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Senior Process Development Engineer

Hayward, CA

About Lygos

Lygos, Inc. is a specialty chemical company that helps customers meet their highest performance and sustainability goals. Lygos’ bio-inspired solutions are designed to replace persistent and carbon-intensive chemicals with products that are better, cleaner, and cost effective.  With a proprietary and fully integrated platform of the most advanced technologies across synthetic biology, industrial chemistry, and application development, a pipeline of innovative products, a first-of-its-kind Sustainable Solutions Center, and an integrated supply chain, Lygos is accelerating the world’s transition to high-performing, sustainable solutions. 

Lygos recently launched its Soltellus™ biodegradable polymer product line, with applications in home and personal care, water treatment and agricultural applications, and Ecoteria™ products, that have applications in fragrances as well as for coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers.

About the Position

We are seeking an experienced Senior Process Development Engineer (or Process Development Engineer III) to join our growing organization. As a member of the Product Development team, you will report to the Senior Director of Downstream Processing and support the transfer of new processes to manufacturing partners and design and build processing equipment for the laboratory and pilot plant. In this role, you will have the opportunity to own the automation process of our pilot plant equipment. You will also get to experience working in a collaborative team environment.

 

Role & Responsibilities:

  • Design and execute lab-scale and pilot-scale experiments to develop both proof of concept and optimized processes for recovery of high-value intermediates from fermentation broth, as well as downstream conversion and isolation of end products 
  • Design, fabricate, and build processing equipment for piloting and laboratory
  • Collection and analysis of all relevant experimental data and coordination of analytical material analyses
  • Generate technical reports and presentations and present to stakeholders in weekly/monthly meetings
  • Responsible for preparing SOP’s for safe execution of lab-scale and pilot-scale experiments
  • Support the transfer of new processes to external manufacturing partners and support process troubleshooting as needed
  • Support and participate in process safety reviews
  • Work collaboratively and exchange ideas/information with other groups to develop the most efficient integrated processes 

Qualifications and Experience:

  • PhD in Chemical Engineering 4 years of industrial experience OR BS/MS in Chemical Engineering with minimum 8 years of experience
  • Must be hands-on and able to execute experiments safely with minimal supervision
  • Must have hands-on experience with PLC and process control software to automate pilot plant equipment and laboratory equipment
  • Experience developing new downstream processes for the recovery and purification of fermentation-derived products, and similar experience with chemical process development
  • Previous experience scaling up chemical or purification processes from lab/bench scale to pilot/manufacturing scale is preferred
  • Solid fundamental knowledge of chemical engineering principles and unit operations, such as batch and continuous reactors, distillation/evaporation, crystallization, extractions, filtration, adsorption, centrifugation, chromatography, etc.
  • Motivated self-starter with a sense of urgency that is comfortable in a fast-paced, multitasking environment
  • Superb organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills. Collaborative, analytical, and data-driven
  • The highest regard for safety, respect for people, and ethical behavior

Nice-to-haves (but not required):

  • Experience with plant design
  • Project Management experience 

 

Compensation and Benefits: Lygos offers highly competitive salaries, stock options, bonus and benefits, including medical and dental insurance, unlimited paid time off, and 401(k).

Salary Range: $165,000-$182,000/yr. base (this role is eligible for additional compensation in the form of a bonus) - Actual pay will vary based on various factors, including but not limited to location, skill, experience, and performance.

The benefits and stock purchase described above are subject to the terms and conditions of any governing plans, policies, practices, agreements, or other materials or documents as in effect from time to time, including but not limited to terms and conditions regarding eligibility.

Legal authorization to work in the U.S. is required.  Lygos may agree to sponsor an individual for an employment visa now or in the future if there is a shortage of individuals with particular skills for this job.  

 

Location information: This position is for our Hayward, CA headquarters.  The employee must be able to primarily work on-site at this location.

Lygos, Inc. does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits.

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