Department: Innovation & Technology

Location: Renewable Innovation Center - Lexington, MA 

Travel Involved: 5-10%

Job Type: Full Time, On Site 

Salary Range: $154,700 - $193,400

Description:

Braskem, a global leader in the production of bio-based materials, has recently opened a new renewable research and development facility in Lexington, MA. The 35,000 SFT Renewable Innovation Center brings together scientists and engineers from a variety of disciplines to ideate and develop novel technologies for the production of bio-based chemicals and materials.

Braskem America is seeking an exceptional, highly motivated microbial physiologist/metabolic engineer to work on cutting-edge technology in the renewable chemicals space. The successful candidate brings substantive experience designing, engineering, and debottlenecking native and de novo pathways in microbial host strains for commercial production processes. Strong technical, organizational, and communication skills, along with the ability to develop creative solutions to complex problems, are essential.

The ideal candidate will lead and/or contribute to metabolic pathway engineering projects to develop novel biochemical routes for the production of renewable chemicals and materials by microbial fermentation. The ideal candidate will be responsible for designing biochemical pathways for microbial host strains and developing and executing experimental technical programs within the context of milestone-driven projects.

Key Responsibilities Include: 

• Identify and propose new research routes/streams and extensions to ongoing research.
• Conceive and design metabolic pathways for the production of industrial chemicals using bacterial, yeast, or filamentous fungal host strains.
• Work closely with the strain and enzyme engineering, analytical chemistry, and fermentation teams.
• Serve as a role model and mentor to more junior team members within the metabolic engineering team.
• Communicate data and project-related information within the team and to senior leadership, as well as to external stakeholders.
• Initiate and lead research and development project execution and delivery.
• Participation in external national and international conferences and seminars.
• Assist the intellectual property team in the drafting of patent applications.

Requirements: 

• Deep and broad knowledge within the fields of microbial metabolism, metabolic engineering, and pathway optimization.
• A strong understanding of the relationship between pathway flux and the free energy change of individual pathway steps, as well as the importance of cellular redox balance.
• Be familiar with adjacent technology fields, including synthetic biology, fermentation, and bioinformatics.
• Creativity, entrepreneurship, initiative, and good critical judgment are essential for this role. Strong technical and interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively with other departments (e.g., Chemical Catalysis) and those outside the Renewable Chemicals Innovation Center.
• Track record of implementing creative and innovative technologies and mentorship of less experienced scientists. 
• Demonstrated excellent verbal & written communication skills.

Required Skills, Education, and Experience:

• Ph.D. in Microbial Physiology, Metabolic Engineering, Microbiology, or related.
• 10 - 15 years of post-doctoral industrial experience, preferably in industrial biotechnology related to chemical production.
• Record of delivering commercially viable microbial production strains.
• Strong background in metabolic pathway design and optimization.
• Experience in interpreting complex biological analytical data and planning subsequent experiments and strain modifications.
• Experience developing molecular tools and protocols, particularly for non-model organisms.
• Experience developing simple cost models and project plans to support project development.
• Must be highly motivated with exceptional communication and teamwork skills.
• Experience with high-throughput molecular biology techniques and the use of lab automation is a plus.