Research Technician, Quality Assurance (Boston)

About the role

ENAI is seeking a Quality Assurance Technician to join our team and assist in the development of microbial-based agricultural products that increase crop yield and improve stress tolerance using organisms isolated from the plant microbiome. Reporting to the Sr. Manager of ENAI's Culture Collection and Quality Assurance teams, the individual in this role will work closely with our R&D and manufacturing teams to execute quality and stability assessments of our microbial products. The person in this role will have additional responsibilities in laboratory operations, including making media and buffers to support the broader lab team. The ideal candidate should be able to demonstrate excellent sterile technique, be proficient in data collection and entry, and will be comfortable prioritizing time and efforts to process high sample volumes and defined timelines.

Responsibilities

• Microbial sample processing, plating, and CFU determination
• Chemical and physical characterization of products
• Data collection, entry, and management
• Preparation of buffers and media

A typical day involves approximately 70% microbiology sample handling and plating, 15% data collection and entry, and 15% media preparation and laboratory maintenance.

Qualifications

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Biotechnology or related field
• 1-2 years of hands-on laboratory experience in a research or industry setting
• Demonstrated excellence in aseptic technique and sample handling
• Experience with media preparation and microbial cultivation
• Comfortable performing routine tasks while maintaining a high level of precision and meeting tight timelines

Benefits

• Equity options and annual cash incentives
• Generous paid time off including Flexible Time Off, 5 sick days, 12 annual company holidays, plus one week between Christmas and New Year’s for a company‑wide break, parental leave, and bereavement leave
• Robust wellness benefits for employees and eligible dependents: medical, dental, vision, mental health, and basic life and disability insurance
• Optional benefits: Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Health Savings Account (HSA), identity protection, accident, and hospital indemnity insurance
• 401(k) savings plan

Pay

Base salary range: $50,000 – $60,000 annually.