Research Scientist - Enzymatic Process Development Scientist

Pando is an AI-driven synthetic biology company revolutionizing enzyme engineering for the pharmaceutical manufacturing and life science tools. Our ultra-high-throughput screening platform screens 1000-fold more enzymes 75% faster and 80% cheaper than traditional methods. This empowers our AI models to efficiently optimize enzymes across multiple properties, delivering high-performing, industrial-grade enzymes that create and capture new market value.

We are seeking a creative and motivated scientist who thrives in the "zero-to-one" phase of product development, to assist in day-to-day lab operations, experiment planning, and completing diverse projects.
You will be responsible for taking core enzymatic processes and transforming them into robust, scalable, and commercially viable kits
. This role requires a rare blend of deep molecular biology, protein chemistry, and industrial productization. The ideal candidate should feel comfortable working on diverse projects in a fast-paced company.

You will do molecular biology (PCR, cloning, etc), high-throughput screening, and buffer formulation. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working with 96-well plate workflows and have experience in bacterial and other protein expression systems, analytical chemistry, bioanalytical methods, or related fields.

• Perform and troubleshoot core molecular biology techniques (PCR, qPCR, cloning/assembly, nucleic acid prep/cleanup, gel-based analysis, transformation of
  
  E. coli).
• Develop end-to-end, enzyme-enabled workflows and optimize for throughput, yield, fidelity, and ease-of-use.
• Design and execute enzyme screening experiments; define and track performance metrics.
• Express, lyse, purify, and characterize enzymes (activity, kinetics, stability, substrate specificity, robustness).
• Troubleshoot and iterate on enzyme preparation and assay conditions to improve performance and manufacturability.
• Develop and optimize buffer and reagent formulations (components, concentrations, volumes, order-of-addition) for a target application.
• Evaluate reagent stability and robustness (freeze/thaw tolerance, storage conditions, compatibility across lots).
• Contribute to kit-format decisions (modular vs single-mix, liquid vs lyophilized, packaging constraints), as appropriate.
• Define QC tests and acceptance criteria for product performance, batch-to-batch consistency, and long-term stability.
• Develop/execute analytical measurements to evaluate outputs (integrity, purity, composition, and functional performance in downstream workflows).
• Document and report findings clearly for internal teams and external stakeholders.

We recognize that not all candidates may meet the entire list below. We're eager to train the right candidates for this role and encourage those who meet at least two-thirds of the criteria to apply.
Notes on applying: Within the application, please plan to answer a few simple questions and attach your resume.

• MS or PhD in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, Bioengineering, with relevant industry experience.
• Experience optimizing complex biochemical systems (buffers, salts, cofactors, additives, concentrations, incubation conditions).
• Hands‑on experience and strong wet‑lab capability in molecular biology, enzyme characterization, assay development, protein production, and general biochemistry with a track record of independent troubleshooting.
• Strong experimental design, data analysis, and documentation habits; able to deliver reproducible results.
• Understand the differences between a startup and a larger corporation, and embrace the fast‑paced, entrepreneurial environment.
• Comfortable and familiar with using an electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) for documentation.

• Experience expressing and purifying enzymes from Picha, and/or Cell Free Protein Synthesis (CFPS)
• Familiarity with analytical methods relevant to nucleic acids and enzymes (CE, HPLC, qPCR/ddPCR, LC-MS, Akta FPLC).
• Experience with DoE/statistical optimization and building robust processes under variability.
• Understanding of quality systems (specs, lot release testing, CoA‑style documentation,…