Research Associate I

Main Functions

Mascoma LLC (Lebanon, New Hampshire), part of the Lallemand Corporate R&D business group, is a leader in the research and development of new industrial biotechnology products. Its team members are developing microbial products and applications that enable the efficient and sustainable production of fuels and chemicals, feed, and food products from agricultural or other biomass sources. They develop and deliver innovative technologies to create competitive advantages for customers in manufacturing focused on biological processes across all markets served by Lallemand (biofuels, baking, brewing, winemaking, distilled spirits, pharmaceuticals and probiotics, and plant and animal care).

Mascoma is an equal opportunity employer and offers competitive compensation in addition to a package of benefits including: medical, dental, and vision insurance; a 401K program and matching contributions; company-paid short-term and long-term disability benefits; paid vacation, personal time, and holidays; and tuition reimbursement for job-related ongoing education; among others. We continually aim to increase the diversity and inclusiveness of our workforce, recognizing that fresh perspectives and diverse life experiences bring about the new ideas and creativity that make our team succeed.

The Research Associate will join Mascoma’s Application Technology Group as part of a larger team working to develop and successfully apply biocatalysts for production of biofuels and other valuable feed, chemical, or food co-products, from fermentation. The primary responsibilities of the selected individual will be to:

• Execute fermentation experiments, small-scale growth assays, and enzymatic assays evaluating the performance of Lallemand-developed organisms, coordinating sample analyses with in-house analytical team and external providers as needed;
• Understand and optimize organism performance under industrial conditions to quickly and successfully bring new value-added yeast and bacteria products to market as part of cross-functional product development teams;
• Design, plan, and execute experiments, analyze experimental data, and document experimental protocols and results in technical documents based on direction from product development teams;
• Contribute to new method development and validation as needed;
• Work closely with colleagues to develop new knowledge around the interaction of microorganisms with the industrial application environment.

The candidate will perform this research as part of a multi-disciplinary team providing solutions to challenging industrial needs with insight, creativity, and skill. This position reports to the Director, Application Technology.

Technical skills

Required

• B.S. degree in Biotechnology, Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, or Chemical or Biochemical Engineering; other disciplines considered depending on specific experience.
• Familiarity with or ability to quickly learn and accurately perform laboratory procedures associated with biological process development, including: fermentation at scales from shake flask to laboratory bioreactor, media preparation, sterile technique, and analytical methods for quantification of carbohydrates, proteins, alcohols, and other fermentation co‐products and metabolites.
• Ability to reliably execute experiments independently and in a timely manner, once trained, and able to make decisions about routine set-up, timing, and completion of experiments.
• Ability to accurately capture laboratory procedures and data from experiments in electronic laboratory notebook and technical documents in a timely manner, and carry out basic statistical analyses on data to synthesize and report on results and review data with manager.
• Familiarity with microbial physiology.

An asset

• At least 1 year of relevant research or industrial experience in biotechnology or related field.
• Have varied educational or industrial lab experiences, enabling the development of new approaches to difficult problems.
• Working knowledge of yeast metabolism and impacts of yeast stressors on metabolism.
• Demonstrated success, including as a member of cross-functional project teams, delivering upon measurable technical or business outcomes.

Personal abilities

Required

• Good troubleshooting skills to suggest and test potential solutions to overcome technical challenges.
• Strong oral and written communication and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated time management, organization, planning, and record-keeping skills.
• Strong sense of initiative, particularly to expand knowledge base in areas of project or functional responsibilities.
• Positive attitude and willing to proactively take responsibility for project and community laboratory tasks.
• Willing to seek help from manager or other researchers when unsure of appropriate procedure or next steps.
• Adaptability to a dynamic work environment.
• Desire to work as part of a team in a fast-paced biotech industry setting.
• Commitment to working safely in an R&D setting.

An asset

• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously.

General criteria

Required

• Candidate must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
• Ability to travel occasionally to work on-site with industrial partners or production facilities as projects require.

Organization

Lallemand is a privately held Canadian company founded in the late 19th century, which develops, produces, and markets microorganisms for various markets. The administrative offices of the parent company are in Montreal, Canada. Today, Lallemand employs more than 5,000 people working in more than 45 countries on 5 continents.

Lallemand's corporate division encompasses all of the support services offered to our branches. Its goal is to optimize internal processes, ensure that your operation is running smoothly, and that your strategy is well thought-out.

Our corporate branch's head office is located in Montreal, Canada, and relies on a team that specializes in: Management; Finance and accounting; Engineering; Research and Development (R&D); Human Resources (HR); and Information Technology (IT). If you want to help bring enthusiasm, collaboration and innovation to our workplace, we'd love to get to know you!

Please take note that accommodations will be provided in all parts of the hiring process. Applicants need to make their needs known in advance.