The Opportunity

We are hiring a Fermentation Engineer to join our rapidly expanding R&D team and provide crucial support to the Fermentation group for the fast-paced, goal-driven development of the company’s unique carbon conserving fermentation bioprocesses. This role is a growth-based opportunity to acquire extensive, diverse experiences and skills associated with microbial fermentations, strain optimization, and downstream bioprocessing. The Fermentation Engineer will also have the opportunity to assist with the build-out & expansion of the Fermentation Group’s capabilities with state-of-the-art technologies as well as to collaborate with other internal R&D groups and the company’s external partners.

Responsibilities

• Routinely lead the hands-on setup, execution, and clean-up of bench-scale bioreactors for high cell density microbial fermentations toward improving bioprocess parameters such as media formulations and optimized enzyme expression

• Perform benchmarking studies to characterize strain performance and meet project milestones centered around production titers, rates, and yields

• Carry out high-throughput, microtiter plate-based cell culture workflows for bioprocess development, strain adaptation/evolution, and screening purposes

• Sampling, sample processing, and sample analyses for cell cultures and fermentation-related experiments

• Interface with the company’s data management system to record fermentation-based data and implement statistical analyses on large data sets

• Manage the streamlined operation of the Fermentation Group by routinely preparing sterile materials, reagents, and media as well as maintaining the group’s chemicals and consumables inventories

• Assist with the expansion of the group’s capabilities by exploring new technologies and strategies to improve experimental throughput and support scale-up efforts

• Support the maintenance of the company’s fermentation technologies via hands-on equipment troubleshooting & repair

• Collaborate with other R&D groups at the company such as the Strain Engineering and Process Development & Scale-up teams

Qualifications

• MS or BS in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Fermentation Science, Biochemistry, or a related discipline

• MS with 1+ years (or BS degree with 2+ years) of industrial/startup experience working directly with lab-scale fermentations is required

• Hands-on experience with different aspects of fermentation R&D such as media design & preparation, fed-batch & chemostats operations, microaerobic & anaerobic fermentations, strain evolution studies, and scale-down fermentation technologies (BioLector, Ambr)

• Past work with implementing design of experiment (DoE) methods for strain screening/characterization and bioprocess development

• Solid fundamental knowledge of biochemical engineering principles including mass balance, mass transfer, reactor design, growth dynamics, and correlations between microbial physiology and fermentation/bioprocess performance

• Familiarity with commercial bioreactor systems and control software; fermentation-related accessory technologies; and statistics, data analysis tools, and data management software

• Rigorous attention to details with experimental design, execution, and record keeping

• Keen sense for both physical (lab) and data-oriented organization

• Excellent time management skills, effective with multitasking, and an adept ability to improvise work plans while maintaining efficiency

• Capability and willingness to work extended days, off-peak hours, and weekends

ZymoChem offers full-time employees a competitive base salary and benefits package, and the company is an equal opportunity employer. If this position aligns with your career aspirations, please apply using the form below.