Associate Engineer, Process R&D

Are you passionate about fermentation and ready to combine hands-on lab work with people and operational leadership?

IFF is a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients and health & biosciences. We deliver sustainable innovations that elevate everyday products.

Health & Biosciences: Channeling our passion for nature and bioscience into sustainable, life-enhancing technologies that power innovative solutions across healthcare, food, consumer, and industrial markets.

The role is based in Palo Alto, CA (on-site). You will join a collaborative, safety-focused, hands-on team where technical expertise and operational excellence are highly valued.

• Oversee daily fermentation laboratory operations, spending the majority of time supporting and executing work on the lab floor
• Actively participate in hands-on fermentation activities, including setup, monitoring, sampling, and troubleshooting
• Ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality execution of fermentation processes and experiments
• Provide day-to-day guidance and support to fermentation technicians during lab activities
• Manage administrative responsibilities, including employee management, scheduling, and performance support
• Oversee equipment readiness, usage, and coordination of maintenance within the fermentation lab
• Ensure compliance with safety, quality, and documentation standards
• Partner with scientists and cross-functional teams to support development, optimization, and scale-up efforts

• Bachelor’s degree in biotechnology, microbiology, biochemistry, chemical engineering, or a related field
• Strong hands‑on experience with fermentation or bioprocess laboratory operations
  - Solid understanding of fermentation workflows, equipment, and laboratory best practices
• Experience working in lab environments with a strong focus on safety and quality
• Ability to balance hands‑on technical work with administrative responsibilities
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
  - Effective communication skills and ability to collaborate across teams

• Previous experience leading, mentoring, or coordinating laboratory technicians
• Exposure to pilot‑scale or industrial fermentation environments
• Flexibility in working hours to support laboratory and operational needs when required

• Opportunity to remain deeply hands‑on while developing leadership capabilities
• Collaborative and inclusive work environment
• Exposure to innovative fermentation technologies and projects
• Professional development and learning opportunities
• Competitive compensation and benefits
• Strong commitment to safety, quality, and sustainability

We are a global leader in taste, scent, and nutrition, offering our customers a broader range of natural solutions and accelerating our growth strategy. At IFF, we believe that your uniqueness unleashes our potential. We value the diverse mosaic of the ethnicity, national origin, race, age, sex, or veteran status. We strive for an inclusive workplace that allows each of our colleagues to bring their authentic self to work regardless of their religion, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, or disability.

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Salary Ranges:

$74872- $93590