Process Engineer, BioProcessing

 Indigo improves grower profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health through the use of natural microbiology and digital technologies. Utilizing beneficial plant microbes and agronomic insights, Indigo works with growers to sustainably produce high quality harvests. The company then connects growers and buyers directly to bring these harvests to market. Working across the supply chain, Indigo is forwarding its mission of harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet. The company is headquartered in Boston, MA, with additional offices in Memphis, TN, Research Triangle Park, NC, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and São Paulo, Brazil. http://www.indigoag.com/      

The Process Engineer will take ownership of mechanical, controls, and support systems for pilot plant and bioprocessing operations, including managing external vendors and partners. Along with the below mentioned responsibilities, this person will the lead the optimization of fermentation and DSP processes for scaling, efficiency, and predictability. 

Responsibilities:

• Design and Execution of bench- and pilot-scale experiments for development and characterization of microbial (bacterial and fungal) fermentation processes, including solid state systems
• Developing and execution of reliable quantitative biological assays to monitor microbial growth and stability of biological products
• Design and review of control parameters for standard and novel/custom systems
• Scouting for new technologies and proposing integration strategies
• Writing, reviewing, and approval of technical documentation including development protocols, experimental reports, batch records, and SOPs to both internal and external stakeholders
• Work collaboratively across functions and departments to coordinate complex, long-term experiments
• Interpret and communicate experimental progress and results to team members and provide timely recommendations for advancing Indigo's microbial technologies
• Routine maintenance, modification, and repair of equipment as needed
• Ensuring all operations are safely executed

Competencies:

• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
• Proactive with self-prioritization; organized, methodical, and meticulous
• Ability to manage more than one workstream at a time, good managerial and time management skills
• Ability to work efficiently across functions and with diverse teams of collaborators spanning disciplines and geographies
• Critical thinking
• Effectively manages complexity and change
• Attention to detail and precise record keeping
• Ability to work independently and efficiently across functions
• Ability to maintain data integrity while automating simple data handling tasks
• Ability to follow and author effective SOPs

Qualifications:

• B.S. degree in biochemistry, microbiology, or (bio-)chemical engineering with >4 years OR M.S. degree in biochemistry, microbiology, or (bio-)chemical engineering with >2 years of industry experience
• Experience and familiarity with various processing unit operations; particle size reduction, filtration, etc. 
• Experience in systems controls and automation – sensors, valves, pumps, etc.
• Mechanically inclined, experience in equipment repair and maintenance
• Expertise with DoE, optimization, and analysis; JMP experience preferred
• Fermentation process experience required
• Solid state fermentation experience preferred
• Ability to read and create PFDs, PIDs
• Expertise in root cause analysis
• Proficiency with microbial cultivation, biochemical and viability assays
• Ability to translate technical plans into functional validation experiments

This position is considered essential and the successful applicant will be required to report in person as allowed by any currently in force COVID19-related restrictions

Indigo is committed to living our values, specifically “creating a work environment where everyone feels respected, connected, and has opportunities to learn and grow.” As part of living our values, we strive to create a diverse and inclusive work environment where everyone feels they can be themselves and has an equal opportunity of succeeding.