Assoc Scientist Microbiome & Hygiene- Lexington, MA

dsm-firmenich•Lexington, MA

17d•$100,000 - $120,000

About The Position

dsm-firmenich is seeking a motivated and collaborative Associate Scientist to join its Microbiome & Hygiene team in Lexington, Massachusetts. The role supports research and innovation across the microbiome space, contributing to experimental design, laboratory execution, and data interpretation in a dynamic, cross-functional environment. The research focuses on the role of the microbiome in human health and beauty and on enabling innovative solutions for the company’s businesses. The successful candidate will perform microbiological and molecular biology techniques, support assay development and optimization for microbiome and host interaction studies, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate microbiome data with other omics and clinical datasets. The role also includes maintaining records, analyzing data, contributing to reports, publications, and presentations, providing technical guidance to team members, and helping with general laboratory maintenance. The position offers a salary of $100,000–$120,000 and is eligible for bonuses and benefits. The company describes a collaborative, supportive environment with opportunities for growth and advancement, learning, and cross-business mobility.

Requirements

MSc in microbiology, molecular biology, or a closely related life science field with 1–2 years of experience; or a BSc with 3–5 years of experience.
Hands-on experience with microbiome-related techniques, including anaerobic microbial culture and molecular biology methods.
Experience working in BL2 settings and with BL2 samples.
Basic data analysis skills.
Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Effective communication and teamwork abilities in a multidisciplinary setting.
Ability to work under deadlines and adapt to changing timelines.

Nice To Haves

Experience with microbial strain libraries or culture-based assay development.
Experience with molecular biology approaches such as PCR, DNA/RNA extraction, and sequencing.
Experience with R.

Responsibilities

Support and execute laboratory research on the role of the microbiome in human health and beauty to enable innovative business solutions.
Perform microbiological and molecular biology techniques, including microbial culturing, DNA/RNA extraction, qPCR, and DNA/RNA sequencing.
Assist in developing and optimizing assays for microbiome and host interaction studies.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate microbiome data with other omics data, such as metagenomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, and with clinical datasets.
Maintain accurate records, analyze data, and contribute to internal reports, peer-reviewed publications, and presentations.
Provide technical guidance and support to team members.
Help with general laboratory maintenance as needed.