Strain Development Scientist

ph3About Bionomic /h3pJoin a fast-growing biotech company and take a central role in the science behind the next generation of bioderived crop protection, leading our strain-development work from the lab towards scalable production. /ppBionomic is a biotechnology startup developing the next generation of bioderived crop protection, with the mission to help build a more resilient future for farmers through biological alternatives to conventional chemical crop protection. /ppWe use bacterial production systems to develop bioderived active ingredients. What started in the Dutch agricultural sector has grown into an ambition to bring these solutions to growers internationally. /ppWe are now entering an important next phase. Over the coming two years, we will move our lead biological fungicide from advanced lab-scale development towards an application-ready product. That means further improving our production strains, increasing fermentation performance and robustness, scaling production from laboratory bioreactors towards pilot scale, and developing the downstream processing and formulation needed for consistent product quality. /ppAt the same time, we will generate efficacy data across crops and applications, work towards the regulatory studies and dossier required for market entry, and validate our technology together with growers and commercial partners internationally. The aim is not only to advance our first product, but also to build the capabilities and platform needed to develop a broader pipeline of biological crop protection products. /ppWe are a small and growing team based at the Leiden Bio Science Park. Joining Bionomic at this stage means helping to shape not only a product, but also how we develop, scale, and bring future biological solutions to market! /ph3Strain Development Scientist /h3pWe are looking for a Strain Development Scientist to take ownership of improving our Bacillus production strains. /ph3Primary Focus /h3pYour primary focus will be to increase titer, yield, robustness, and reproducibility through hands-on strain engineering and data-driven experimentation. /ph3Your tasks /h3ulliDesign, construct, and screen Bacillus production strains using approaches such as chromosomal integration, knockouts, promoter engineering, genome editing, and pathway optimisation; /liliImprove strain performance for titer, yield, robustness, and reproducibility, using well-designed experiments and appropriate statistical approaches; /liliEvaluate promising strains under increasingly production-relevant conditions and work closely with fermentation colleagues as they move towards bioreactor validation; /liliTroubleshoot biological and technical bottlenecks and translate findings into pragmatic next experiments; /liliHelp build a more systematic strain-development workflow over time, including structured screening, strain libraries, and iterative design-build-test-learn cycles; /liliMaintain clear experimental records, communicate findings across the RD team and external partners, and contribute to strain-development strategies for future products. /li /ulh3About you /h3pWe are looking for a hands-on strain development scientist with an MSc or PhD in Biotechnology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, Synthetic Biology, or a related field. /ph3You bring /h3ulliAround 2–5 years of relevant working experience in industrial biotechnology, microbial production, or applied microbial RD; /liliA strong track record in Bacillus strain engineering for microbial production, including the construction, modification, and screening of production strains; /liliExperience developing bacterial strains for the production of secondary metabolites, small molecules, peptides, or related fermentation-derived products; /liliStrong hands-on experience with bacterial genetic engineering, including chromosomal integration, knockout strategies, cloning, sequencing, and genome editing; /liliExperience designing and analysing strain-development experiments, troubleshooting bottlenecks, and translating data into clear next development steps; /liliExperience with microbial cultivation and an understanding of how strain performance translates from shake flasks towards controlled bioreactor systems; /liliExcellent written and verbal communication skills in English. /li /ulh3Preferred qualifications /h3ulliExperience participating in a scale-up trajectory from shake flasks into controlled bioreactor systems, either directly or as part of a multidisciplinary RD team; /liliBroader experience with metabolic engineering, promoter engineering, pathway optimisation, or systematic strain-development strategies; /liliExperience with structured strain screening, Design of Experiments, or high-throughput strain-development workflows; /liliExperience working closely with fermentation or process-development teams in an industrial setting. /li /ulh3What We Offer /h3ulliThe opportunity to work on biotechnology with direct real-world impact on agriculture, the environment, and the resilience of future food production; /liliA high degree of freedom to shape your own experiments, approach, and contribution to the strain-development roadmap; /liliThe opportunity to grow with the company and take broader ownership of strain development as new products enter the pipeline; /liliA small, driven team with short lines, direct access to the founders, and visible impact from your work; /lili25 vacation days, travel allowance, a training budget, and flexibility in how you organise your work; /liliAn informal and collaborative team culture, with regular team activities, borrels, and room to connect outside the lab. /li /ulh3Key Competences /h3ulliPragmatic and data-driven: you keep things practical, avoid overengineering, and make decisions based on evidence and clear arguments; /liliClear and accountable: you communicate directly, make realistic commitments, and follow through on them: say what you do, do what you say; /liliCritical and pioneering: you challenge assumptions, think sharply about the problem, and are comfortable exploring unconventional routes when they may lead to a better result; /liliResilient with perspective: you can deal with experiments that fail and priorities that shift without losing overview, perspective, or team energy; /liliCollaborative and proactive: you actively involve colleagues, share ideas, help where needed, and enjoy working across strain development, fermentation, and the wider RD team; /liliConnected to the application: you are curious about how your work translates beyond the lab and into a product that ultimately needs to work for growers. /li /ulh3Application process /h3ulliApplications are open until 8 October; /lili19–20 October: first-round interviews, focused on getting to know each other and discussing your experience, motivation, and expectations; /lili9–10 November: second-round interviews including a short technical case and presentation; /lili19 November: final round, including an introduction to the wider team. /li /ulpThroughout the process, there will be plenty of room for you to ask questions and get a realistic picture of the role, the team, and where Bionomic is heading. If you have any remaining questions about the position, please reach out to us at: /p /p #J-18808-Ljbffr