Associate Scientist Molecular Biology and Automation

International Flavors & Fragrances; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 77,300 - 96,600; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and benefits

Job summary

IFF Health & Biosciences in Palo Alto, CA is seeking an Associate Scientist for our Molecular & Microbiology R&D team. You will perform molecular biology tasks and contribute to microbial production strain development and enzyme engineering for food & beverages, biofuels, and personal care applications.

The role offers growth in biotechnology, collaboration with global teams, and the opportunity to work with advanced automation and high-throughput methods; a competitive salary and benefits are

Qualifications

• MS degree (or equivalent experience) in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Molecular Genetics, Biology, Biotechnology, or related field.
• Hands-on molecular biology experience.
• Python and/or R programming experience.
• Interest in learning automation and high-throughput methods.
• Self-starter, goal-oriented, and able to multitask.
• Team-oriented mindset with strong communication, presentation, and networking skills.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.

Responsibilities

• Perform routine molecular biology tasks, including cloning, PCR, qPCR, genomic DNA extraction, DNA sequencing, and microbial transformation.
• Automate and implement high-throughput methods.
• Analyze and communicate experimental results through technical reports, data summaries, and protocols.
• Maintain a current understanding of relevant scientific literature.

Skills

Hands-on molecular biology

Python/R programming

Automation and high‑throughput methods

Self-starter and multitasking

Team-oriented and communication

Analytical and troubleshooting

Education

MS degree in Microbiology or related field

Job description

Associate Scientist – Molecular & Microbiology R&D

IFF Health & Biosciences in Palo Alto, CA, is hiring an Associate Scientist for our Molecular & Microbiology R&D team. The team develops microbial production strains and engineers enzymes for applications in food & beverages, biofuels, home & personal care, animal feed, paper & textile processing, and more.

Responsibilities

• Perform routine molecular biology tasks, including cloning, PCR, qPCR, genomic DNA extraction, DNA sequencing, and microbial transformation.
• Automate and implement high‑throughput methods.
• Analyze and communicate experimental results through technical reports, data summaries, and protocols.
• Maintain a current understanding of relevant scientific literature.

Qualifications

• MS degree (or equivalent experience) in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Molecular Genetics, Biology, Biotechnology, or a related field with 1–3 years of laboratory research.
• Hands‑on molecular biology experience.
• Python and/or R programming experience.
• Interest in learning automation and high‑throughput methods.
• Self‑starter, goal‑oriented, and able to multitask.
• Team‑oriented mindset with strong communication, presentation, and networking skills.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.

What We Offer

• Position within global and local teams of creative and highly skilled scientists.
• Opportunity to contribute to products that touch every consumer.
• Dynamic work environment created by an inclusive and multicultural team.
• Professional growth and career development in biotechnology.
• Competitive salary ($77,300–$96,600) and benefits.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

IFF values the diverse mosaic of ethnicity, national origin, race, age, sex, veteran status, religion, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, and disability. We strive for an inclusive workplace that allows each colleague to bring their authentic self to work.