Lead Biocatalysis Process Engineer

Visible Hands; Denver, Northern (CO, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Cascade Biocatalysts in Denver seeks a hands-on Process Development Scientist to build and lead our process development, intensification, and scale-up efforts from bench to commercial scale.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in catalysis and biocatalysis, thrives in a small, fast-moving team, and will own process metrics, TE modeling, and cross-functional collaboration with protein engineering and chemistry teams.

Qualifications

• PhD or MS in biochemistry, chemical engineering, organic chemistry, or related field with catalysis focus.
• At least 4 years of process development including scale up and commercial catalyst development.
• Proven ability to improve process performance against commercial targets (yield, cost, throughput).
• Experience with techno-economic modeling and process analytical tools.
• Familiarity with DOE-driven development and data-guided decisions.
• Experience across disciplines including protein engineering and analytical chemistry.
• Prior experience at a biocatalysis-focused company, CDMO, or industrial process chemistry preferred.
• Comfort operating in an early-stage environment with ambiguity and ambitious goals.

Responsibilities

• Own process development end-to-end, from initial catalyst hits to optimized ready to scale processes
• Run and optimize enzymatic reactions, driving process intensification by improving space-time yield, reducing catalyst loading, extending catalyst lifetime, and lowering overall process costs
• Collaborate with our enzyme immobilization team to evaluate and implement heterogeneous catalyst formats
• Evaluate and implement new equipment and process analytical technology solutions
• Lead and grow a small process development team over time, mentoring junior scientists while maintaining a technical culture and standards
• Build and maintain techno-economic models tracking key process metrics: E-factor, PMI, catalyst cost contribution, and downstream processing implications
• Interface with protein engineering efforts, translating process bottlenecks into enzyme engineering targets and back-integrating improved variants
• Contribute broadly across the organization: at this stage of the company, the most impactful team members bring their expertise to problems beyond their core scope
• Strong communication skills and ability to balance multiple priorities in a fast-paced, cross-functional and dynamic environment across a variety of programs

Skills

Process development

Scale-up

DOE-driven development

Techno-economic modeling

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Analytical chemistry

Biocatalysis

Team leadership

Education

PhD or MS in biochemistry, chemical engineering, organic chemistry, or related field with catalysis focus

Tools

Process analytical technology

Data-driven decision making tools

Job description

Cascade Biocatalysts in Denver seeks a hands-on Process Development Scientist to build and lead our process development, intensification, and scale-up efforts from bench to commercial scale.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in catalysis and biocatalysis, thrives in a small, fast-moving team, and will own process metrics, TE modeling, and cross-functional collaboration with protein engineering and chemistry teams.