Research Associate I, Microbial Fermentation
San Francisco Bay Area /
Research & Development /
Full-time
/ On-site
Pattern Ag is an agricultural technology company leveraging advances in genomics, data science, and microbiology to help farmers improve the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of their land. By applying genomic analysis to farm soil, we unlock a wide range of predictive insights that help farmers improve their soil health and optimize their spend on seed, crop protection, and fertility inputs. Combining these insights with the latest in digital sensing, data science, and machine learning, we are ushering in the era of predictive agriculture, powering on-farm decision making for millions of acres, and billions in crop spend.
We are searching for an exceptional Research Associate, who has a passion for helping farmers grow food using more sustainable and regenerative practices. We receive soil samples from growers’ fields and process them to obtain a deep level of metagenomics and geochemical data and overlay them with other metadata. We translate these data into information and ultimately into actionable knowledge to help growers manage their fields efficiently and maximize their return on investment.
The Research Associate I, Microbial Fermentation will be responsible for supporting fermentation of our microbial product candidates, conducting microbial physiology experiments and assays, organizing and analyzing data, and working with plant associated microbes under the direction of the Research Scientist. In addition, the holder of this position may be involved in training temporary employees.
This is a full time, on-site position in Emeryville, CA.
Responsibilities
- Set up, execution, and monitoring of flask and bioreactor-scale fermentation experiments
- Culturing, quantifying, and screening plant associated microbes
- Contributing to design, execution, and troubleshooting of experiments
- Reviewing literature to make appropriate technical recommendations for experiments
- Contributing towards a rigorous scientific and data driven culture
- Maintaining detailed experimental records
- Organizing, analyzing and interpreting data
- Sharing progress regularly with leaders through reports and briefings
- Ensuring compliance with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP)
Skills + Requirements
- M.S in Microbiology or related discipline or B.S in Microbiology or related discipline with 2+ years of relevant academic or industrial lab experience
- Hands-on experience with aseptic technique, especially for bacterial culturing, is a requirement
- Knowledge of microbial physiology
- Strong experience with microbiological techniques such as serial dilution, bacterial quantification, and culture methods
- Strong collaborative mindset with the ability to work with and form partnership in cross-functional teams
- Ability to work independently and with minimal supervision
- Highly self-motivated, independent and passionate about discovering biological solutions for farmers
- Local candidates are highly encouraged to apply
Compensation + Benefits
- $60,000/yr - $85,000/yr
- Comprehensive health plans (100% employee coverage, 50% dependents)
- Company equity
- Hybrid work environment + remote working options
- 401k
- Mental health stipend
- Unlimited PTO, with a corporate standard of at least 3 weeks off per year
- 11 paid holidays + paid sick time off
- Family & parental leave
Thank you for considering Pattern Ag. We look forward to reviewing your application!
