Process Development Scientist: Scale-Up & Tech Leadership

cascade-biocatalysts; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Cascade Biocatalysts is seeking a hands-on Process Development Scientist to build and lead our process development, intensification, and scale-up efforts at our Denver campus. You will own process development end-to-end, establish SOPs, and shepherd bench-scale concepts to commercial-scale operations.

The role requires deep catalysis expertise, collaboration with enzyme immobilization and analytical teams, and the ability to translate process bottlenecks into engineering targets while mentoring

Qualifications

• PhD or MS in biochemistry, chemical engineering, organic chemistry, or a related field with a strong catalysis focus.
• Minimum of 4 years of experience in process development including scale up, continuous improvements and commercial catalyst development.
• Demonstrated ability to improve process performance against real commercial targets, including yield, cost, throughput, not just feasibility.
• Experience with techno‑economic modeling and process analytical tools.
• Familiarity with DOE‑driven development and comfort using data systematically to guide decisions.
• Experience working across disciplines, including protein engineering, analytical chemistry, and engineering, and translating between scientific and commercial priorities.
• Prior experience at a biocatalysis‑focused company, CDMO, or industrial process chemistry group strongly preferred.
• Comfort operating in an early‑stage environment with limited resources, 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

Catalysis expertise

Biocatalysis

DOE methods

Data-driven decisions

Leadership potential

Education

PhD in Biochemistry

MS in Chemical Engineering

Tools

Process simulators

Techno-economic modelling

DOE software

Analytical instruments

Job description

Cascade Biocatalysts is seeking a hands-on Process Development Scientist to build and lead our process development, intensification, and scale-up efforts at our Denver campus. You will own process development end-to-end, establish SOPs, and shepherd bench-scale concepts to commercial-scale operations.

The role requires deep catalysis expertise, collaboration with enzyme immobilization and analytical teams, and the ability to translate process bottlenecks into engineering targets while mentoring