Senior Principal Scientist, Microbial Process Operations

Senior Principal Scientist, Microbial Process Operations

2 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants

Get AI-powered advice on this job and more exclusive features.

The Microbial Process Operations (MPO) Team is seeking a Senior Principal Scientist with expertise in microbial process development for the production of enzymes used in biocatalysis. Our team is part of Continuous & Expression Technologies (CET) within the Process Research & Development – Enabling Technologies (PR&D – ET) group, focused on advancing technologies for the manufacturing of diverse biomolecules, including novel biotherapeutics, vaccines, and engineered enzymes.

As a senior scientific leader, the successful candidate will shape strategy, drive innovation, and ensure robust, scalable, and compliant microbial fermentation processes that meet or exceed performance targets. This position offers the opportunity to contribute directly to our company's mission to deliver transformative medicines and sustainable manufacturing solutions through cutting‑edge microbial technologies.

The ideal candidate is a recognized leader in the field, with demonstrated success in process development for the production of industrial enzymes. The role involves collaboration with cross‑functional teams to address challenges throughout the entire lifecycle of enzyme manufacturing from discovery to commercial supply. As a senior member of the team, the applicant will also contribute to setting and executing the scientific strategy for enzyme fermentation process development, as well as helping to recruit and develop talent within the team.

Strong interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion, are essential. The applicant should embrace and model core values and foster a supportive culture where all employees can thrive.

• Partner with functional area project teams and subject matter experts to establish and implement the scientific strategy for upstream and downstream process development, optimization, and technical innovation.
• Provide scientific oversight for the microbial process team, leading the planning, implementation, and documentation of experiments for the adoption and development of innovative technologies.
• Lead the design and execution of bench‑scale process development experiments to meet various project requirements, with the ultimate aim of delivering robust processes for scale‑up and manufacturing.
• Work collaboratively to proactively identify risks and associated solutions to ensure on‑time delivery of project deliverables.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to support technology transfer, scale‑up activities, and process robustness.
• Mentor junior scientists to become our company's next generation of scientific leaders.
• Champion laboratory safety, compliance, and best practices, fostering a culture of scientific and technical excellence.
• Represent our company externally through conference presentations, publications, and other relevant venues.

• Ph.D. with 15+ years of relevant industry experience
• Master’s degree with 18+ years of relevant industry experience
• Bachelor’s degree with 20+ years of relevant industry experience in chemical engineering, bioengineering, biological sciences, or related fields

• Demonstrated success in fermentation process development and optimization, ideally in industrial enzymes.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills to overcome both technical and non‑technical challenges.
• Demonstrated success leading scale‑down model development along with scale‑up and technology transfer from R&D to pilot and commercial manufacturing scales.
• Demonstrated ability to lead projects or programs and serve as a technical resource across multiple areas.
• Demonstrated coaching and mentoring experience.
• Excellent organizational, documentation and problem‑solving skills, with a strong commitment to rigorous safety and quality standards.
• Strong track record of peer‑reviewed publications and research presentations.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary teams and promote diversity and inclusion.