Strain Engineer (Postdoc or Intern) at Industrial Microbes

Industrial Microbes (iMicrobes) is hiring a Strain Engineer Postdoc or Intern to support our customer and grant funded projects at our lab in Alameda, CA. This is a full-time, temporary 4-6 month position for those looking to transition from a PhD program or learn new skills. The position is intended to lead to a full-time permanent role for excellent scientists.

At iMicrobes, our mission is to invent more sustainable ways of making chemicals and materials for the largest markets. We are inventing and scaling new fermentation methods that use greenhouse gases as raw materials. Our synthetic biology team has built the world’s most programmable gas-eating microorganism, capable of converting biogas, natural gas, and carbon dioxide into a wide range of products.

The most competitive applicants will have either completed a relevant PhD or have several years of industry experience engineering bacterial plasmids or genomes.

The ideal candidate will have some of these experiences:

• Modified genomes (knockouts, integrations, CRISPR tools)

• Designed and optimized metabolic pathways (in any microbe)

• Developed assays for assessing metabolic pathways

• Have knowledge of bacterial cell biology and physiology

• Worked with E. coli

• Worked with organisms that grow on C1 compounds (methane, CO2, methanol, formate)

• Performed ALE (Adaptive Laboratory Evolution)

• Engineered proteins

• Designed and built single/multi-target libraries for strain improvement

• Worked at an industrial biotech company commercializing commodity or specialty chemicals

• Managed junior researchers
  
  

While the position is flexible and some work can be done remotely, there is a requirement to be on-site in Alameda, CA regularly. Candidates must be currently authorized to work in the United States.

Company Values
Leave the World Greener ⧫ Find the Full Half ⧫ Take Ownership ⧫ Data Win! ⧫ Keep Your Sense of Wonder ⧫ Communicate! (Early and Often) ⧫ Unfinished Over Unsafe ⧫ Be Yourself - We Like It That Way
Applicants are encouraged to read all our Core Values at our About web page.

Ensuring a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace (DEI) where we learn from each other is central to our culture. There’s a lack of diversity in our industry and that needs to change. Industrial Microbes is committed to DEI in all of our practices. Achieving our mission depends on our ability to build a positive and supportive team of people with different backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives. Candidates in underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer; all are welcome to apply.

Let us know, at any stage of the application process, if you need accommodation for accessibility.

Our staff are the most important part of the company. We value work-life balance, well-being, and a positive company culture. Employees have said about iMicrobes that “work culture is above and beyond.”

Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance

• Stock options

• 401(k) plan

• 4-5 weeks of paid vacation and a flexible schedule

• 12 weeks of paid family leave (PFL) for a new child and 8 weeks PFL for other qualifying events

• Monthly stipends for personal wellness and learning

• Daily lunches and snacks

About Us

iMicrobes is developing bio-manufacturing methods that can produce sustainable materials that have both reduced costs and reduced environmental impacts. Our processes use custom microbes with metabolic abilities not found in nature. We work with partners to scale our microbes to get products into the market where they can make a real impact.  

Learn more at our website.