Our S. Cal client is taking the lead in regenerative soil – putting life back into over-treated, synthetically managed soils to re-establish a healthy, dynamic, soil microbiome resulting in improved plant growth and overall health. With over 100 isolated, natural soil microbes and a custom blend of soil nutrients to help restore healthy soil structure, many plants—from trees to row crops to horticulturally grown food and flowers—have been tested in over 200 field trials and benefited from this sustainable agriculture approach.

Headquartered in La Jolla, CA, and having recently closed a $30M round of funding, we are helping to find a highly skilled microbiologist/mycologist with a strong background in isolation and strain development of bacteria and/or fungi. Ideally, this will be coupled with extensive experience in aseptic techniques and soil or environmental microbiology. This is an exciting opportunity for a talented scientist who wants to make a real difference and contribute to agricultural and environmental advancements within a dynamic, entrepreneurial environment. As a well-funded startup with a growing commercial pipeline, you can expect to grow with the organization in terms of knowledge and responsibility. This Full-time role will be require being in-person and onsite at the company lab in La Jolla.

Key Responsibilities:

● Conduct isolation and strain development of microbial and fungal species suitable for solid state fermentation processes.

● Employ aseptic techniques to ensure the purity and integrity of fermentation cultures.

● Design and execute experiments to characterize fermentation parameters and optimize production yields.

● Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate various microbial strains into product development pipelines.

● Optimize and scale fermentation processes to meet production targets efficiently.

● Troubleshoot fermentation processes and implement corrective actions as needed.

● Stay current with advancements in microbiology, and related fields to inform process improvements.

● Maintain accurate records of experiments, results, and process parameters for documentation and analysis.

● Be committed to accuracy, work flows, systems, and processes.

● Be comfortable working under pressure and meeting tight deadlines.

● Be self-motivated, professional, detail-oriented, and possess excellent oral and written communication skills

● Be innovative, passionate about R&D, and collaborative.

● Accept constructive criticism gracefully, embrace idea exchanges, and maintain an open mind

Qualifications

● Master's, or Ph.D. degree in microbiology, mycology, biology, or a related field.

● Proven experience in isolation and strain development of microbial and fungal species.

● Familiarity with aseptic techniques and laboratory best practices.

● Experience in scaling fermentation processes from lab to pilot or production scale.

● Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot complex fermentation issues.

● Effective communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work in interdisciplinary teams.

Unrestricted, current US work authorization is required.

Ability to reliably commute to La Jolla, CA 92037 is required

Work Location: In person

For more information or to be considered for the position, please contact Dr. Barbara Preston by calling 619-271-8882 or send your resume directly to at barbara@pharmascouts.com with Microbiologist in the subject heading.

PharmaScouts, Inc.

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