Research Associate, Bioanalytical and Biochemistry

IFF • Palo Alto, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

IFF is a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients and health & biosciences, delivering sustainable innovations that elevate everyday products. The Health & Biosciences division channels passion for nature and bioscience into sustainable, life-enhancing technologies for healthcare, food, consumer, and industrial markets. This role is based in Palo Alto, CA, USA, and is an onsite position within a curious, collaborative, and science-driven team.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, chemical biology, molecular biology, analytical science, food science or a related field.
• Academic or industry laboratory experience in a Research and Development environment, with emphasis on biochemistry or analytical chemistry.
• Hands-on experience conducting laboratory experiments independently and following good laboratory practices.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to share scientific information clearly.
• Strong organizational skills, including the ability to manage tasks, procedures, documentation and samples.
• Strong quantitative, computer and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines and work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• High attention to detail, safety and quality in laboratory work.
• Ability to collaborate across diverse teams and stakeholders while also leading independent work.

Nice To Haves

• Working knowledge of western blotting, SDS-PAGE, ELISA and Ouchterlony immunodiffusion assays.
• Experience with analytical instruments such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC), mass spectrometry (MS), ion chromatography (IC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) or circular dichroism (CD).
• Experience with assay development, enzyme kinetics, method execution, validation, troubleshooting and workflow optimization.

Responsibilities

• Design and conduct laboratory experiments independently to support Research and Development, regulatory and legal projects.
• Perform immunologically based analytical methods such as western blotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Ouchterlony immunodiffusion assays.
• Support protein analysis, protein purification and related bioanalytical workflows that help advance biotechnology innovation.
• Develop and implement analytical methods to evaluate engineered biocatalysts and processes.
• Help move research toward development by building quantitative enzyme activity assays and generating reliable data.
• Collaborate with scientists, engineers, regulatory experts, business teams, attorneys and external partners to support project progress.
• Transform complex scientific data into clear, organized and timely reports that support project decisions.
• Identify bottlenecks, troubleshoot technical challenges and optimize laboratory workflows and processes.
• Participate actively in project teams and contribute to additional laboratory and team priorities as needed.

Benefits

• Work at a biotechnology center of excellence with advanced Research and Development resources.
• Contribute to bio-based innovation that supports products and solutions used in everyday life.
• Join a collaborative, cross-functional team with exposure to scientific, engineering, regulatory, business and legal stakeholders.
• Build technical expertise in bioanalytical methods, biochemistry and quantitative enzyme activity assays.
• Learn from experts across biotechnology, protein engineering, synthetic biology and analytical science.
• Make an impact by helping reduce key development bottlenecks and supporting the path from research to marketplace.

What This Job Offers

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