Metabolic Engineering Research Associate I

Lesaffre North America; Brisbane (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading biotechnology company is seeking a Metabolic Engineering Research Associate I. This role involves designing genetic modifications, collaborating with teams, and utilizing expertise in molecular biology and microbial strain engineering to develop innovative solutions. Join a mission-driven organization committed to sustainability and growth opportunities.

Benefits

Competitive 401K plan

Benefits starting on day one

12 paid holidays

Growth opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in genome or metabolic engineering and fermentation.
• Proficiency in molecular biology techniques.

Responsibilities

• Design and introduce genetic modifications to yeast strains.
• Coordinate assays to characterize engineered strains.
• Collaborate with leadership and team members.

Skills

Molecular Biology

Microbial Strain Engineering

Data Analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Genetics

Bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology

Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry

Bachelor's degree in Microbiology

Bachelor's degree in Bioengineering

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering

Tools

PCR

Cloning

Genome Editing

DNA Sequencing

Python

R

Job description

Metabolic Engineering Research Associate I

Join to apply for the Metabolic Engineering Research Associate I role at Lesaffre North America.

This role is within Recombia Biosciences, a metabolic engineering company that is part of the Lesaffre Group since 2022. Recombia specializes in developing innovative microbial solutions for industries such as agriculture, food, and biofuels. Leveraging Lesaffre's expertise in fermentation and microbiology, Recombia focuses on advanced biotechnology, including metabolic and genome engineering and synthetic biology, to create customized microbial strains with enhanced functionalities using precision fermentation.

Lesaffre has a history spanning over 170 years in the fermentation of yeasts and bacteria for baking, healthcare, taste, and industrial biotech. With a global presence of 11,000 employees from 96 nationalities and a turnover of 3 billion euros, Lesaffre collaborates with customers, partners, and researchers to develop essential nutrients and bioactives that promote human health, animal well-being, and plant nutrition.

Our Core Values: Passion, respect, trust, entrepreneurship, humility.

Pay Range: $60,000 to $85,000 annually, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

What We Offer:

• The opportunity to be part of an organization committed to innovation and sustainability.
• A competitive 401K plan, benefits starting on day one, and 12 paid holidays.
• The chance to utilize your expertise to make a real impact.
• Growth opportunities within your role and across business units.

What You Bring:

As a Research Associate I, you will bring expertise in molecular biology, microbial strain engineering (especially Saccharomyces cerevisiae), high-throughput screening, and lab automation. You will design genetic modifications, implement characterization assays, collaborate with teams, and support research initiatives using your skills in statistics and data analysis. If you enjoy solving complex problems at the intersection of biotechnology and fermentation, we want to hear from you.

Responsibilities:

• Design and introduce genetic modifications to yeast strains using high-throughput methods.
• Coordinate assays to characterize engineered strains.
• Collaborate with leadership and team members.
• Execute automated workflows for strain engineering and assays.
• Leverage molecular biology, strain engineering, and screening expertise.
• Apply data analysis skills to support research.
• Work with cross-functional teams on microbial solutions.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Genetics, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• Industry experience in genome or metabolic engineering and fermentation.
• Experience in engineering yeast for small molecule production.
• Genetic or genome engineering experience with microorganisms like E. coli, S. cerevisiae, or fungi.
• Proficiency in molecular biology techniques (PCR, cloning, genome editing, DNA sequencing).
• Ability to generate hypotheses from data and literature.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Programming and data analysis skills (Python, R).
• Mentoring experience.
• Familiarity with Benchling and APIs.
• Willingness to travel internationally (France) at least twice a year.

Lesaffre provides equal employment opportunities and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. This position does not offer immigration sponsorship; valid US work authorization is required.