Bioprocess Engineer

About Oath

Oath is a leading microbial sciences company that utilizes microbes and plants to offer innovative solutions to some of the most critical challenges facing our planet - the climate crisis and the shift to sustainable agriculture. We imagine a world where these crises are not just alleviated, but reversed, replenishing Earth's microbiomes. By leveraging the latest science‑based insights, Oath provides a natural soil inoculant solution that fosters a healthier and more sustainable world for future generations.

When you join Oath, you become part of a collaborative network that prioritizes conducting high‑quality scientific research. You will have access to a team of highly trained scientists, study directors, and a wide network of collaborators, enabling you to integrate and enhance your existing skill set.

The Bioprocess Engineer applies their expertise to develop and implement commercial scale production processes for Oath’s soil inoculant production. Production processes for a wide range of microorganisms include inoculum / seed train, submerged or solid‑substrate fermentation, downstream concentration, drying, & grinding of biomass, product formulation and packaging. The Bioprocess engineer uses process data to ensure batches are optimized for growth, completed on time, within budget, and meet quality standards and to drive data‑driven continuous improvement.

As an engineering lead, you will also be responsible for selecting, installing, and validating equipment. Additionally, you will be expected to collect and analyze process data from contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) and work with them to implement process improvements.

This role also involves working closely with the Director of Operations to jointly foster a collaborative project environment.

• Rapidly develop downstream processing (DSP) for the concentration, formulation, drying, and grinding of microorganisms that preserves viability and ensures multi‑year shelf life of dry active ingredients and final products.
• Develop both submerged and solid‑substrate fermentation processes for a wide range of microorganisms using design of experiments (DOE) approaches for optimizing productivity.
• Develop a data pipeline for collecting and analyzing production data to drive consistent production and continuous improvement.
• Contribute to expanding capacity, recommending facility design and equipment for increased volumes. Develop budgets for capacity expansion.
• Build models for the Cost of Goods (COGs) and Full Manufacturing Cost (FMC).
• Communicate with contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) to collect process data, resolve issues on process consistency or product quality, and to implement process improvements.
• Communicate effectively with team members across all levels.
• Proactively identify opportunities to improve protocols and workflows.

• Bachelor’s or Master degree in biochemical engineering, or equivalent with at least 7+ years of experience in manufacturing microorganisms.
• Expert knowledge of commercial scale bacterial fermentation, process control, and continuous improvement.
• 7+ years of experience with development and implementation of fermentation and associated downstream processes.
• Experience with root‑cause analysis, corrective actions and risk assessments.
• Strong organizational and time management abilities.
• Exceptional problem‑solving skills with the ability to address and resolve complex microbial challenges.
• Familiarity with Google‑Suite, Benchling, Excel, Slack and similar tools is a plus.

On‑site. Vacaville, CA

Full‑time, non‑exempt position in the United States. At this time, Oath, Inc. is not able to provide visa sponsorship or work authorization support.

Salary - $90-100k

Equity - TBD