Associate Scientist, Upstream Process Development

Job Description

Job Description

Process Development & Scale-Up Associate

Candidates must be authorized to work in the US without current or future visa sponsorship. No C2C or third-party agencies.

Remote - ideally located in the Midwest region or in Durham, NC

Salary - $90,000 - $120,000

About the Company

A science-first company developing the next generation of probiotic and live microbial products. With a lean, collaborative team, this is a high-impact role where your work directly shapes how products get made and scaled. The position sits within the Supply Chain and Operations team, reporting to the Senior Director of Operations.

The Role

You'll own the bench-to-manufacturing journey for fermentation processes — developing, optimizing, and transferring microbial fermentation processes from lab scale through commercial production. You'll be the technical bridge between R&D and manufacturing partners, ensuring live culture products are scalable, reproducible, and commercially viable.

What You'll Do

• Develop and optimize microbial fermentation processes (batch, fed-batch, continuous) from shake flask through pilot to manufacturing scale
• Lead or support technology transfer to CMO/CDMO partners — authoring transfer packages, executing scale-down models, and troubleshooting deviations
• Design and execute DOE studies to characterize critical process parameters (CPPs) and define process design space
• Author SOPs, batch records, and technical reports in support of GMP manufacturing
• Support downstream processing including filtration, centrifugation, and formulation steps relevant to live culture products
• Collaborate cross-functionally with R&D, Quality, and Supply Chain to hit program milestones

What We're Looking For

• 3–7 years of hands-on microbial fermentation process development experience (bacteria, yeast, or fungi)
• Direct experience scaling fermentation processes beyond lab bench — pilot or manufacturing scale strongly preferred
• Exposure to CMO/CDMO partnerships or technology transfer in a GMP context
• Proficiency with DOE methodologies; JMP or similar statistical tools a plus
• Experience with live probiotic, anaerobic, or food-grade microbial strains is a strong differentiator
• Downstream processing experience (TFF, diafiltration, spray drying, or lyophilization) a plus
• Strong technical writing — SOPs, protocols, tech transfer packages
• BS/MS/PhD in Chemical Engineering, Microbiology, Bioengineering, or related field

Remote-first with periodic in-person collaboration.