Senior Process Development Scientist/Engineer

Clever Carnivore; Illinois; On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days PTO

Medical and dental insurance

Job summary

Clever Carnivore in the Greater Chicago Area seeks a Senior Process Development Scientist/Engineer to design, optimize, and transfer cultivated meat processes on-site. You will work with bioprocess and manufacturing teams to scale bench methods to pilot and production, ensuring robustness and alignment with commercialization goals.

The ideal candidate has 5–10 years of bioprocess experience, strong GMP knowledge, and a solid engineering foundation.

Qualifications

• 5-10 years experience with cell culture bioreactors, adherent mammalian cell culture, or other bioprocess operations.
• Strong laboratory skills in experimental design, execution, and troubleshooting.
• Expertise in technology transfer from R&D to pilot and manufacturing environments.
• Knowledge of GMP and experience in regulated production settings.
• Solid foundation in chemical engineering or closely related discipline relevant to bioprocess and food production.
• Strong data analysis skills, including statistical evaluation, modeling, and use of software tools.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams and document processes thoroughly.
• Strong organizational skills and commitment to safety and quality in lab and production environments.

Responsibilities

• Design, optimize, and transfer process development campaigns for cultivated meat.
• Develop and execute R&D scale bioprocess experiments and analyze data.
• Prepare for transfer of bench-scale methods into pilot and manufacturing-scale operations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including production bioprocess to support tech transfer.
• Author technical documentation and SOPs; implement best practices.
• Mentor team members and drive continuous improvement within the function.

Skills

Cell culture

Bioreactors

Experimental design

GMP knowledge

Data analysis

Tech transfer

Regulated production

Cross-functional

Documentation

Mentoring

Education

MS/PhD in Chemical Engineering or related

Tools

Statistical software

Process modeling

Job description

Clever Carnivore is focused on creating profitable cultivated meat at scale, combining cutting-edge science with practical engineering to transform the future of food. The company is dedicated to developing sustainable, cost-effective production methods that make cultivated meat accessible to broad markets. Team members work at the intersection of biotechnology, process development, and manufacturing to bring innovative products from concept to commercialization. Clever Carnivore offers the opportunity to contribute to a mission-driven organization that is redefining animal protein production. The environment is collaborative, fast-paced, and focused on solving complex technical challenges with real-world impact.

Role Description

The Senior Process Development Scientist/Engineer will participate in the design, optimization, and transfer of process development campaigns for cultivated meat in a full-time, on-site role located in the Greater Chicago Area. Day-to-day responsibilities include developing and executing R&D scale bioprocess experiments, analyzing process data, and preparing for transfer of bench-scale methods into pilot- and manufacturing-scale operations. This role will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including production bioprocess, to support technology transfer, ensure process robustness, and align development activities with commercialization goals. The position will also involve authoring technical documentation, contributing to standard operating procedures, and supporting implementation of best practices. The individual will mentor team members, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and help build a high-performance process development function.

Qualifications

• 5-10 years experience with cell culture bioreactors, adherent mammalian cell culture, or other bioprocess operations.
• Candidates should possess strong laboratory skills and experience in experimental design, execution, and troubleshooting.
• Candidates should possess expertise in technology transfer, including moving processes from R&D to pilot and manufacturing environments.
• Candidates should possess knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and experience working in regulated or quality-driven production settings.
• Candidates should possess a solid foundation in chemical engineering or a closely related discipline relevant to bioprocess and food production.
• Candidates should possess strong data analysis skills, including statistical evaluation, modeling, and use of relevant software tools.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams, communicate clearly, and document processes and results thoroughly.
• Strong organizational skills, ability to manage multiple projects, and commitment to safety and quality in laboratory and production environments.

Education

• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biotechnology, or related field.

Reporting Structure

• This position reports to the Director of Cell Biology in the R&D department. The applicant must be able to work full-time, on site at our Chicago, IL headquarters. The candidate must be authorized to work in the United States and not require sponsorship now, or in the future.

Compensation

• $90,000 - $110,000 USD annually
• 30 days PTO (to be used for vacation, sick days, personal, holidays)
• Ability to participate in medical and dental insurance plans