Sr. Research Associate II / Scientist

Indigo is a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet. With a vision of creating a world where farming is an economically desirable and accessible profession, Indigo Ag works alongside its growers to apply natural approaches, conserve resources for future generations, and grow healthy food for all. Indigo’s Biological Products, Marketplace, and Carbon offerings improve grower profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health. Indigo Marketplace is a platform connecting growers with a network of buyers to secure optimal prices for their crops and offers hands-on control of a grower’s business through a range of pricing tools, real-time national bid discovery, and automated grain sales. Carbon by Indigo is a platform paying growers for increases in soil carbon content and decreases in greenhouse gas emissions. It helps growers realize additional revenue, healthier soils, and a more resilient farm by participation in a market of high-quality carbon credits – supported by rigorous quantification standards. The company is headquartered in Boston, MA, with additional offices in Memphis, TN, Research Triangle Park, NC, Basel, Switzerland, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and São Paulo, Brazil.

Indigo’s Biological Products organization develops products based upon our deep understanding of the plant microbiome. The company has commercialized such products for cotton, wheat, barley, corn, soybeans, and rice in North America, Latin America, and Europe under the biotrinsic™ brand. Our R&D and product development teams are working to continue to develop products that address the growing number of abiotic and biotic stresses that crops experience worldwide.

This is a hands-on laboratory working position for microbial product quality analysis and providing assistance to QA/QC team manager by guiding team members technical aspect of the operation. The successful candidate will have an advance (MS or higher) in microbiology, biology, biochemistry, or a related field and more than 3 years of micro-organism research and development lab work plus 3 years microbial product QA/QC analysis experience.

Responsibilities:

• Develop new and improve current microbial product quality analysis methods
• Be a technical expert for QA/QC team. Coach/mentor junior team members by sharing technical knowledge and expertise of microbiology, biology, biochemistry, and assist in technical troubleshooting for product QC analysis
• Conduct analysis of Indigo's microbial products by following SOPs, recording observations and reporting outcomes to stakeholders including QA/QC team lead
• Assist with coordination of daily lab operations
• Oversee media plate production and quality control activities
• Work collaboratively with QA/QC, Bioprocessing, Formulations, and other teams in the Biological Products department
• Support other R&D functions for Quality Document Management processes
• Periodical review of Quality Documents (SOPs and etc.)

Competencies:

The candidate will be skilled in one or more of the following areas:

• Product Quality analysis for microbial products (food or probiotic QA/QC experience is plus)
• Consistent execution of operations and an innovative mindset
• Development of bio-analytical techniques for product QA/QC analysis purposes
• Applicable knowledge of the physiology of microorganisms
• Ability to perform technical troubleshooting and root cause analysis

The candidate should also possess the following qualities:

• Customer-centric (internal and external) operation mindset
• Ability to work in a dynamic and fast paced environment
• Flexibility and acceptance of change
• Positive attitude under stress
• Appropriate balance of confidence and humility. Ability to accept constructive feedback and possesses a desire to continuously improve
• Observant with a strong attention to detail
• Collaborative by nature, “Team Player”
• Perform laboratory work in a clean and safe manner
• Strong organizational skills and a commitment to documentation and record keeping
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

The specific level and title of the candidate will be dependent on the candidate’s qualifications and experience, but in general will be as an individual contributor at the Sr. Research Associate II or Scientist level. 

We’re building the technology to feed the world and fight climate change. We believe that through teamwork we can achieve more to benefit all of agriculture: from farmers to consumers to the planet. Game changers don't fit in a box. The requirements listed above are examples of what we think enables success in this role, but we recognize the impossibility of fully capturing a singularly perfect description, and we believe in the power of diversified and creative displays of skills and qualifications. We embrace unconventional. We embrace creativity. We embrace a challenge to the status quo. If the specifications in the list below aren’t an exact match... great! Apply, be you, and be proud that you aren’t ordinary (we certainly aren’t!).

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status