Founding COO | R&D Operations

Tolvac Therapeutics is a Utrecht University spinout developing a tolerogenic nanoparticle platform for autoimmune disease, with the goal of enabling drug-free remission for patients currently dependent on lifelong immunosuppression. The company is initially operating from university laboratory facilities under a facility-use agreement, providing access to established infrastructure while building toward independent operations.

Founding COO | R&D Operations

We are looking for a Founding COO to build the company alongside the CEO, taking ownership of laboratory operations, external development partnerships, and company execution. This is an R&D operations role, not a commercial or manufacturing operations position. We are looking for someone who wants to build a lab and operational infrastructure from the ground up at a pre-seed biotech, not manage an established organization. This role is about creating the operational foundation that will enable our science to move efficiently from the lab toward the clinic, while freeing the CEO to focus on scientific leadership and fundraising.

What you'll do

• Establish and oversee the company's laboratory operations, initially within our university-hosted facilities and supporting the transition to independent infrastructure as the company grows.
• Build and manage relationships with CROs, suppliers, and other external partners.
• Lead day-to-day company operations, including procurement, facilities, budgeting, and operational planning.
• Design scalable systems and processes that allow the company to remain lean while growing.
• Work closely with the CEO to translate scientific strategy into execution and help shape the company's long-term direction.

What we're looking for

• Prior experience as a founding team member at an early-stage biotech or life sciences company is a strong differentiator.
• Experience building and scaling operations in an early-stage biotech or life sciences company.
• Comfortable establishing laboratory operations and operational systems in a startup environment.
• Strong understanding of biotechnology and experimental workflows.
• Highly organized, pragmatic, and comfortable wearing multiple hats.
• Excited to join at the pre-seed stage and help build a company from the ground up.
• Based in or willing to regularly commute to Utrecht, the Netherlands; hybrid working with regular on-site presence

What we offer

• A genuine founding leadership role with significant ownership and decision-making responsibility.
• Meaningful co-founder equity.
• The opportunity to help build a company around a scientifically differentiated platform with the potential to transform autoimmune disease treatment.
• A collaborative, ambitious founding team with strong scientific foundations and growing momentum.

Compensation: Equity-weighted at this stage, with salary introduced and increasing as funding milestones are achieved. This is initially a part-time role, scaling to full-time as the company grows.

Interested? We'd love to hear from you!