Process Development Scientist, Biocatalysis

Cascade Bio • Denver, CO

3d • $110,000 - $150,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Cascade Biocatalysts is seeking a hands-on Process Development Scientist, Biocatalysis to lead biocatalytic process development, intensification, and scale-up efforts. This is a foundational role where the individual will build the process development function, set technical direction, establish SOPs and standards, and own the path from bench-scale proof of concept to a commercial-scale process. The role involves working directly with the founding team, with ownership over outcomes and the opportunity to shape the science, culture, and direction of the company. The ideal candidate is a subject matter expert in commercial biocatalysis, comfortable with both bench-scale reactions and scale-up implications, and ideally comes from a biocatalysis-focused company, CDMO, or industrial process chemistry group.

Requirements

• PhD or MS in biochemistry, chemical engineering, organic chemistry, or a related field with a strong biocatalysis or heterogeneous catalysis focus
• Minimum of 4 years of experience in process development including scale up, continuous improvements and commercial biocatalysis development
• Demonstrated ability to improve process performance against real commercial targets, including yield, cost, throughput, not just feasibility
• Experience with techno-economic modeling and process analytical tools
• Familiarity with DOE-driven development and comfort using data systematically to guide decisions
• Experience working across disciplines, including protein engineering, analytical chemistry, and engineering, and translating between scientific and commercial priorities
• Comfort operating in an early-stage environment with limited resources, ambiguity, and ambitious goals

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience at a biocatalysis-focused company, CDMO, or industrial process chemistry group strongly preferred

Responsibilities

• Own biocatalytic process development end-to-end, from initial hits to optimized ready to scale processes
• Run and optimize enzymatic reactions, driving process intensification by improving space-time yield, reducing enzyme loading, extending catalyst lifetime, and lowering overall process costs
• Collaborate with our enzyme immobilization team to evaluate and implement biocatalyst formats
• Evaluate and implement new equipment and process analytical technology solutions
• Lead and grow a small process development team over time, mentoring junior scientists while maintaining a technical culture and standards
• Build and maintain techno-economic models tracking key process metrics: E-factor, PMI, catalyst cost contribution, and downstream processing implications
• Interface with protein engineering efforts, translating process bottlenecks into enzyme engineering targets and back-integrating improved variants
• Contribute broadly across the organization: at this stage of the company, the most impactful team members bring their expertise to problems beyond their core scope
• Strong communication skills and ability to balance multiple priorities in a fast-paced, cross-functional and dynamic environment across a variety of programs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior