Scientist I Jobs

Scientist I - Enzymology Process Development

Houston, TX 77035

Mission

Solugen’s mission is to decarbonize chemicals manufacturing. As a first step, Solugen built a 10,000 tpy commercial plant with the potential to offset up to 37,000 tpy of carbon dioxide equivalents. This role will directly support Solugen’s mission by continuously improving Solugen’s core catalytic platform. As the activity, selectivity, stability, and manufacturing cost of Solugen’s core catalytic platform continuously improves, the quality of Solugen’s products and our cost to manufacture improve.

Key Outcomes

• Collaborate with the Process Development team to steer experiments and report findings.
• Design and execute enzyme process development experiments.
• Initiate and monitor benchtop experiments under the direction of the R&D team.
• Support of BioForge operations through enzyme assay testing and enzyme titer determination.
• Engage in new product design, development, and testing.
• Write standard operating procedures related to enzyme technologies.
• Maintain a safe and orderly laboratory in compliance with all safety policies and practices.

Key Competencies

• Analytical approach to problem solving, with a focus on managing a team environment with attention to results and a sense of urgency.
• Ability to generate reports and visualize data in an organized, timely, quantitative, and thorough manner.
• Attention to detail and organization.
• Comfortable following safety protocols and wearing personal protective equipment—including laboratory coats, eye protection, and close toed shoes --in work zones.
• Willingness to self-learn a broad range of new technical skills.
• Ability to exercise common molecular biology techniques including microbial cell culture, sterile field technique, isolation of nucleic acids, polymerase chain reaction, cloning, restriction digests, nucleic acid and protein gel electrophoresis, centrifugation, autoclaving, and pipetting.
• Support of BioForge operations through enzyme assay testing and titer determination. This may include coverage of weekends/evenings in the event of Operational needs.
• Ability to plan and execute design of experiments exercises.
• Ability to run chemical reactors including bioreactors and high-pressure vessels.
• Good familiarity with Office products as well as a general level of comfort with online communication and work management platforms such as Dropbox, Google Doc, and Slack.
• Good communication, negotiation, leadership, and project management skills with the desire to further develop these skills as the company grows.

Company Specific

• Willingness to learn and research new engineering/science concepts.
• Creative problem solving.
• Respect for others.
• A passion for green chemistry and fighting climate change.
• Ability to self-manage and set your own priorities and schedule.
• Be comfortable working in multiple roles.
• Be nimble, embrace the speed and ambiguity of startup culture.
• Emphasize safety above all else.

Qualifications

A BS, MS or work experience in molecular biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, chemical engineering or related field with heavy emphasis on process development for chemical reactions.

Full-time relocation to Houston

Solugen is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other legally protected status.