Industrial Microbiologist - Sumitomo Biorational Company

Description of Job

Responsible for the maintenance of Valent BioSciences’ diverse microbial culture collections and for development of new tools and downstream applications from the collection. This role will drive enhancements to our cell banking systems to increase throughput – enabling greater support of our growing bioreactor fermentation platform which includes automated ambr250 microscale reactors up to pilot scale architectures. This scientist will additionally characterize and maintain all new microbial leads through high throughput screening techniques as well as traditional microbiology tools such as microscopy and phenotypic analysis.

Principal Responsibilities

• Lead Development - Identify new culture collections to leverage and screen for novel product leads in the areas of crop protection, crop enhancement and biostimulants
• Develop and deploy high throughput screening methods to characterize and identify promising leads from large libraries
• Culture Collection Curation - Enhance electronic inventory system by incorporating key metadata to drive downstream applications and migration to sample barcoding
• Implement systems of management for primary and working cell banks and methods of automation to streamline operations
• Upstream/Downstream Processing, Formulation and Quality Control Support
• Support development programs to identify and control foreign growth in production systems within the research environment and collaborate with QC leadership in Manufacturing
• Advance our current practices of viability and spore enumeration
• Coordinate and conduct all work in strict compliance with applicable safety requirements, containment requirements, standard operating practices, and/or guidelines

Desired Skills/Experience

• Track record of achievement in the use of microbial organisms to generate improved strains and processes, ideally in an industrial setting
• Proficient in the use of microscopic analysis and advanced staining techniques to characterize diverse micro-organisms including fungi, yeast, actinomycetes as examples
• Experience using and implementing barcoding systems for sample tracking
• Experience using liquid handlers to automate workflows
• Able to analyze complex problems, effectively utilizes internal multi-disciplinary experience and expertise and external resources experience to develop and execute technical programs, and able to make recommendations to executive management
• Team player at the technical project team level and the executive management level to successfully collaborate with business units and functional partners
• Strong operational and project management skills
• Excellent communication, presentation and listening skills
• Self-starter with good organizational skills
• Will foster a culture of diversity and inclusion

Education

PhD in Microbiology, Biology, Plant Pathology, Biological Engineering or other relevant degree with a minimum of 10 years’ industrial experience supporting microbial cell systems.

Travel

Some travel will be required. (

What We Offer

• Base Salary: The estimated annual base salary for this position ranges from: $150,000 to $195,000 . Individual pay is based upon location, skills, experience, and other relevant factors. Incentives: All full-time employees are eligible for an incentive program or profit-sharing program in addition to their base salary.
• Benefits: High-quality healthcare coverage starting on day one, with options for medical (HSA/HRA), vision, and dental plans5% company contribution to your 401(k), plus a quarterly discretionary bonusImmediate 100% vesting of all retirement contributionsFinancial assistance programs to support your goalsLife and disability insurance for added securityGenerous paid time off, including vacation, holidays, and volunteer days

Our Commitment to a Sustainable Future

At Sumitomo Biorational Company and Valent U.S.A., we’re proud to power a sustainable future through our work. Sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) have been at the core of our culture since the beginning. Today, they continue to drive everything we do. Join us in making a meaningful impact and contributing to a better world.