Chief Scientific Officer

Location: Japan (Relocation Supported)

Company: Taka Birth – Pioneers of Artificial Womb & Uterus-on-a-Chip Technologies

Employment Type: Full-Time, Founding Leadership Team

About Taka Birth

Taka Birth is a stealth Biotech on a mission to develop a complete artificial womb system, combining advanced organ-on-a-chip engineering, reproductive biology, and stem cell technology. In response to shifting global policy and biomedical demand—especially following the FDA's recent guidance easing the reliance on animal models—we are accelerating development of a uterus-on-a-chip product for preclinical drug testing. This milestone product will support our next phase: engineering a viable platform for ectogenesis in primates and eventually the ability to reproduce outside of the body.

Position Summary

We are seeking a Chief Scientific Officer to define and lead the scientific vision, research strategy, and technical execution of the company. The ideal candidate will be a pioneering reproductive biologist, bioengineer, or translational scientist with the ambition to lead one of the most disruptive projects in biomedical innovation. You will initially drive development of a uterus organ-on-a-chip platform for disease modeling and drug testing, with a clear commercialization path, before transitioning to advanced ectogenesis modeling in non-human primates.

Key Responsibilities

Scientific & Commercial Strategy

Architect a milestone-driven scientific roadmap balancing short-term product development with long-term artificial womb R&D.

• Strategically prioritize chip-based models for:
• Adenomyosis (quickest path to market)
• Endometriosis (high commercial value, complex biology)
• Uterine Fibroids (large untapped market)
• Asherman’s Syndrome (niche but fast to develop)
• Identify commercial partners in pharma/biotech for early validation and sales of uterus-on-a-chip models.

Research Leadership

• Lead cross-functional teams in stem cell biology, tissue engineering, and microfluidics to develop a physiologically relevant uterine chip system.
• Translate uterine disease pathophysiology into scalable, testable in vitro models for drug screening.
• Support regulatory strategy, IP development, and experimental planning for eventual animal model bypass or progression to primate ectogenesis systems.

Fundraising & Investor Engagement

• Partner with the CEO to deliver a compelling scientific narrative to investors, VCs, and grantmakers.
• Guide the company from seed to $50–100M Series A/B funding by generating a “wow moment” through demonstrable uterus-on-a-chip utility.

Operational & Team Building

• Help design and build a scientific facility (with future capability for primate R&D).
• Recruit, train, and mentor a multidisciplinary research team.
• Collaborate with international scientific advisors, CROs, and academic partners.

Qualifications

Required

• Ph.D. in Reproductive Biology, Bioengineering, Stem Cell Biology, or related field.
• 7+ years of postdoctoral and/or industry leadership experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in uterine or endometrial biology, organoid modeling, or organ-on-chip platforms.
• Track record of scientific innovation, grant writing, and/or venture fundraising support.

Preferred

• Experience building disease-specific organ-on-chip platforms for pharma or diagnostics use.
• Prior success with product development timelines and monetization strategy.
• Experience working with non-human primate models, or in translational research with high ethical/regulatory standards.

Personal Attributes

• Visionary with a strong drive to transform reproductive health technologies.
• Strategic thinker who balances deep science with commercial imperatives.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced startup environment with ambitious goals.
• Willing and excited to relocate to Japan to help build a globally respected biotech firm from the ground up.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary + founding equity stake.
• Full relocation support.
• Autonomy to build your own lab and hire your team.
• Opportunity to make history in reproductive and developmental science.