Senior Downstream Bioprocess Engineer

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory•Laurel, MD

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is seeking a downstream bioproprocess engineer to join their Biological Sciences Group. This role will focus on developing scalable purification processes for microbial biomanufacturing, contributing to innovative biotechnology solutions for national security challenges. The engineer will work within an interdisciplinary team of microbiologists, metabolic engineers, and chemists, taking the lead on downstream processing to recover, purify, and characterize microbially produced small molecules and metabolites. This position is within the Research Exploratory Development Department and aims to build expertise in molecular biology for national security applications.

Requirements

PhD in Chemical Engineering, Biological Engineering, Biochemistry, Chemistry, or a related field
1+ year of postdoctoral research experience.
Experience developing downstream processing methods for microbial production of small molecules or metabolites.
Experience developing and applying analytical chemistry methods, including HPLC, LC/MS, GC/MS, or related techniques.
Experience designing, executing, and troubleshooting laboratory experiments for purification, characterization, and process optimization.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, demonstrated through publications, presentations, or related experience.
Able to obtain an Interim Secret level security clearance by your start date and can ultimately obtain a TS/SCI level clearance.
U.S. citizenship.

Nice To Haves

Experience engineering microbial metabolic pathways or microbial strain development.
Experience with yeast or non-model microorganisms.
Experience scaling microbial bioprocesses from bench to pilot scale.
Experience with molecular biology techniques used to support bioprocess development
Experience leading multidisciplinary research projects or developing research proposals.

Responsibilities

Develop and optimize downstream processes for recovery and purification of microbially produced small molecules and metabolites.
Design and execute experiments to improve process performance and characterize biomanufacturing products using analytical chemistry techniques.
Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams of scientists and engineers to develop innovative biotechnology solutions for national security applications.
Lead technical efforts on internally and externally funded research projects, including project planning, execution, and communication of results.
Contribute to the growth of our research portfolio by developing new technical concepts, writing proposals, and building relationships with sponsors and collaborators.