Bioprocess Lead

Hoxton Farms; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative biotech startup in the UK is seeking a leader in bioprocess development to significantly enhance cultivated fat production. This role encompasses designing and scaling novel bioreactor systems while mentoring team members. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in bioprocessing with a strong background in sterile operations. This position not only offers technical challenges but also leadership opportunities, all within a supportive and diverse environment fostering innovation.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Stock option plan

Beautiful lab and office

Weekly socials and events

Pension plan

Private health insurance

25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays

Qualifications

• At least 6 years of experience in bioprocess development and scale-up in an industrial setting.
• Hands-on expertise with mammalian cell culture in suspension bioreactors.
• Experience scaling processes to pilot and industrial scales (1000L+).

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and optimisation of scalable bioprocesses.
• Design and validate processes for novel bioreactor formats.
• Mentor engineers and technicians in process design.

Skills

Bioprocess development

Mammalian cell culture

Team leadership

Process optimisation

Sterile operations

Education

Master’s degree in biochemical engineering or related discipline

Tools

Bioreactor systems

ELNs and LIMS

Job description

You’ll play a key role in shaping the future of cultivated fat production by leading the design, optimisation, and scale-up of bioprocesses from bench through to industrial scale.

Working closely with engineers, biologists and software experts, you’ll drive process development and integration of novel bioreactor designs, ensuring our technology is ready for our next-generation manufacturing facility. This role offers both technical depth and leadership responsibility – guiding experimental strategy, mentoring colleagues and setting direction for scale‑up operations.

What you’ll do

• Lead the development and optimisation of scalable bioprocesses for cultivated fat production
• Design, implement, and validate processes for novel bioreactor formats and monitoring systems
• Scale operations from bench and pilot scale through to industrial (>1000L) production
• Hands‑on contribution for innovation and troubleshooting of upstream and downstream processes
• Optimise downstream operations to maximise harvest efficiency and throughput
• Oversee sterile operations, process control and analytical instrumentation strategies
• Write, review and maintain SOPs and technical documentation to enable robust operations
• Mentor engineers and technicians, sharing expertise in process design and scale‑up
• Collaborate across software and hardware teams to integrate innovative instrumentation and automation technologies

What we’re looking for

• Master’s degree (or equivalent experience) in biochemical engineering, cell biology, biomanufacturing, or related discipline
• At least 6 years experience in bioprocess development and scale‑up in an industrial setting
• Hands‑on expertise with mammalian cell culture in suspension bioreactors
• Proven experience scaling processes to pilot and industrial scales (1000L+)
• Track record of developing and transferring processes into novel bioreactor designs
• Strong background in sterile operations, process monitoring, and analytical instrumentation
• Ability to lead projects, coordinate cross‑functional teams, and mentor colleagues
• Enthusiasm, curiosity, and a drive to engineer biology at scale
• Ideally you’ll also have experience with
• Multiple bench‑ and pilot‑scale bioreactor systems
• Large‑scale sterile media preparation and utilities for GMP environments
• Tech transfer and validation of processes into manufacturing facilities
• R&D project leadership and cross‑team collaboration
• ELNs, LIMS and data‑driven process optimisation

Why join us?

• Combine deep technical work with team leadership to meet ambitious scale up goals in a brand new industry
• Work alongside expert hardware and software teams to implement a novel bioreactor platform for food and biotech
• Join a fast‑paced startup culture that values responsibility, agency and technical excellence

Perks & benefits

• 💰 Competitive salary
• 📈 Stock option plan
• 🏛️ Beautiful lab and office in Old Street
• 🥳 Weekly socials and events
• 🏡 Pension plan (matching up to 5% + salary sacrifice)
• 🚑 Private health insurance
• 🏖️ 25 days’ holiday + bank holidays

About Hoxton Farms

Hoxton Farms is a series B startup using modular, AI‑enabled manufacturing to make high‑value products from stem cells for food and pharma. Their first product is animal fat, a premium B2B ingredient that boosts supply resilience and nutrition for meat companies. Cofounded in 2020 by Max Jamilly and Ed Steele, Hoxton Farms are a team of 50 based in London with customers worldwide, backed by some of the world’s best investors including Founders Fund, F‑Prime/FSV and GlobalBrain.

Hoxton Farms is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a working environment that embraces inclusion, diversity and belonging.

If you believe you would add value to our company but don’t meet all the criteria, we would still love to hear from you. We especially encourage applications from female+, LGBTQIA+, disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates, as these groups are underrepresented in the tech industry.