Synthetic Biology and Automation Scientist

Who we are 

Lesaffre is a key global player in the fermentation of microorganisms (yeasts and bacteria) for baking, taste, healthcare and industrial biotechnology. This story began more than 170 years ago in northern France, and, thanks to our pioneer spirit and our innovative approach, we are constantly developing. 

Lesaffre's global presence includes 11,000 employees from 96 nationalities and a 3-billion euro turnover. We work with customers, partners and researchers to develop essential nutrients and bio actives that strengthen human health, optimize animal well-being and improve plant nutrition. 

This role is within Recombia Biosciences a metabolic engineering company part of the Lesaffre Group since 2022. Recombia Biosciences specializes in the development and commercialization of innovative microbial solutions for various industries, including agriculture, food, and biofuels. Leveraging Lesaffre's extensive expertise in fermentation and microbiology, Recombia focuses on applying advanced biotechnology, such as metabolic and genome engineering and synthetic biology, to create customized microbial strains with enhanced functionalities using precision fermentation.

Our Core Values: Passion, respect, trust, entrepreneurship, and humility  

What we offer  

• The opportunity to represent a passionate organization focused on innovation and sustainability 
• A competitive 401K plan, affordable benefits starting on day 1 of employment, and 11 paid holidays  
• The ability to utilize your experience and knowledge to make a real impact  
• Opportunities for continuous growth within your role and across business units  

Pay Range: $100K - $140K annually commensurate with qualifications and experience

What you bring to the table 

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record for developing state-of-the-art genome engineering and NGS tools and technologies in microorganisms (yeast and bacteria). This candidate will develop new genetic tools and protocols to scale up molecular cloning, strain construction, high-throughput sequencing, data collection, and analysis workflows. Their previous experience with robotic liquid handlers and general programming will allow them to design lab protocols that will be easy to automate. They will thrive in a highly collaborative environment and demonstrate a positive, problem-solving attitude, strong analytical thinking, excellent communication skills, and attention to detail.

If you're passionate about using your talents to drive innovation in sustainable biotechnology, we want to hear from you!

What you’ll do as a Synthetic Biology and Automation Scientist I or II

•  Develop genome engineering and NGS technologies to increase the scope, efficiency, and scale of our molecular cloning and strain construction workflows
•  Translate benchtop lab protocols into automation-compatible formats and design experiments to compare output quality
•  Perform laboratory cloning and strain construction operations and provide feedback for continuous workflow improvement
•  Leverage cloud computing services, developer platforms, and data warehouses to store and analyze experimental, assay, and sequencing data
•  Propose and implement improvements to expand LIMS functionality for automated workflows and data management
•  Collaborate with the Lesaffre Biofoundry scientists and engineers to produce innovative scientific and data-driven solutions to synthetic biology problems
•  Independently troubleshoot complex problems, perform root cause analysis, and propose solutions to achieve scalable and cost-effective genome engineering
•  Serve as a scientific subject matter expert on multidisciplinary, cross-team projects
•  Complete tasks efficiently, independently, and within stated deadlines
•  Spend 50 – 75% of time in the wet lab; data analysis can be performed in tandem with our collaborators at Lesaffre, but autonomy in data analysis using Python or similar is required
•  Other duties as assigned

Required qualifications:  

• PhD in Chemical Engineering, Biomolecular Engineering, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Industrial Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biology, or related field
•  1 or more years of industry experience in microbial genome editing and high-throughput sequencing of genomes
•  Expertise in molecular biology techniques for yeast and bacteria, including PCR, molecular cloning, genome editing, and DNA sequencing
•  Experience working with or operating automated laboratory equipment, such as liquid handlers
•  Programming and data analysis experience (Python, R)
•  Experience with interacting with cloud computing and data warehouses
•  Experience with developer coding platforms (GitHub, GitLab)

Preferred qualifications: 

•  Familiarity with Design of Experiment (DOE) principles
•  Familiarity with Benchling LIMS
•  Proficiency in French to foster collaboration with Lesaffre (spoken and written)

 **This position is not open for immigration sponsorship. Valid US work authorization is required at the time of hire.**

Lesaffre provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.   

Salary : $100,000 - $140,000