Research And Development Specialist

Downstream Process Scientist/Engineer Clean Food Group | Sustainable Oils Biotechnology Startup

Location: UK (Knowsley, Liverpool)

Type: Full-time, on-site

Experience: Industry or PhD-level experience welcomed

Clean Food Group is an ambitious biotechnology startup on a mission to make our food system cleaner, more sustainable, and more resilient. We harness oleaginous yeast culturing them on waste food to produce a range of oils, fat and alternative products to replace tropical oils, creating the next-generation of ingredients produced locally, deforestation-free with GHG reductions of over 90%.

We’re growing fast and have just moved into our 1 million litre fermentation facility, capable of producing 1000’s of tonnes of yeast per year. We are now looking for a Downstream Specialist to play a key role in our R&D team developing the next generation of products.

As a Downstream Specialist at Clean Food Group, you’ll be hands-on in the lab, driving development of our solventless downstream stream process to produce purified oils and fats from early experimentation through to scale-up. You’ll work in our R&D team, closely liaising with our Manufacturing team to optimise the downstream process performance, improve yields, and translate lab-scale success into a scaled-up process.

This is a brilliant opportunity for someone who wants real ownership, fast learning, and the chance to shape a technology with genuine global impact.

• Designing, running, and analysing lab-based experiments in downstream processing of the yeast
• Optimising yields, reducing chemical loadings, and honing process conditions
• Supporting scale-up from the lab to the pilot scale (300 L), including supporting the manufacturing team in taking the techniques to 10,000L and beyond
• Collecting, analysing, and interpreting experimental data
• Maintaining accurate lab records and contributing to IP generation
• Collaborating across R&D, engineering, and commercial teams
• Helping to build robust, repeatable processes

• Degree (BSc, MSc, or PhD) in Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Chemistry or a related field
• Hands-on experience (3 year+) with downstream processing of biomass or microbial processes
• Strong experimental design and data analysis skills
• A practical, problem-solving mindset
• Comfort working in a fast-moving startup environment
• Passion for sustainable food and climate-positive technologies

• Experience with scale-up or pilot-scale processing
• Fermentation knowledge
• Experience in food, ingredient, or industrial biotech sectors

• Work on technology with real environmental and commercial impact
• Join a friendly, driven, and mission-led team
• High level of ownership and influence from day one
• Fast learning and career development in a growing startup
• Competitive salary (£35,000 - £45,000 pa-1, depending on experience) and benefits
• We provide an equal, supportive and inclusive culture and embrace a diverse mix of talent to contribute to that. Therefore, we welcome all applications - regardless of gender (including gender reassignment), sex or sexual orientation, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origin), religion/belief, disability or age.

If you’re excited by taking lab-based ideas to commercial scale, food biotech, and building something meaningful from the ground up, we’d love to hear from you.

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Apply by emailing me directly (chrisup) with your CV and a short note about why Clean Food Group interests you