Our S.Cal client is taking the lead in regenerative soil – putting life back into over-treated, synthetically managed soils to re-establish a healthy, dynamic, soil microbiome resulting in improved plant growth and overall health. With over 100 isolated, natural soil microbes and a custom blend of soil nutrients to help restore healthy soil structure, Many plants—from trees to row crops to horticulturally grown food and flowers—have been shown in over 200 field trials to benefit from this regenerative agriculture approach.
Recently closing a $30M round of funding and Headquartered in La Jolla, CA, we are helping to find a highly skilled microbiologist/mycologist with a strong background in isolation and strain development of microbes and/or fungi. Ideally, this will be coupled with extensive experience in aseptic techniques and environmental microbiology. This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled individual who wants to elevate their capabilities in agricultural and environmental research within a dynamic and entrepreneurial environment. As a well-funded startup, you can expect to grow with the organization in terms of knowledge and responsibility. Already the company has a product line which it is expanding.
This Full-time role will be largely in person and onsite at the company lab in La Jolla.
Key Responsibilities:
- Conduct isolation and strain development of microbial and fungal species suitable for solid state fermentation processes.
- Employ aseptic techniques to ensure the purity and integrity of fermentation cultures.
- Design and execute experiments to characterize fermentation parameters and optimize production yields.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate various microbial strains into product development pipelines.
- Optimize and scale fermentation processes to meet production targets efficiently.
- Troubleshoot fermentation processes and implement corrective actions as needed.
- Stay current with advancements in microbiology, and related fields to inform process improvements.
- Maintain accurate records of experiments, results, and process parameters for documentation and analysis.
- Be committed to accuracy, work flows, systems, and processes.
- Be comfortable working under pressure and meeting tight deadlines.
- Be self-motivated, professional, detail-oriented, and possess excellent oral and written communication skills
- Be innovative, passionate about R&D, and collaborative.
- Accept constructive criticism gracefully, embrace idea exchanges, and maintain an open mind
Qualifications
- Master’s, or Ph.D. degree in microbiology, mycology, biology, or a related field.
- Proven experience in isolation and strain development of microbial and fungal species.
- Familiarity with aseptic techniques and laboratory best practices.
- Experience in scaling fermentation processes from lab to pilot or production scale.
- Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot complex fermentation issues.
- Effective communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work in interdisciplinary teams.
Unrestricted, current US work authorization is required.
Ability to reliably commute to La Jolla, CA 92037 is required
Work Location: In person
To apply for this position, confidentially email us here.