Senior Research Associate, Fermentation

At C16 Biosciences, we believe that palm oil doesn’t have to be a problem. Our team is building a sustainable and environmentally-friendly alternative to “conflict palm oil,” which relies on tropical rainforest deforestation and emits over 1 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year. C16 Bio’s technology platform harnesses naturally-occurring biological processes, improved by the latest innovations in strain engineering, fermentation, and low-cost lipid extraction to produce a better kind of palm oil.
As a Sr. Research Associate, you will join an ambitious, collaborative, and productive team, dedicated to fermentation process development, scale up, and commercialization for production of sustainable palm oil alternatives and other value-added products.  You will be responsible for executing projects to develop and optimize fermentation conditions in shake flasks and lab bioreactors, evaluating new strains & media & feedstock, and preparing high-quality glycerol stocks for industrial research and applications. You will operate lab bioreactors independently while simultaneously leading and completing multiple experiments within project deadlines. You will also mentor junior team members and provide an environment of open communication and learning for shared success. At C16 Bio you will: ·        Provide sound scientific and hands-on technical skills in fermentation research, process development & optimization for microbial production. ·        Assist in developing a detailed working protocol, based on an outlined plan.·        Lead experiments on evaluating feeding strategies, process parameters, new strains & medium & feedstock to improve product yield in lab scale (< 5L) and pilot scale (up to 500L) bioreactors.·        Be responsible for preparing and managing high-quality glycerol stocks of industrial strains.·        Clearly document process, and report data collected from shake flask, lab-scale, and pilot-scale systems using the company’s standard methods. ·        Continuously develop ways to improve throughput of runs with shake flask and bioreactors.·        Assist in generating detailed SOPs and batch records for fermentation operations, process analysis, trouble shootings etc.·        Train new teammate(s) on bioreactor system operations and SOPs updates. ·        Assist with sourcing, maintenance, and validation of critical fermentation equipment. ·        Assist in searching and ordering critical equipment, raw materials, and reagents required for projects. ·        Continuously improve the efficiency of data collection, analysis, and management of assigned processes/projects. Core Competencies:
·        Hands-on experience with aerobic fermentation in shake flasks (100mL - 3L) and lab bioreactors (1L-10L). ·        Experience with DASGIP bioreactor system is a plus.·        Proven successful track record in developing novel fermentation processes and scale-up is a plus.·        Excellent verbal, written, & scientific documentation skills.·        Excellent leadership, organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills, with a strong execution focus.·        Ability to work on weekends and or evenings when needed.·        Ability to lift 30lbs working with media preparation or fermenters. Preferred Qualifications & Experience: ·        3+ years of relevant industrial fermentation experience ·        BS, MS, PhD in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, or a related field.