Senior Soil Remediation Engineer

CellX Biosolutions; Zürich; On-site; CHF 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Career development

Competitive salary

Job summary

CellX Biosolutions is seeking an experienced Soil Remediation Engineer to lead lab to field-scale PFAS bioremediation projects. You will design experiments, assemble microbial consortia, and drive regulatory interactions with clients and authorities.

The role requires a strong industry track record in soil bioremediation, ex-situ and in-situ technologies, and leadership of multi-disciplinary teams in dynamic environments. English proficiency is essential.

Qualifications

• MSc or PhD in Environmental Sciences, Soil Science, Microbiology, Bio-chemical Engineering, or a related field, with several years (5+) of industry experience in soil remediation.
• Strong hands-on track record in soil bioremediation and project management of full-scale remediation projects.
• Proven experience in biodegradation/biotransformation of xenobiotics (e.g., PFAS, pesticides, chlorinated solvents) in soil.
• Experience with ex-situ and/or in-situ remediation technologies.
• Experience with microbial cultivation (aerobic and/or anaerobic).
• Experience with project and people management.
• Fluent English (C1) for client/regulator interactions.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and execution of lab and field-scale soil remediation projects, testing and optimizing CellX's bacterial solutions.
• Develop experiments and remediation strategies for variable soil matrices and translate client requirements into designs and deliverables.
• Assemble and adapt microbial consortia for PFAS biodegradation in soil.
• Apply molecular approaches (16S rRNA, qPCR, WGS) to characterize soil microbial communities and track key degraders.
• Set up and optimize ex-situ and in-situ remediation systems (biopiles, slurry reactors).
• Monitor and control key process parameters (moisture, pH, oxygen, temperature, nutrients, contaminants).
• Plan analytics (LC-MS/MS) with analytics team to track degradation performance.
• Support permitting, reporting, and regulatory interactions for contaminated site remediation.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external partners to scale solutions.

Skills

Soil bioremediation

Project management

People management

Microbial cultivation

Lab and field work

English (C1)

Education

MSc or PhD in Environmental Sciences or related field

Tools

16S rRNA sequencing

qPCR

LC-MS/MS analytics

Job description

Apply by 01.11.2026

Role Overview

We are looking for an experienced Soil Remediation Engineer to lead the development and field application of microbial solutions for the remediation of PFAS in contaminated soils. You will design and run PFAS bioremediation projects from lab pilots to field-scale trials and full decontamination of contaminated sites and work closely with clients and regulators to deliver scalable bioremediation solutions.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the design and execution of lab and field-scale soil remediation projects, testing and optimizing CellX's bacterial solutions on contaminated soil matrices in the lab and on site (e.g., industrial sites, landfill soils, agricultural land)
• Develop experimental and remediation strategies adapted to variable and complex soil matrices and translate client and site requirements into experimental designs, remediation strategies, and technical deliverables.
• Assemble and adapt microbial consortia for biodegradation of PFAS in soil
• Apply targeted molecular and sequencing approaches (e.g., 16S rRNA, qPCR, WGS) to characterize soil microbial communities and track key degraders
• Set up, operate, and optimize ex-situ and in-situ bioremediation systems (e.g., biopiles, in situ bioremediation slurry-phase bioreactors)
• Monitor and control key process parameters (moisture, pH, oxygen, temperature, nutrient availability, contaminant levels)
• Plan and interpret analytics (e.g., LC-MS/MS) in collaboration with our analytics unit to track degradation performance
• Support permitting, reporting, and regulatory interactions related to contaminated site remediation
• Collaborate closely with internal teams (R&D, analytics) and external partners to advance and scale solutions

Your profile

Required qualifications

• MSc or PhD in Environmental Sciences, Soil Science, Microbiology, Bio-chemical Engineering, or a related field, with several years (5+) of industry experience in the remediation of xenobiotics in soil
• Strong, hands-on industry track record in soil bioremediation, ideally including project management of full scale remediation projects
• Proven experience in the biodegradation/biotransformation of xenobiotics (e.g., PFAS, pesticides, chlorinated solvents, petroleum hydrocarbons) in soil
• Practical experience with ex-situ and/or in-situ remediation technologies
• Experience in microbial cultivation (aerobic and/or anaerobic)
• Experience with project and people management
• Structured, reliable, and detail-oriented working style, comfortable working independently on-site and in the lab
• English proficiency (C1 level or higher)

Preferred qualifications

• Familiarity with environmental regulations and permitting processes for contaminated sites (Swiss/EU context a plus)
• Proficiency in German and/or French is a plus for interacting with clients and site stakeholders

We offer

• Cutting-edge scientific environment at the intersection of microbiology, soil science, and environmental biotechnology
• A leading role in scaling up microbial soil remediation from pilot to commercial deployment
• Opportunities for training and career development in microbial bioremediation
• Competitive salary and a stock option package
• Collaborative startup culture with fast decision-making, a high level of responsibility, and the opportunity to have a significant impact in developing the world's first commercial bacterial solutions for PFAS bioremediation