Fermentation Scientist

Title: Founding Fermentation Scientist 

Location: Brooklyn, New York

Work Location: Hybrid 

Job type: Part-time with a transition to full-time 

Job Description:

We are seeking a Founding Scientist to join our Fermentation Process Development team at our Brooklyn-based team. This position involves research and development activities involving aerobic fermentations for PHA biopolymer development.  The individual will be a hands-on bench scientist responsible for the design and execution of scientific activities critical to company strategies. This leadership position involves the management, hiring of research associates and interns, and cultivating a culture of kindness, respect, and growth. 

Responsibilities:

• Design, execute, and analyze critical fermentation process development experiments to maximize understanding of PHA cultivation, optimize key performance metrics, and improve fermentation for yield and material performance.

• Contribute to the development of new principles, concepts, and methods to enable process development, scale-up of processes to pilot scale, and technology transfer to manufacturing scale

• Conduct laboratory bench work to execute, optimize, and troubleshoot fermentation process operations

• Analyze, summarize, and present experimental results to expedite development in a collaborative team environment

• Interface with multidisciplinary groups and represent fermentation process expertise at scientific and project meetings

• Lead science operations, interviewing and hiring associates and interns

• Participate in leadership meetings and take responsibility for cultivating an empathetic scientific environment

• Cultivate a culture of kindness, learning, and growth

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering/Microbiology or related scientific field plus 5+ years in a fermentation research and development position demonstrating technical proficiency and independent thought in executing research activities

• Demonstrated hands-on experience and knowledge of fermentation science and biochemical engineering principles, theory, and practice

• Hands-on experience with optimization of cultivation media, aerobic fermentation process monitoring/control, and operations at laboratory scale

• Hands-on experience with microbial cultivation and aseptic techniques

• Preferred experience with automated process control strategies with feedback and feed-forward logic

• Ability to translate lab formulations to manufacturing partners and lead efforts to scale PHA production 

• Familiarity and ability to work with common fermentation laboratory equipment: fermentors or bioreactors (Caladan, and others), autoclave, pH meter, laboratory scales and balances, centrifuge, fermentation process control software (Caladan or others), and others

• Ability to work in a fermentation laboratory and routinely handle and lift equipment up to 40 pounds

• Ability to work independently and in a multidisciplinary research team

• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing

• Proficiency with MS Office suite and ability to utilize new software/automation tools for scientific and business activities

• Ability to occasionally work off-shift hours as required for microbial cultivation processes

• Occasional travel to support business activities such as technology transfer and manufacturing support as necessary

Would be great to have but not necessary:

• PHA experience 

• Biopolymer experience 

• Lab management experience