Associate Scientist

Job Description

Successful candidate will develop and conduct primary research on pre, pro, and postbiotics for dietary supplement and food industries. Candidate's focus will include the design and execution of experiments using principles of microbiology and molecular biology with an emphasis on vitro safety and suitability. Candidate will apply traditional and novel tools to analyze and characterize IFF products. This position will work cross-functionally with business, regulatory and technical teams involved in upstream research, manufacturing, applications, and pre-clinical/clinical studies across multiple locations. This position requires effective project coordination and communication skills. Potential work slated for this position also includes support of some routine testing and data generation for strain development and monitoring of probiotic viability during storage.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Gather, maintain, and report basic in vitro study data important to the safety and efficacy of pre, pro and postbiotics. Design, develop and optimize enumeration and analytical methods in support of business and regulatory directives. Interpret and utilize data to formulate future research actions or alternative technical solutions. Finalize research projects and studies through writing technical reports, peer-reviewed publications and presentations at scientific conferences. Effectively communicate research to technical and business stakeholders.

• Manage in-vitro characterization program to screen probiotic strains for commercialization.
• Contribute to the development, optimization and implementation of current and novel analytical techniques.
• Collaborate and support continuous improvement efforts, knowledge seeking projects, etc.
• Technical support as subject matter expert (technical transfers, customer and quality support, etc.)

• Other minor duties as assigned:
  • Support stability testing programs
  • Lab support activities - agar/broth making, dishes, etc.
  • Administrative support - ordering supplies, etc.

Job Requirements

• Four-year degree in biochemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, food science, or directly related field, with minimum of 3-5 years relevant experience or a master's degree.
• Competency in wet lab microbiology, aseptic technique, and agar plate methods for enumeration of bacteria (probiotic bacteria preferred).
• Knowledge of microbial physiology, with emphasis on cell survival mechanisms, viable but not culturable bacteria and mode of action.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills for presentation of scientific concepts and findings to internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience with molecular techniques such as DNA/RNA preparation/isolation, PCR, RT-PCR, ddPCR is highly desirable.
• Experience with Flow cytometry is highly desirable.

Working conditions

Successful candidate will be part of the Probiotic Development - Strain Characterization Team at the IFF Madison Innovation Center. This position operates primarily in a laboratory and office environment. Some exposure to the GMP manufacturing facility is possible. Travel may be required, not to exceed 10%.

We are a global leader in taste, scent, and nutrition, offering our customers a broader range of natural solutions and accelerating our growth strategy. At IFF, we believe that your uniqueness unleashes our potential. We value the diverse mosaic of the ethnicity, national origin, race, age, sex, or veteran status. We strive for an inclusive workplace that allows each of our colleagues to bring their authentic self to work regardless of their religion, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, or disability.

Visit IFF.com/careers/workplace-diversity-and-inclusion to learn more