Chief Scientific Officer & Co-Founder

About Us
Terra35 Biosystems Limited is an Irish-incorporated deep-tech biotechnology company growing bio-identical vanilla through plant cell culture. Our closed-loop bioreactor performs both the growing and the curing of vanilla in a single continuous process, replacing the agricultural cultivation step and the 3 to 6 month manual post-harvest cure that define the conventional vanilla supply chain.
Terra35 is an impact company. Relieving the pressure that food production places on the planet is the reason the company exists. We sell business-to-business to consumer packaged goods manufacturers and flavor houses, and we treat vanilla as the entry point into a broader ingredient platform.
We have stabilized a vanilla cell suspension at Technology Readiness Level 4, we work through active research and development partnerships across Europe, we have been selected for MassChallenge Switzerland 2026 and the EIT Food Accelerator Network in Munich, and we have secured our first angel investment as we open our next round. Terra35 was co-founded by Meagan Gleason and Tanya Thornton.

What Makes This Job Great
This is a founding role rather than a senior hire. You will own the science of Terra35 from the ground up, you will hold founding equity, and you will take an equal seat at the founding table. The scientific vision, the technical roadmap, the development priorities and the oversight of our research partners are yours to set and to defend. Very few scientific leaders get to define a category. Vanilla is 1 of the most valuable flavor ingredients in the world and 1 of the most fragile supply chains in the world, and the person who solves it will have built something that lasts.

Responsibilities
Own the scientific vision, strategy and roadmap for the Terra35 platform, and decide which scientific questions the company pursues.
Guide the platform from discovery through to product substantiation, setting the milestones that measure progress.
Own scientific oversight of external development partners and research organizations.
Cultivate, chair and lead the Scientific Advisory Board, and recruit its senior advisors.
Build and lead the Terra35 scientific organization over time.
Serve as the senior scientific voice with investors, customers, regulators and the wider scientific community, including pitch meetings and scientific diligence.
Lead the scientific input into intellectual property strategy, patent strategy and freedom-to-operate.
Provide the scientific leadership that underpins regulatory pathways and data packages.
Act as a Co-Founder, contributing to company strategy, governance, financing and culture alongside the founding team.