SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
Salary: USD 175,000 - 225,000 / annual
Alta Resource Technologies is a next-generation mining company founded in 2023 that uses synthetic biology to separate critical minerals from conventional and unconventional resources, including e-waste. The company is addressing a historic opportunity to meet surging mineral demand driven by new tech and IT industries while diversifying supply chains and producing minerals sustainably.
The Director of Bioprocess Engineering will own Alta's end-to-end strategy for producing engineered proteins, from shake flask through 10 m³ manufacturing scale. This is a dual-facing leadership role combining internal team building with external partnership management.
Internally, you will build and lead the fermentation and downstream processing team, set technical direction, and drive process development that lowers cost of goods. You will own the bioprocess roadmap aligned with company cost, capacity, and timeline goals. Key responsibilities include leading fermentation and downstream process development across scales (shake flask through 10 m³), defining scale-up strategy and scale-down models with critical parameters (kLa, OTR, P/V, tip speed, mixing time, feed strategy), driving improvements in titer, rate, yield, and purity through media optimization and DOE-based experimentation, overseeing downstream processing with clear KPIs, evaluating new technologies, and tracking performance against milestones for executive leadership.
Externally, you will serve as Alta's technical lead for contract research organizations (CROs) and toll manufacturers. You will own technology transfer packages including process descriptions, batch records, and analytical methods, provide on-site and remote oversight of scale-up and manufacturing campaigns, troubleshoot deviations, manage external project timelines and spend, and represent Alta's bioprocess capabilities to investors, government partners, and customers.
As a player-coach leader, you will build, hire, and scale the bioprocess engineering team, define team structure and capability development plans, remain hands-on at the bench while mentoring scientists and engineers, and foster a culture of rigor, collaboration, and accountability. You will also establish best practices for documentation and communicate results, risks, and recommendations clearly to cross-functional teams and external stakeholders.
Travel up to 25% including potentially international travel is required.
REQUIREMENTS:
- B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in chemical engineering, biochemical engineering, or related field, with 12+ years of industry experience in microbial fermentation (10+ years with Ph.D.), including at least 5 years in a people-leadership role
- Demonstrated experience building a team: hiring, structuring, and developing scientists and engineers from early stage to functioning group
- Hands-on scale-up of microbial processes from shake flask through bench and pilot scale to manufacturing scale (up to 10 m³ or larger)
- Required experience leading technology transfer of fermentation and downstream processes to external manufacturers
- Direct experience selecting, managing, and overseeing CROs, including technical oversight of campaigns at partner sites
- Expertise in fed-batch fermentation of Bacillus for protein production, with strong understanding of Bacillus cell biology and physiology
- Experience in downstream processing for protein recovery and purification
- Track record of KPI-driven process development using data analysis, DOE, and statistical methods
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presenting to executives, partners, and external stakeholders
- Strong organizational and documentation skills
PREFERRED:
- Experience with industrial enzymes or other cost-sensitive, high-volume protein products
- Techno-economic analysis (TEA) and cost-of-goods modeling experience
- Familiarity with additional microbial hosts (E. coli, Pichia, Aspergillus)
- Experience supporting government-funded programs (DOE, DOD, DARPA) or working in startup environment
- Experience with process analytics, automation, and data systems for bioprocess
