Senior Scientist, Fermentation

About the Company

We envision a world where we continuously, sustainably, and affordably improve human life with synthetic biology. Our proprietary set of enzymes and our manufacturing approach enables the production of thousands of amino acids that were previously too difficult and expensive to make. These “noncanonical” amino acids that we make are already catalyzing the creation of revolutionary and innovative products that are good for people and the planet. 

Our technology outperforms traditional manufacturing approaches by 10–100x across the board. We already sell products to Big 10 Pharmaceutical companies, and our product family includes the key components of multi-billion dollar blockbuster drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro.

We are a diverse, passionate, interdisciplinary team that finds joy in building something new that leaves the world better than we found it. We strive to always learn and improve and have a deep desire to capitalize on our creativity and be exceptional at what we do.

About the role

Aralez Bio is seeking an experienced leader in fermentation and protein purification to lead the enzyme production team. This team makes the enzymes used to manufacture our innovative line of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs), which are produced for peptide R&D pipeline drug discovery and commercial scale peptide manufacturing. As a startup we are constantly developing and improving our processes. Successful candidates will have:

• Expertise in process development to improve enzyme expression/activity and the know-how to schedule production at both bench and large scales to meet project demands.
• Experience leading a team, with up to 30% of time allocated to guiding team members to meet enzyme production schedules and high-impact company goals.
• A track record of working with cross-functional teams to ensure that fermentation process development keeps pace with ongoing projects.
• The ability to balance best practice and expediency to ensure the delivery of high-quality enzymes while meeting what is optimal for our aggressive timelines to develop new products that are currently being sold into the drug development industry.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the fermentation team and projects, providing mentorship, managing resources, and ensuring effective cross-functional collaboration.
• Drive upstream fermentation efforts, including hands-on execution of fermentation and expression optimization in bioreactors ranging from bench-scale to 100L.
• Conduct downstream processing, including cell lysis, enzyme purification, and quantification for characterization and lot release.
• Troubleshoot complex expression challenges and develop strategies for difficult or novel proteins.
• Model technical excellence and data integrity across all stages of process development and scale-up.

What You’ll Bring

Must have experience with:

• Optimizing fermentation processes, including feeding and induction strategies to enhance enzyme expression.
• Refining SOPs, as well as generating and maintaining equipment and quality records.
• Producing enzymes at pilot/commercial scale, tech transfer, and working with CDMOs when necessary.
• Maintaining databases and records of unit operations, production data, and enzyme stocks.
• Mentoring and developing team members, driving both individual and organizational growth.

Nice to have experience with:

• Bioreactor construction and maintenance.
• Vector design and construction. 
• Fermentation factors that affect enzyme solubility and activity. 
• Purification conditions, enzymatic by-products, cofactors that will improve expression and solubility. 
• Enzyme activity screening.
• Project management and scheduling.
• Media formulations. 

Essential traits:

• You are reliable, proactive, and a go-getter willing to jump right in.
• You have an ownership mindset and are a strategic thinker. Setting goals and priorities when appropriate, creating and executing plans, measuring KPIs and metrics, and aligning tactics with key results all come naturally to you.
• You’re incredibly nimble, scrappy, and a leader in ambiguous situations. You create solutions to problems and keep a positive attitude even when times are tough.

Qualifications:

• PhD in biochemical engineering, biomedical engineering, microbiology, or a related field with 5+ years industry experience.
• Master’s with 8+ years industry experience.
• BS with 10+ years industry experience.

Compensation 

Aralez Bio’s salary range for this position is $120,000-$150,000 per year, based on your performance and experience. In addition, your total rewards package will include equity and benefits.

Benefits at Aralez Bio

• Medical / dental / vision insurance coverage
• 401k
• Flexible Spending Account
• Unlimited time off policy
• Weekly catered lunch
• Professional Development opportunities
• Annual company retreat

Equal Employment Opportunity

Aralez Bio is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, sex, and any other group protected under federal, state, or local laws. 

We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Please reach out if an accommodation is needed. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.