Senior Scientist – Upstream Fermentation R&D

Munich/Freising, Germany

Microbial fermentation | Media development | Assay development

We are partnering with a growing biotechnology company developing data- and automation-driven approaches to microbial fermentation and bioprocess optimisation.

They are looking for a hands-on Senior Scientist to expand their wet-lab capabilities and lead customer projects across probiotics, food, agriculture, cosmetics and specialty chemicals.

The role

• Lead customer projects from scientific scoping and experimental design through to hands-on execution and delivery.
• Cultivate and characterise industrial microorganisms, including lactic acid bacteria, E. coli, Bacillus subtilis and yeasts such as Pichia pastoris.
• Design and optimise media to improve microbial growth, productivity and stability.
• Develop, validate and standardise microbiology assays supporting strain characterisation, functional testing and QC.
• Work with automation, bioinformatics and data-science teams to create scalable workflows and high-quality, model-ready datasets.
• Manage project timelines, budgets and scientific quality while making pragmatic decisions in a fast-moving startup environment.
• Coach junior scientists and technicians, establishing rigorous standards for SOPs, documentation and reproducibility.

Your background

• PhD in microbiology, biotechnology, bioprocess engineering or a related discipline—or equivalent industry experience.
• At least three years of industrial or translational microbial-fermentation R&D experience.
• Strong hands-on expertise in at least one relevant microbial system, ideally lactic acid bacteria or probiotics.
• Demonstrated experience in media optimisation and microbiology assay development or validation.
• Exposure to anaerobic, fastidious or otherwise challenging organisms would be advantageous.
• Experience with fermentation process development—including feeding strategies, pH and temperature optimisation—is beneficial but not essential.
• Able to translate customer requirements into lean, milestone-driven experimental programmes.
• Strong English communication and technical-writing skills.

This is an opportunity to combine hands-on microbiology with automation, data science and AI, helping build a new approach to industrial fermentation development.

Regular on-site presence in Munich or Freising is required.