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Fermentation Engineer I, Late Stage R&D

New York, New York

Helaina is a VC-backed biotech startup creating a new category of functional food products.

Our vision is to bring the functional properties of human proteins to food. Helaina will be the first company to put human milk proteins into food, defining a new category of consumer nutrition products focused on supporting immunity. We see a range of opportunities to use our breast milk proteins to enhance other types of functional foods for all segments of the population.

Helaina is backed by top VCs in the industry including Spark Capital, Siam Capital, Primary Venture Partners, and Plum Alley. We are a team of change-makers looking for our next team member who is intensely passionate about advancing synthetic biology for food and beverage products and redefining the future of nutrition.

About the Team:

Helaina’s bioprocess team focuses on scaling our precision fermentation process to produce key ingredients for our final product. We are a collaborative team driven by our passion for science and innovation. 

About the Job:

In this role, you will work in our NYC lab to strategize, plan, and perform experiments on the bioprocess team. The successful candidate will be a hands-on, motivated self-starter with a strong sense of initiative and attention to detail. You will be responsible for contributing directly to Helaina’s company milestones by supporting our fermentation development and scale up optimization for the bioprocess team. 

What You’ll Do:

  • Operate benchtop bioreactors to develop and optimize fermentation conditions on a small scale.
  • Perform experiments to refine parameters such as pH, temperature, and feed rates to enhance fermentation yields and productivity.
  • Collaborate with R&D teams to integrate experimental findings into larger-scale production workflows.
  • Analyze experimental data to evaluate process performance and propose adjustments to improve efficiency and consistency.
  • Troubleshoot process-related issues in real-time and provide quick solutions to ensure operational continuity.
  • Translate findings from benchtop experiments to support scale-up to pilot and production scales.
  • Maintain accurate records of all benchtop experiments and ensure compliance with safety and regulatory standards.
  • Stay up to date with advances in fermentation science and propose process improvements and innovation.
  • Occasional weekend work should be expected.

About You:

  • You have a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, or a related discipline.
  • You have 1-2 years of hands-on experience operating benchtop bioreactors and developing fermentation processes. 
  • You are knowledgeable of bioreactor control hardware/software
  • You understand of fermentation optimization for scale up development
  • You are eager to troubleshoot through lab/experimental issues and discover new findings.
  • You are an effective communicator, both within a collaborative scientific team and in communicating science to non-technical audiences.
  • You are able to work some evenings and weekends.
  • Bonus points if you have industry or startup experience!

The anticipated base salary for this position is $90,000 to $115,000. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held. This position is also eligible for equity compensation.

Benefits:

Helaina was founded on the belief that families should have freedom of choice.  We are committed to providing an inclusive workplace that does just that, supporting our team's health, wellbeing and professional development at every stage and milestone.  We are proud to offer comprehensive health care, generous parental leave and childcare reimbursement, equity packages and more.  A few highlights include:

  • Full medical, vision and dental coverage
  • Short and long term disability insurance coverage
  • 401k match (up to 3%)
  • Unlimited vacation days, including an all-company holiday between Christmas and New Year
  • Paid Parental Leave for both parents + flexible return to work program
  • Childcare reimbursement program
  • Commuter Benefits
  • Leadership Development coaching through BetterUp

 

Visit us at https://www.myhelaina.com/news to learn more about Helaina.

 

Helaina is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Helaina we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway.  You may just be the strongest candidate for this or other roles.  For more information, please contact careers@myhelaina.com.  

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