Innovation Group Lead – Biotechnology Full-time

Innovation Group Lead – Biotechnology

Belldegrun Center for Innovation and Leadership

Brentwood School, Los Angeles, CA

About the Belldegrun Center for Innovation and Leadership

The Belldegrun Center for Innovation and Leadership engages K-12 students with real-world challenges that culminate in a multi-year independent study program. Students develop their skills as creative, curious, and critical thinkers; collaborators and communicators; innovative problem solvers, and researchers. Independent Study opportunities in the BCIL focus on depth of understanding and span STEM, the arts, humanities, civics, policy, and entrepreneurship.

Position Overview

Brentwood School is expanding the scope of independent research opportunities associated with the BCIL. As such, the School is seeking an experienced Research Lead to join a newly formed innovation group. 

The Biotechnology Innovation Group Lead will mentor exceptional high school students working on independent study projects at the forefront of the most transformative fields in the life sciences. This role requires a professional researcher who can mentor cutting-edge research projects in molecular biology, genetics, synthetic biology, bioengineering, or related areas and lead a research group of students in these disciplines. 

In addition to on-campus research facilities, the Group Lead will also work to place students with leading researchers and companies shaping these technologies. The role also includes teaching 1-2 sections of traditional biology or biotechnology, with the goal, in addition to quality instruction, of broadening student participation in independent research projects.

As the program’s internal aspects grow and succeed, the BCIL also has externally focused goals, including creating and supporting a network of public school teachers to teach modern genomics, supplying the necessary equipment for such experiments, and defining and supporting community-wide research projects. 

Primary Responsibilities

Leadership & Mentorship

• Lead the Biotechnology research program within the BCIL Innovation Group and supervise the supporting team of scientists and research assistants. 
• Principle Investigator supervising students independent study projects in biotechnology
• Develop students’ laboratory skills, data analysis capabilities, and scientific communication
• Foster understanding of both the technical possibilities and ethical implications of biotechnology and the life sciences
• Oversee the IRB process for student research projects
• Guide students through the complete multi-year research cycle from hypothesis generation through implementation and evaluation
• Teach section(s) of traditional biology or biotechnology (general, honors, or AP level)

Project Development & Supervision

• Serve as Principal Investigator for student projects in molecular biology, genetics, synthetic biology, bioengineering, bioinformatics, or biotechnology applications
• Design experiences involving real laboratory techniques, biological datasets, and opportunities for novel contributions
• Provide technical guidance on experimental protocols, controls, troubleshooting, and statistical analysis
• Supervise work with techniques and tools (PCR, gel electrophoresis, cell culture, CRISPR, protein analysis, bioinformatics pipelines, etc.)
• Support students in publishing research, submitting work to science fairs and symposia, or competing in biology and biotech competitions
• Ensure compliance with biosafety standards, ethical guidelines, and regulatory requirements
• Professional Network & Placement
• Connect students with biotechnology and biomedical research labs at UCLA, USC, Caltech, Cedars-Sinai, California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, and industry research divisions in the Los Angeles area and internationally
• Facilitate internships or research placements at biotech companies, pharmaceutical firms, academic research groups, or clinical research settings
• Arrange mentorship with researchers, principal investigators, postdocs, and industry scientists
• Build relationships with the Southern California biotech ecosystem, including startups, accelerators, and investment firms

Curriculum & Program Innovation

• Integrate emerging developments in genomics, immunotherapy, CRISPR gene editing, synthetic biology, drug discovery, or computational biology
• Create interdisciplinary projects applying biotechnology to AI/ML, engineering (biomedical devices), creative arts, social sciences, or other verticals
• Develop laboratory capabilities and access to modern instrumentation, sequencing platforms, or bioinformatics tools
• Address ethical dimensions of biotechnology, including biosafety, equity in medicine, and societal impact

Required Qualifications

• Advanced degree (PhD, or MD-PhD) in biology, biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, or related field
• Experience leading a research group
• Previous mentorship of undergraduate or graduate students in biological or biomedical research
• Significant experience with biotechnology research, biomedical research, or both
• Strong laboratory skills and experience with modern biotechnology techniques and instrumentation
• Track record of research publications, contributed open-source bioinformatics tools, or recognized scientific work
• Deep understanding of both theoretical foundations and practical laboratory applications
• Active engagement with the biotechnology research or professional communities

To Apply

Submit a letter of interest describing your scientific background, research accomplishments, vision for introducing students to cutting-edge biotechnology, and connections within the Los Angeles biomedical research community, along with a CV and links to publications, code repositories, or project portfolios to [Please click the Apply button for the link or address]. The compensation range is $140k to $200k, based on experience. Brentwood School offers half-tuition remission for all children of employees attending the school.

Tagged as: Life Sciences