Senior Microbiologist — Process Innovation & Contamination Control

ADM; Decatur (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 144,200; Full time

Job summary

ADM is seeking a Senior Microbiologist to advance microbial process research across the production network. The role emphasizes lab experimentation, method development, and data-driven insights to optimize processes and contamination control. Travel up to 15–20% may be required.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in microbiology and molecular biology, plus 5+ years in industrial settings, with experience in cross-functional teams and data analysis to drive actionable improvements.

Qualifications

• BS degree or higher in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Bioprocess Engineering, Food Safety, or related
• MS or PhD preferred
• 5+ years of experience in industrial microbiology or related lab environments
• Demonstrated proficiency in molecular and analytical techniques relevant to microbial process characterization
• Experience with experimental design, data analytics, and interpretation of complex biological datasets
• Proven ability to manage projects and deliver results in cross-functional settings

Responsibilities

• Design, execute, and interpret laboratory experiments focused on microbial process understanding, optimization, and contamination control.
• Develop and apply advanced analytical and molecular biology techniques (e.g., qPCR, sequencing, flow cytometry, spectroscopic and chromatographic methods) to characterize microbial systems.
• Lead R&D projects and initiatives originating from the Process Micro team, coordinating timelines, resources, and communication across functional groups.
• Support plant operations through data-driven insights and lab-based troubleshooting of process microbiology issues.
• Collaborate with plant and research teams to translate laboratory findings into scalable process improvements and technology implementations.
• Develop and maintain laboratory instrumentation methods and data analysis workflows to ensure high-quality, reproducible results.
• Contribute to contamination control strategies and sanitary process design through experimental validation and risk-based approaches.
• Communicate findings, recommendations, and technical reports to stakeholders across R&D and Operations.
• Ability to travel to ADM locations approximately 15–20% of the time.

Skills

Microbiology

Molecular biology

Data analysis

Instrumentation

Communication

Education

BS in Microbiology or related

MS or PhD preferred

Tools

qPCR

Sequencing

Flow cytometry

Spectroscopy

Chromatography

Job description

ADM is seeking a Senior Microbiologist to advance microbial process research across the production network. The role emphasizes lab experimentation, method development, and data-driven insights to optimize processes and contamination control. Travel up to 15–20% may be required.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in microbiology and molecular biology, plus 5+ years in industrial settings, with experience in cross-functional teams and data analysis to drive actionable improvements.