Research Associate (San Diego)
Research Associate I–II, Bioprocess Development Location: San Diego, CA Work Arrangement: Fully onsite, five days per week Employment Type: Contract, 6-12 months Compensation: To be determined BioPhase is seeking a hands-on Research Associate I-II, Bioprocess Development for an innovative biotechnology and industrial chemistry company in San Diego. This is an excellent opportunity for an associate-level scientist who enjoys owning experiments, generating high-quality data, solving problems at the bench, and helping translate early-stage methods into scalable, repeatable bioprocess workflows. In this role, you will design, execute, analyze, and document cultivation and fermentation experiments across 96-well plate and shake-flask platforms, with occasional exposure to benchtop bioreactors. You will support media development, growth and productivity studies, condition screening, method optimization, and laboratory operations in a fast-moving, highly collaborative startup environment. What You’ll Do Design, execute, document, analyze, and present cultivation and fermentation experiments across multiple platforms, including 96-well plates and shake flasks. Support occasional cultivation experiments using benchtop bioreactors. Conduct optimization studies, including media development, growth studies, productivity studies, and experimental condition screens. Independently troubleshoot experiments and help identify practical solutions when results do not meet expectations. Prepare, sterilize, optimize, and maintain growth media, buffers, reagents, and laboratory consumables. Perform routine analytics and sample handling to support cultivation experiments, including optical density measurements, growth monitoring, sampling, sample preparation, and sample submission. Develop, refine, and follow standard operating procedures for new and existing laboratory workflows. Maintain thorough, accurate, and reproducible experimental documentation. Clearly communicate experimental findings, observations, and data-driven insights to scientists, engineers, and cross-functional collaborators. Help maintain laboratory organization, equipment readiness, inventory levels, and a safe, compliant work environment. Uphold laboratory safety, chemical hygiene, and responsible research practices. Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Microbiology, Chemical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline. At least 2 years of relevant laboratory, academic, industrial, or startup experience. Strong hands-on experience with cell culture, fermentation, microbial systems, or related bioprocessing workflows. Experience independently planning, executing, and troubleshooting optimization experiments, such as media development, growth studies, or cultivation-condition screening. Working knowledge of aseptic technique, media and buffer preparation, and routine laboratory analytics. Strong attention to detail, organization, documentation, and reproducible laboratory execution. Ability to communicate experimental results and technical insights clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Ability to work fully onsite in San Diego, Monday through Friday, in a fast-paced and collaborative startup setting. Preferred Qualifications Experience with high-throughput cultivation platforms, microtiter plate cultivation, or 96-well plate-based experimental workflows. Experience with benchtop bioreactors, fermentation systems, or a demonstrated interest in developing bioreactor expertise. Experience using data-analysis tools such as Python, R, JMP, Excel, or similar platforms. Familiarity with electronic laboratory notebooks, LIMS, laboratory inventory systems, or structured data-management tools. Experience working in a biotechnology, synthetic biology, industrial microbiology, fermentation, bioprocess development, or startup laboratory environment.
