Computational Media Development Scientist

Company Description:  

Fueled by an innovative drive and a deep understanding of the soil microbiome, Pivot Bio is pioneering game-changing advances in agriculture. Our commercial products harness the power of naturally-occurring microbes to provide nutrients to crops.  We provide new and sustainable ways for farmers to improve yield as they work to help feed the world’s growing population. Read/Hear more about Pivot Bio on Forbes or PBS News Hour. . 

Position: Computational Media Development Scientist 

We are looking for a creative scientist to computationally design and build tools to develop innovative media panels by linking genomic information, metabolomic databases, and metabolic profiles to generate high titer, robust microbes or assemblages of microbes. The candidate will join the Fermentation Microbiology Team within Bioprocessing and Formulation team. The candidate should have a strong foundation in bacterial metabolism, bioinformatics, creative problem-solving, design of experiment, statistics, and excellent verbal and written communication skills. We expect the candidate to thrive in a fast-paced environment, adapt to changing research objectives, develop collaborations across teams, and operate independently with minimal oversight. If this is you, you will enjoy the satisfaction of being a crucial member of a growing team innovating the most cutting edge products in ag biologicals.    

Location: Berkeley, CA location preferred; Remote work possible 

Responsibilities: 

• Use genomic, metabolic, and physiological data to design and optimize media to 
  • Onboard new, diverse strains and speed time isolation to field 
  • Design scalable media for our pre-commercial strains 
  • Identify potential feed sources for fed-batch for our pre-commercial strains 
  • Define edges of process parameter for fermentation testing (eg media, osmolality, pH) for our pre-commercial strains 
• Effectively communicate experimental designs to lab-based researchers for execution 
• In collaboration with data scientists / data engineers, build standardized experimental design and analysis tools that empower fermentation microbiology team members to conduct media design experiments.  
• Coordinate with research team members to secure resources 
• Collaborate with B&F scientists in cross-functional projects  
• Share research progress at team meetings 

Requirements: 

• A completed Ph.D. in bioinformatics, chemistry, microbiology, biological systems engineering, biochemical engineering, or related field or equivalent relevant experience 
• Knowledge of bacterial metabolism 
• Strong foundation in design and analysis of screening design DOE  
• Strong computational skills, including proficiency in Unix-like systems, git, documenting code, etc. 
• Expertise writing scripts for data analysis with Python or R 
• Familiarity with of publicly available genomic and metabolomic databases (ie. KEGG, JGI) 
• Excellent organizational skills, demonstrated ability to keep track of numerous experiments each with many samples 
• Attention to detail 
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced industry research lab environment 
• Great communication - ability to understand the needs of others and clearly explain ideas 
• Wet-lab experience working with bacteria preferred 

 *Must be authorized to work in the United States 

What we offer: 

• Competitive package in a disruptive startup 
• Stock options 
• Health/Dental/Vision insurance with employer-paid premiums 
• Life, Short Term and Long Term Disability policies 
• Employee Assistance Program with free referrals and discounts 
• 401(k) plan, 3% Match 
• Commuter benefits 
• Annual Training & Development support 
• Flexible vacation policy with a generous holiday schedule 
• Exciting opportunity to work with a talented and fun team