Senior Microbiologist - Decatur, IL

Archer Daniels Midland • Decatur, IL

15h • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Microbiologist, Process Micro Team position requires an experienced and lab-focused individual to advance ADM’s microbial process research and innovation capabilities. This role will emphasize laboratory experimentation, analytical method development, and data-driven insights to support process optimization and contamination control strategies across ADM’s production network. The successful candidate will apply deep expertise in microbiology, molecular biology, and instrumentation to generate actionable scientific data, lead R&D initiatives, and collaborate cross-functionally with colleagues in Research, Engineering, and Operations.

Requirements

• BS degree or higher in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Bioprocess Engineering, Food Safety, or a related scientific discipline.
• 5+ years of combined experience in industrial microbiology, bioprocess development, or related laboratory environments.
• Demonstrated proficiency in molecular and analytical techniques relevant to microbial process characterization.
• Experience with experimental design, data analytics, and interpretation of complex biological datasets.
• Proven ability to manage projects and deliver results in cross-functional settings.
• Strong technical expertise in microbiological and molecular analytical methods.
• Proficiency in data analysis tools and software for biological and process data (e.g., statistical packages, visualization tools).
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with diverse, multidisciplinary teams and contribute to ADM’s innovation strategy through research excellence.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail in laboratory and project execution.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Design, execute, and interpret laboratory experiments focused on microbial process understanding, optimization, and contamination control.
• Develop and apply advanced analytical and molecular biology techniques (e.g., qPCR, sequencing, flow cytometry, spectroscopic and chromatographic methods) to characterize microbial systems.
• Lead R&D projects and initiatives originating from the Process Micro team, coordinating timelines, resources, and communication across functional groups.
• Support plant operations through data-driven insights and lab-based troubleshooting of process microbiology issues.
• Collaborate with plant and research teams to translate laboratory findings into scalable process improvements and technology implementations.
• Develop and maintain laboratory instrumentation methods and data analysis workflows to ensure high-quality, reproducible results.
• Contribute to contamination control strategies and sanitary process design through experimental validation and risk-based approaches.
• Communicate findings, recommendations, and technical reports to stakeholders across R&D and Operations.

Benefits

• Relocation Assistance Available
• medical/Rx, dental, vision and on-site wellness center access or gym reimbursement (as applicable).
• flexible spending accounts, health savings account, 401(k) with matching contributions and cash balance plan, discounted employee stock purchasing program, life insurance, disability, workers’ compensation, legal assistance, identity theft protection.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and Colleague Giving Programs (ADM Cares).
• Paid time off including paid holidays.
• Adoption assistance and paid maternity and parental leave.
• Tuition assistance.
• Company-sponsored training and development resources, such as LinkedIn Learning, language training and mentoring programs.

What This Job Offers

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