Fields
Biotech Quality Control (QC) Lead
Description
Ready to build the gold standard? We’re looking for a pragmatic, tech savvy QC Lead to power our industry-leading manufacturing engine.
Changing the world—one fruit fly at a time.
We’ve developed a novel insect-based expression platform to enable bio-products across humanity’s most critical verticals.
We’re unleashing the next biorevolution.
At Future Fields, we are continually learning and evolving. We know we don’t have all the answers, but we try to ask all the questions. We believe in “failing forward” and leveraging our mistakes to help us grow. We never want our team to feel constrained by the status quo and we don’t judge ideas based on where they come from. We actively work to foster a culture of collaboration, innovation and psychological safety through transparency, structure, and open communication. We know it sounds cliché, but every employee really is a valued and equal member of the Future Fields team.
Come find your purpose with Future Fields.
We are a rapidly growing venture-backed startup (with support from awesome investors including Bee Partners, Y Combinator, BDC Climate Tech, R7 Partners, Toyota Ventures and Amplify Capital). We’ve even had a shoutout from Ironman himself! Joining our team now means you’ll have the opportunity to shape our culture and products, to lead others, and to influence the direction of our company. Perhaps most importantly, you’ll be joining a team that is genuinely energized by this work and the meaningful potential of biotech to change the world.
About the role
Reporting to the Head of Quality, the Quality Control (QC) Lead is a pivotal role responsible for accelerating our evolution to a best-in-industry manufacturing engine that puts the customer at the forefront of every result. In this role, you will balance a hands-on presence at the bench with the strategic thinking required to scale our QC workflows. You will own the outcome by ensuring the integrity of our product testing programs and collaborating on the development of robust assays.
As a pragmatic builder, you will lead with curiosity - asking "why" to help create simpler, automated systems that replace manual data entry, analysis, and review. You thrive in the "grey" of a startup while bringing the statistical rigour of a commercial pro, ensuring our quality standards are both rigorous and integrated into our fast-paced workflow. Crucially, you apply a risk-based approach to decision-making, balancing quality, safety and technical requirements with commercial urgency to keep the business moving.
This role will own:
- Technical Leadership: Strategic oversight and hands-on execution of analytical assays (SDS-PAGE, Western blot, LC-MS, HPLC) to ensure product attributes like purity, aggregation, and consistency meet "gold standard" specifications.
- Biological Validation: Performing functional assays (ELISA, cell-based potency, SPR) to prove the biological value of our fly-derived proteins.
- Molecular & Safety Controls: Implementing PCR/qPCR workflows for genetic stability and establishing industry-forward safety protocols (Endotoxin, Mycoplasma, Gel Clot) and environmental monitoring.
- Method Lifecycle Ownership: Driving phase-appropriate method transfers, qualifications, and validations to ensure seamless scalability. You will serve as the primary troubleshooter for assay performance, bridging the gap between R&D and routine QC while maintaining robust analytical rigour.
- Quality Infrastructure: Designing the stability life cycle (trending/investigations) and creating pragmatic SOPs and QMS processes that support efficiency without sacrificing compliance.
- Digital Transformation: Leading the transition from manual workflows to a digital-first ecosystem by implementing automated reporting and statistical data analysis to maximize throughput and data integrity.
- Team Performance: Supervising and mentoring a team of analysts, providing the hands-on training and influence needed to scale our collective expertise.
- Discrepancy Management: Leading Out-of-Specification (OOS) investigations and method validation/verification to ensure all data is impeccable and audit-ready.
This role will assist by:
- Strategic Alignment: Contributing to the long-term direction of the Quality department and its integration with broader company milestones and revenue targets.
- Cross-functional Innovation: Leading initiatives that align quality goals with manufacturing output and R&D innovation to proactively resolve pipeline bottlenecks.
- Customer Readiness: Supporting the MSAT and Sales teams by providing the technical validation data required to fast-track manufacturing contracts.
About you
You are a pragmatic builder who is energized by ambiguity and capable of leading through influence. You excel in using risk based principles to navigate the complexities of a scaling startup without becoming a blocker. You are someone who defaults to open communication, builds trust across teams, and understands that a "perfect" system is one that is flexible enough to adapt to new markets and customer requirements. You are as comfortable troubleshooting an assay at the bench as you are at presenting a quality control strategy to leadership.
- You are a Strategic Architect: You don't just solve problems; you design systems that prevent them from happening in the first place.
- You Lead with Curiosity: You ask "why" to simplify processes and foster an environment where your team feels safe to innovate and fail forward.
- You are a Force Multiplier: Your expertise and strategic thinking enable everyone around you to perform at a higher level.
- You Own the Outcome: You view quality as a strategic asset and take full accountability for the success of our products in the real world.
- You Thrive in Ambiguity: Complex and ambiguous projects don't intimidate you, they provide the canvas for your best work.
Must-haves
- 5+ years experience in Quality Control working with recombinant proteins.
- Deep technical mastery of analytical methods (e.g., Western blot, SDS-PAGE, HPLC, Purity/Activity assays) and their application in a commercial manufacturing environment.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and influence a technical team toward high-impact results.
- Expertise in diverse safety testing methods and knowing why the industry uses them for different product applications.
- Understanding of recombinant protein analysis (purity, identity, quantitation) and molecular biology (PCR/qPCR).
- A commercial mindset - you understand how quality impacts the bottom line and market viability.
- Ability to work in Canada without sponsorship.
Bonus points
- Experience with method validation for regulatory submissions.
- Experience with cell culture to develop and execute cell-based potency assays.
- Previous experience in a rapidly scaling startup environment.
Your future (with Future Fields)
This roadmap outlines the impact you'll make as you grow with us. We'll use this as a guide for your first year, knowing that in a fast-paced environment, we'll adapt and evolve these goals together.
Within 1 month, you will:
- Integrate with the QC, Manufacturing and CDMO teams to gain a deep understanding of our platform, current assay protocols, key challenges and client requirements.
- Complete a comprehensive review of the current quality roadmap and identify how the QC function can best support the immediate 2026 scale-up milestones.
- Begin establishing trust with your direct reports, understanding their technical strengths and identifying immediate opportunities for mentorship.
Within 3 months, you will:
- Establish clear QC priorities for departmental maturation with specific milestones tied to our company targets. Begin rollout of key QC programs to bolster the QC function.
- Audit current automation systems and compliance status, and present a prioritized outline for automation projects and risk-management areas of focus.
- Verify current workflows with the QC team, develop a priority list for improvement areas, and implement the first wave of high-impact improvements.
Within 6 months, you will:
- Be actively tracking and reporting key QC metrics, using data to drive resource allocation.
- Successfully pilot and begin the rollout of our first automated analytical pipeline (e.g. significantly reducing manual transcription and review time while strengthening our data integrity.
- Take the lead on OOS investigations and stability program oversight, ensuring consistent data integrity across all 2026 production batches.
- Implement a technical cross-training matrix to ensure 100% redundancy on all critical assays, eliminating single points of failure and ensuring our team delivers a consistent "gold standard" of excellence across every shift.
Within 1 year, you will:
- Have established a high-performing, independent QC Laboratory that is flexible to customer needs and acts as a primary enabler for the PD and Manufacturing teams.
- Have made tangible, measurable improvements to the efficiency of the QC group - where automated reporting and statistical analysis allow us to handle 3x volume with high data integrity.
- Have deepened the organization’s compliance status to the point where our QC data packages are a competitive advantage.
- Provide the strategic blueprint for the QC function’s expansion as we move toward our 2027 business goal of profitability.
About our team
Our story and approach to science are anything but conventional. Matt (co-founder/CEO) was a touring punk rock musician who dropped out of University before returning to complete his PhD in cell biology. Jalene (co-founder/COO) is a social researcher by training, previously working on issues from the right to affordable housing to harm reduction. The spark of an idea for our technology came while waiting in line for tiny, Canadian donuts. Our broader team of scientists, engineers, circus performers, restaurateurs, dancers, music aficionados, kid parents, pet parents, cyclists, and artists hail from every corner of the world - from small town Alberta to Poland, India, Vietnam and Pakistan. We credit our diverse team and experiences as the key to our success - and we encourage candidates of all identities and backgrounds to apply.
FAQs
Where is Future Fields located?
Our headquarters and production facility are located in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, in a renovated historic warehouse. From the exposed brick to our summer patio - it’s not your average lab space. It is central, close to transit and bike lanes, and walking distance to some of the city’s best coffee shops, restaurants and Edmonton’s incredible river valley.
I don’t live in Edmonton. Why would I want to relocate there?
Because it’s great! Edmonton is a young, vibrant city that punches way above its weight. We are one of Canada’s sunniest cities and offer an unmatched quality of life with a low cost of living. We’re home to North America’s largest urban parkland (the River Valley is a playground for cyclists and runners), a festival scene that runs year-round, a rapidly growing tech and biotech ecosystem, and we’re exploding with award-winning independent restaurants. It’s a place where you can build a career and a life - without the big-city price tag.
Any other perks?
Many! Some include: comprehensive health, dental and vision benefits; flexible paid time off policy; and the office is always stocked with snacks and all the coffee you can drink.
Will I like working for a startup?
Great question. Startup life is definitely not for everyone. We move quickly. Projects and priorities shift fast. There is a lot of ambiguity and uncertainty at times and we’re not immune to the growing pains of a rapidly scaling startup. The risk is high, but so is the reward. We promise you will never get bored. You will have fun and learn a lot. You will grow personally and professionally in ways you never imagined (alongside our company). You will be part of something much bigger than yourself and contribute directly to the mission of a team who cares deeply about changing the world for the better. Oh, and equity!
Sound like something you are interested in? Here are the next steps:
Apply online using our job portal.
Application deadline: Posting will remain open until a suitable candidate is hired.
If it seems like a good fit, next steps will look somewhat like this:
- We will contact you for a casual 30-minute video call.
- We will set up an interview to dive into your technical skills and motivation.
- We’ll arrange another interview to figure out how you fit with our team and culture, and better understand your career trajectory.
- We will set up a coffee chat with you and a team member. This is your chance to dig in and find out what it’s really like to work for Future Fields. This is for you!
- We will speak with two of your references to confirm our assumption that you are, in fact, our next great hire.
- We offer you a job!
We are committed to building a diverse team and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified individuals, including those with disabilities and candidates from all backgrounds and identities.
Please note that for this specific position, we are unable to provide sponsorship for work authorization; candidates must currently be legally authorized to work in Canada.
Compensation
$75,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year