Fermentation Team Lead

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Job description

Kelly Services is currently seeking a Fermentation Team Lead for a Direct Hire role in San Diego.

Job Title: Fermentation Team Lead

The company is a metabolic engineering company in San Diego, CA, focused on the use of gene editing tools to construct commercially useful strains of microorganisms, and develop optimized fermentation and chemical processes to maximize their commercial advantage. The company is seeking a highly capable and experienced Senior Group Leader to run our Fermentation team.

Summary:

The Fermentation Team Lead provides the scientific and engineering leadership for upstream bioprocess design from laboratory scale to commercial scale. This individual will lead the fermentation laboratory and pilot plant personnel to develop efficient and economic fermentation processes utilizing yeast and bacterial strains for the commercial production of high value specialty chemical ingredients for cosmetic, nutrition or flavor and fragrance applications. This individual will work closely with the Strain Development group in metabolic engineering of yeast and bacteria, especially Yarrowia lipolytica .

Responsibilities:

• Provide the scientific and engineering support for the Fermentation team, contributing the theoretical and scientific background for defining fermentation strategy for projects and data-driven experimental planning. Experience in fermentation media optimization and DOE. Carry out data analysis and interpretation of lab-scale and pilot plant fermentation experiments.
• Provide scientific direction and operational guidance for the Fermentation team for the execution of laboratory and pilot-plant activities. Engage in laboratory activities as needed, e.g., when unique expertise is required, and/or as backup for the fermentation team in times of high demand.
• In partnership with the Fermentation lab team, complete the establishment of rigorous protocol-driven operational practices in the fermentation group at all scales of operation.
• Work with the Strain Development team to develop screening methods to identify promising new strains, including incorporation of high throughput screening methods. Providing expertise in pathway modeling, metabolic flux analysis, and metabolic engineering to support strain design goals.
• Collaborate with the Downstream Processing team to design and execute scale-up, scale-down, and process optimization experiments to improve purification and technology transfer.
• Engage in inter-team feedback to drive iterative refinement of all processes toward product goals. This entails

coordinating with Strain Development, Downstream Processing, and Analytical teams for transfer of information and materials to improve titer, yield, purity, and ease of downstream processing.Communicate process challenges upstream and downstream.

• Work with the CEO to deploy cost modelling tools to assess potential projects and identify target parameters for projects in progress.
• Participate in the technology transfer of fermentation processes to the Pilot Plant and to commercial partners. Partner transfer includes preparing technology transfer documents, maintaining relationships and communication with commercial partners, and leading the team to provide technical support for the technology transfer.
• Provide technical insight and an engineering perspective into potential new partner projects.
• Mentorship and development of fermentation personnel to achieve individual and collective success.
• Act as an effective collaborator, both internally and externally. Effective at influencing positive change and direction within the organization. Interface with and positively influence customers, partners, and service providers.

Qualifications:

• BS/MS/PhD in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, or related field with 5/3/2 years of industrial experience in biotechnology process development is required
• Broad knowledge and experience of fermentation operations for biochemical production is required.
• Solid knowledge of metabolic engineering, microbial genetics, physiology and molecular biology of microorganisms as applied to fermentation.
• Experience with metabolic engineering of Yarrowia lipolytica a plus.
• Experience with detailed analysis of bioprocess data demonstrating an ability to troubleshoot, debottleneck, and optimize bioprocesses at the unit operation and whole process level.
• Experience managing technology transfer including creating and managing technology transfer documentation and communication with external partners to ensure proper application of transferred technology is required.
• Project management experience including balancing competing priorities, setting and meeting milestones, risk assessment, and managing resources to achieve project goals is desired.
• Experience developing proposals and estimating project requirements for new business opportunities is desired.
• Strong computer skills including MS office and data analysis software is required.

Areas of Expertise Desired: Fermentation technology, experimental design and data analysis, metabolic engineering, financial modelling, and project management.

Reports to: President/CEO

You should know: Your safety matters! Vaccination against COVID-19 may be a requirement for this job in compliance with current client and governmental policies. A Kelly recruiter will confirm and share more details with you during the interview process.

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Kelly is an equal opportunity employer committed to employing a diverse workforce, including, but not limited to, minorities, females, individuals with disabilities, protected veterans, sexual orientation, gender identity. Equal Employment Opportunity is The Law.

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