Bioprocess Engineer - Sun Bear Biofuture

Bioprocess Engineer - Sun Bear Biofuture

Sun Bear Biofuture, founded in 2022, is using synthetic biology to produce sustainable alternatives to fats such as cocoa butter and palm oil. Our focus is optimisation and scale‑up as we grow our capacity and drive down the cost of production.

We are reimagining farming to produce everyday essentials more sustainably. We’re using precision fermentation to produce resilient alternatives to environmentally impactful fats. If our values – candid, trusting, nurturing, impact‑driven and brave – resonate with you, we’d love to hear from you.

Your background should include a PhD or equivalent industry experience in a related field and several years of industry R&D within bioprocess engineering, targeting scale‑up and process optimisation. Experience from 1L to 1,000L is ideal. You should balanceֵ time, quality and results in a fast‑paced startup environment and be eager to explore, challenge and iterate on ideas.

You will work closely with research scientists, the business team and external collaborators to optimise our lipid production fermentations and downstream processing, define strategies for production strain performance at benchtop and pilot scales, and contribute to setting up pilot‑plant facilities.

• Help with overall planning and lead on the bioprocess optimisation of our products, with a focus on fermentations
• Set up and operate processes at benchtop (1‑5L) and pilot‑scale (300‑1,000L)
• Manage and collaborate closely with internal and external colleagues on R&D projects
• Carry out experiments and train others for the advancement of our research objectives
• Analyse results and monitoring data in line with our IP strategy
• Monitor our quality controlublin recognize best practices
• Help develop presentations and reports for external stakeholders and IP applications

• Strong understanding of metabolic performance of microbial processesراف, especially yeast
• Extensive experience designing, setting up and operating fermentations at a range of scales
• Excellent ability to plan research, manage your own time, set goals and monitor them
• Strong track record of lab record keeping and quality control
• Great communication and problem‑solving skills

• 3+ years industry experience in bioprocess development
• Work experience within a startup
• Downstream processing experience

• Master’s or PhD with several years industry work experience
• Educational or professional background in process development, molecular biology and/or fermentation

Oxford, UK

• £37,000 to £45,000 dependent on experience
• £500 annual training budget – books, courses, training, self‑directed professional development
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays
• Pension scheme
• Subsidised gym membership
• Option scheme available to own a part of the business you’re helping to build