Lead Engineer, Late Stage R&D (Bioprocess)
Helaina is a VC-backed biotech startup creating a new category of functional food products.
Our vision is to bring the functional properties of human proteins to food. Helaina will be the first company to put human milk proteins into food, defining a new category of consumer nutrition products focused on supporting immunity. We will initially launch a first-of-its-kind infant formula – the only infant formula with immune-nourishing proteins found in human milk. We also see a range of opportunities to use our breast milk proteins to enhance other types of functional foods for all segments of the population.
Helaina is backed by top VCs in the industry including Spark Capital, Siam Capital, Primary Venture Partners, and Plum Alley. We are a team of change-makers looking for our next team member who is intensely passionate about advancing synthetic biology for food and beverage products and redefining the future of nutrition.
About the Team:
Helaina’s bioprocess team focuses on scaling our precision fermentation process to produce key ingredients for our final product. We are a collaborative team driven by our passion for science and innovation.
About the Job:
In this role, you will work in our lab to strategize, plan and perform experiments on the Bioprocess Team. The successful candidate is a hands-on, motivated self-starter with a strong sense of initiative and attention to detail. You will be responsible for contributing to Helaina’s company milestones by supporting our fermentation development and scale-up optimization for the Bioprocess Team
What You’ll Do:
Design and conduct scalable fermentation experiments to optimize the growth and productivity of various microbial strains.
Develop solutions to increase viability and decrease background of various microbial strains.
Support strain screening, media development and metabolite characterization.
Generate detailed SOPs and batch records for fermentation operations.
Prepare technical transfer documents and communicate with CMO partners.
Train and manage scientists on the Bioprocess Team.
Troubleshoot and optimize equipment when necessary.
Record and manage data in an electronic lab notebook.
Prepare technical reports, protocols and scientific presentations.
About You:
You have a PhD in Microbial Physiology, Microbiology, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, or related disciplines with 5+ years of experience.
You have detailed knowledge of yeast physiology and growth in an industrial context
You have experience with scaling up a fermentation process.
You have experience with eukaryotic microorganisms (Methylotrophic and oleaginous yeast and filamentous fungi).
You have a strong command of cellular physiology, with respect to optimizing growth and robustness.
You have an in-depth understanding of fermentation optimization for scale-up development.
You are eager to troubleshoot through lab/experimental issues and discover new findings.
You are an effective communicator, both within a collaborative scientific team and in communicating science to non-technical audiences.
Bonus points if you have start-up or industry experience!
The salary range for this role is $125k-$130k, depending on experience.
Benefits:
Helaina was founded on the belief that families should have freedom of choice. We are committed to providing an inclusive workplace that does just that, supporting our team's health, wellbeing and professional development at every stage and milestone. We are proud to offer comprehensive health care, generous parental leave and childcare reimbursement, equity packages and more. A few highlights include:
Full medical, vision and dental coverage
Short and long term disability insurance coverage
401k match (up to 3%)
Unlimited vacation days, including an all-company holiday between Christmas and New Year
Paid Parental Leave for both parents + flexible return to work program
Childcare reimbursement program
Commuter Benefits
Leadership Development coaching through BetterUp
COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement:
Given the recent NYC mandate, Helaina is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment, unless an employee requires a reasonable accommodation. If you believe that you may require an accommodation, please apply for any roles that interest you and if hired, you will receive information on how to request a reasonable accommodation after your start date. Helaina will evaluate all such requests in accordance with Company policy and applicable law.
Learn more about Helaina here:
Two Women-Led Startups Look To Solve Baby-Formula Crisis With Synthetic Breast Milk
Helaina’s latest round brings it closer to market with human milk-equivalent baby formula
Helaina is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Helaina we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may just be the strongest candidate for this or other roles. For more information, please contact careers@myhelaina.com.
