Associate Scientist - Microbial Fermentation and Bioprocessing

AeroVironment•Bath Township, OH

8d•$69,500 - $98,700•Onsite

About The Position

The primary responsibility of this role is to prepare, operate, and maintain equipment for manufacturing a range of custom bioproducts. Working alongside senior specialists, scientists, and engineers, the associate scientist will help transition bioproducts from bench-scale laboratory workflows into pilot-scale industrial operations.

Requirements

This position is working within a government facility and requires U.S. Citizenship
Associate or bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., biomanufacturing, microbiology, chemical engineering, or bioengineering).
1+ years of experience operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting food or bioprocessing equipment.
Hands-on experience with microbial fermentation and protein purification at the laboratory scale.
Comfort and capability working with industrial equipment in an industrial setting.
Strong understanding of research methodology, principles, and data interpretation.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the proven ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team.
Proficiency with standard word processing and spreadsheet software.
U.S. Citizenship required due to contract requirements.

Nice To Haves

2+ years of pilot-scale or production facility experience in food or biomanufacturing.
Direct experience with industrial fermentation, bioproduction, and spray-drying.
Familiarity with Design of Experiments (DoE), process optimization, and bioproduct characterization tools.

Responsibilities

Operate microbial fermenters at the 0.25-liter, 10-liter, and 100-liter scales for research trials and pilot biomanufacturing runs.
Execute downstream processing unit operations, including cell lysis, biomass recovery, separation, and biomolecular purification.
Operate and maintain pilot-scale equipment such as steam-in-place fermenters, continuous flow centrifuges, high-pressure homogenizers, tangential flow filtration units, depth filtration stacks, and console lyophilizers.
Support lab operations through tasks like solution preparation, glassware washing, and sterilization.
Ensure equipment is ready for use by performing startup, commissioning, routine cleaning, maintenance, and minor facility repairs.
Collaborate with scientists and engineers on process optimization and bioproduct characterization using analytical tools such as mass spectrometry, HPLC/FPLC, gel electrophoresis, and electron microscopy.
Draft, revise, and document standard operating procedures (SOPs) and product-specific protocols.
Maintain strict adherence to protocols.
Support facility business functions, including consumable supply ordering, shipping, and inventory tracking.
Present findings and work progress at internal and external scientific meetings and conferences.
Document processes using standard batch records.