Senior Bioprocess Scientist / Engineer

Experience Champaign Urbana; Champaign (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

401K match

Health, life, vision, and dental insurance

Four weeks paid vacation

Company stock options

Job summary

Boston Bioprocess Inc. is seeking a highly motivated Senior Bioprocess Scientist/Engineer to join their team in Champaign, Illinois. The ideal candidate has a Ph.D. or M.Sc. in a relevant field and 3-5 years of industry experience in bioprocess development. Responsibilities include leading projects, designing experiments for fermentation optimization, and enhancing AI-powered optimization software. The role requires excellent communication and project management skills, and offers a salary of $90,000 to $110,000 along with a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of hands-on industry experience in bioprocess development.
• Deep understanding of microbial cultivation and downstream processing.
• Experience producing bioproducts from diverse microbial hosts.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage bioprocess development projects.
• Design, execute, and troubleshoot experiments for optimization.
• Generate and analyze data to improve AI-driven optimization software.

Skills

Problem-solving skills

Excellent communication

Project management

Statistical tools for process optimization

Education

Ph.D. or M.Sc. in chemical or bioprocess engineering

Tools

DoE

LIMS or similar data management systems

Job description

Boston Bioprocess Inc. is a bioprocess optimization company; our mission is to help optimize bioprocesses helping precision fermentation businesses develop, optimize, and scale their production processes. Our company does this by combining hands‑on work at our bench lab and pilot‑scale facilities with the use of AI‑powered optimization software. We are seeking a highly motivated Senior Bioprocess scientist or Bioprocess engineer to join our team.

The Senior Bioprocess Scientist/Engineer will work closely with the CSO and data science teams. The right candidate has substantial lab and/or plant experience across diverse bioprocesses and microbial systems, a strong command of software tools, and an enthusiasm for software development.

This role leads all efforts to support the development and improvement of our AI‑powered optimization software for fermentation and purification processes at bench, pilot, and production scale. Responsibilities include designing experiments and generating data to enhance bioprocess parameters for proteins, lipids, amino acids, organic acids, polysaccharides, hydrocolloids, and enzymes across bacterial, yeast, and fungal systems.

While highly technical, the role requires regular engagement with clients, research organizations, and CDMO partners. Prospective candidates should understand that success requires technical expertise, but it also involves empathy, prompt communication, and a general client‑service orientation.

Job responsibilities

• Lead and manage bioprocess development projects, ensuring timely delivery and successful outcomes; provide technical expertise and guidance on experimental planning, process development, and troubleshooting
• Design, execute, and troubleshoot experiments to optimize and scale‑up fermentation and purification processes across bacterial, yeast, and fungal hosts for a range of products including proteins, lipids, amino acids, organic acids, polysaccharides, hydrocolloids, and enzymes
• Act as a key liaison between the bioprocess and data science teams
• Generate and analyze data to drive improvement of our AI‑powered optimization software; prepare technical reports and presentations for internal and external stakeholders
• Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory requirements in bioprocessing and apply insights to process and software optimization
• Mentor junior scientists and engineers, providing technical guidance and supporting their professional development
• Identify and lead initiatives to improve company workflows and operational excellence

Required Skills

• Ph.D. or M.Sc. in chemical or bioprocess engineering, biotechnology, biosciences, or a related field
• At least 3–5 years of hands‑on industry experience in bioprocess development and unit operations
• Deep technical understanding and practical knowledge of microbial cultivation (bioreactor) and downstream processing — including centrifugation, filtration, precipitation, TFF, extraction, and drying — at bench and pilot scale
• Proficiency in DoE and statistical tools for process optimization and characterization (QbD)
• Experience with LIMS or similar data management systems
• Proven experience producing bioproducts from diverse microbial hosts including bacteria, yeast, and fungi
• Strong problem‑solving skills with the ability to independently troubleshoot and resolve complex process challenges
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills for working with internal teams, clients, and external partners
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously

Nice to Have

• Bioprocess scale‑up experience applying process engineering principles
• Experience authoring SOPs and technical transfer documents
• Understanding of microbial metabolism and its impact on product characteristics during optimization
• Experience working in regulated environments (food grade, cGMP, APHIS, BSL‑2)
• Familiarity with Python scripting and Jupyter notebooks

The ideal candidate

• We are a startup! Prospective candidates should enjoy working in a small team with minimal bureaucracy.
• You’ll enjoy working with us if you like building new things, are highly motivated, proactive and enjoy fast‑paced culture, you can effectively work together with team members, partners, and clients in a collaborative environment.

What we offer

• Salary of $90,000 to $110,000 depending on qualifications and experience.
• Relocation assistance (if applicable)
• Complete benefit package, including 401K match, ESOP, health, life, vision, and dental insurance, and four weeks paid vacation.
• Significant company stock options.
• Sponsorship and adjustment of work visas and immigration related support (must be currently a resident of the United States)

Boston Bioprocess Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, and veteran status.