Associate Principal Scientist, Fermentation - Lexington, MA

Associate Principal Scientist, Fermentation –

Location:

Lexington, MA, USA

Are you passionate about advancing fermentation science and making a global impact? Join our purpose‑driven team at dsm‑firmenich, where innovation, diversity, and sustainability are at the heart of everything we do. We are continuing to build out our best‑in‑class fermentation capability at our Boston, MA Biotechnology Research and Development site to accelerate biotech and microbiome initiatives.

• Define the Lexington fermentation strategy and roadmap; champion best practices in aerobic and anaerobic processing from millilitre to 10L scales.
• Drive continuous improvement of methods, experimental setups, and workflows across R&D teams.
• Mentor, coach, and empower a diverse team of scientists and engineers, fostering an inclusive environment.
• Serve as a problem‑solving consultant to internal and external project team members, including laboratory and biomanufacturing personnel.
• Lead communications with internal collaborators, third parties, and strategic partners.
• Work closely with the Lexington Strain Engineering Team and Microbiome Team to direct the development and implementation of (an) erobic fermentation protocols to identify improved organisms and develop novel processes.
• Coordinate cross‑site experiments and knowledge transfer; clearly communicate progress and risks to stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance to quality, environmental, occupational health & safety procedures; uphold aseptic techniques and contamination control.
• Promote a positive, safe and compliant work environment.
• Work setting:
  Lab‑based leadership role with hands‑on experimentation and on‑the‑shopfloor coaching.

• PhD plus 8years of experience or MSc plus 15years of experience in Fermentation Science, Biotechnology, Biochemical Engineering, Metabolic Engineering, Microbiology, or related field – or equivalent industry experience.
• Extensive experience with bench scale (10ml to 10L) anaerobic and aerobic microbial fermentation equipment and technology leveraging yeast, fungi, and bacteria.
• Understanding of scale‑up / scale‑down of fermentation and downstream recovery operations.
• Broad microbial physiology and gut microbiome research expertise is a strong plus.
• Previous industry and direct team leadership experience with excellent project management and organizational skills (minimum 5years of team leadership required).
• Exposure to lab automation workflows and digital bioprocess tools; comfort contributing to internal digital platforms.
• Experience with data analysis and statistical software packages.
• Background collaborating with strain engineering and analytical chemistry teams (omics, modelling, protein engineering) to translate strain capabilities into bioprocess wins.
• Organized, quality‑minded, problem‑solving orientation; thrives in collaborative, interdisciplinary environments as well as with external collaborator R&D settings.

Competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, flexible work arrangements, and support for personal and professional growth.

Salary: $150,000 – $190,000. The position is also eligible for bonuses and benefits, which are not included in the pay scale provided. Individual pay will be based on the applicant's job‑related skills, experience, relevant education, or training, and primary work location.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds who meet the experience criteria and share our commitment to scientific excellence and teamwork. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we are serious about making our hiring process as fair and inclusive as possible. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds—no matter your gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or anything else that makes you, you.

If you have a disability or need any support through the application process, we are here to help.