Research Associate

Research Associate I/II – Bioreactors

Location: San Diego, CA

Employment Type: Full-Time Contract

Contract Duration: 6–12 months

Work Arrangement: Fully onsite, five days per week

BioPhase is seeking a Research Associate I/II with hands-on benchtop bioreactor experience to support an innovative company developing scalable bioprocesses for industrial applications.

In this laboratory-based role, you will design, execute, analyze, and document fermentation experiments, primarily using bioreactors, with occasional work in shake flasks and 96-well plates. You will collaborate with scientists and engineers to optimize cultivation conditions, troubleshoot experiments, and turn early-stage methods into robust, reproducible workflows.

The ideal candidate brings at least two years of relevant experience, strong experimental ownership, and the flexibility to contribute in a fast-moving startup environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, execute, analyze, and document fermentation experiments in bioreactors, with occasional experiments using flasks and 96-well plates.
• Conduct optimization studies, including media development, growth and productivity studies, and cultivation-condition screening.
• Troubleshoot unexpected experimental results and communicate findings and proposed next steps.
• Develop and refine standard operating procedures for new and existing laboratory workflows.
• Prepare, sterilize, and optimize growth media, buffers, and reagents.
• Perform routine cultivation analytics, including optical density measurements, growth monitoring, sampling, sample preparation, and sample submission.
• Maintain accurate experimental records that allow others to reproduce methods and results.
• Analyze and present experimental data clearly to colleagues and project teams.
• Collaborate with scientists, engineers, and research associates to improve reproducibility, scalability, and process robustness.
• Maintain laboratory organization, equipment readiness, and consumable inventory.
• Follow laboratory safety, chemical hygiene, and responsible research practices.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Microbiology, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
• At least two years of relevant laboratory experience.
• Strong hands-on experience operating benchtop bioreactors for cell culture or fermentation.
• Experience independently designing, executing, and troubleshooting optimization experiments, such as media development or growth studies.
• Proficiency with aseptic technique, media and buffer preparation, and routine laboratory analytics.
• Strong attention to detail, organization, and experimental documentation.
• Ability to clearly communicate experimental results and scientific insights.
• Ability to work collaboratively and adapt to evolving priorities in a startup environment.
• Availability to work fully onsite in San Diego, five days per week, for the contract duration.
• Authorization to work for any employer in the United States.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with high-throughput cultivation, microtiter-plate workflows, and associated data handling.
• Experience scripting or automating bioreactor operations, including feed schemes, cascades, setpoint profiles, event triggers, and design-of-experiments (DoE) campaigns.
• Experience using Python, R, or JMP for data analysis.
• Familiarity with electronic laboratory notebooks, laboratory information management systems (LIMS), or inventory systems.