Synthetic Biology Automation Engineer

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

Pay Range: $100K-$125K annually commensurate with qualifications and experience

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
  
  
  

What You Bring To The Table

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in designing and implementing automated molecular biology workflows for microbial applications. This candidate will be experienced in programming and maintaining liquid handlers (Biomek) and integrated system devices (via Momentum Scheduler). 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 Automation Engineer

• Develop, test, and maintain an integrated automation system and other laboratory instruments for synthetic biology and NGS workflows (liquid handlers, plate readers, incubators, centrifuges)
• Program and evaluate methods on liquid handlers (Biomek)
• Validate liquid handling methods to determine accuracy and precision
• Utilize systems to track critical process metrics (number of samples processed, consumables used, machine downtime, cost per sample per run, etc)
• Collaborate with the Lesaffre Biofoundry engineers to produce innovative hardware, process, and software engineering solutions to synthetic biology problems
• Work closely with scientists and RAs to propose and develop liquid handling or automated solutions for their experiments
• Maintain all commonly used lab equipment (liquid handlers, plate readers, incubators, centrifuges, label printers) to ensure quality output and operation
• Coordinate repairs, preventative maintenance, and installations for different devices with field service engineers
• Communicate the status of your progress to team members, collaborators, and upper management
• Complete tasks efficiently, independently, and within stated deadlines
• Other duties as assigned
  
  
  

Required qualifications:

• B.S. or M.S. in Engineering, Physics, Biotechnology, Biology, or related field
• 1 or more years of automation experience in an industrial biotechnology setting
• Experience programming i-series Biomek liquid handler
• Experience with Integrated System Scheduling Software (Momentum, Cellario, etc)
• Programming experience (Python, VBA, R)
• Ability to analyze data by writing custom scripts or using Excel
• Previous experience with microbiology and molecular biology lab practices and protocols
  
  
  

Preferred qualifications:

• Familiarity with Benchling LIMS
• Passion for microbial synthetic biology and a desire to learn more about the science of strain engineering
• 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.