Environmental Microbiologist
Mission of the Position
Your role will be to 1) set up and build a microbiology lab 2) grow and test various environmental microbes and 3) test the capability of environmental microbes to degrade / detoxify various environmental contaminants in support of developing commercial products. This is a full-time position that requires 70% time in the lab and 30% time for project management, data analysis, and reporting.
Company Description & Purpose
Allonnia is a newly launched technology company focused on using biology to unlock the potential in waste. Allonnia is backed by Battelle, Ginkgo Bioworks, Viking Global, General Atlantic, Evok, and Cascade Investments. Allonnia is finding new answers to the growing challenge of waste remediation and upcycling enabled by Ginkgo Bioworks’ advanced synthetic biology capabilities.
Allonnia’s purpose is to create transformative solutions for a waste-free world through leveraging the power of biotechnology and engineering systems that degrade pollutants and upcycle waste.
Key Criteria/Requirements
- PhD in microbiology or environmental engineering or Master’s with equivalent experience
- Minimum 5 years of experience in microbiology (working with environmental microbes and consortium)
- Experience managing projects to success
- Bioinformatics experience a plus
- Experience managing a microbiology lab a plus
- Willing to spend 70%+ of the time in the lab
- Strong project management skills
- Boston-based or willing to relocate
- Good communication skills; ability to simplify the complex; ability to translate technical concepts into simple terms
- Willing to challenge others/critical thinking
- Experience scanning new technologies using patent tools and leveraging a network in the environmental microbiology community
Responsibilities & Measurable Accountabilities
Project Scoping
- Collaboratively design scope of all technical projects using experimental design principles
- All projects have clearly defined fast fail milestones with kill criteria
- All projects have documented risks and mitigation plans
Project Execution & Management
- Manage 3-5 projects at the same time
- Achieving 80%+ of key milestones on time and on budget
- Document work, procedures, observations and results
Microbiology Lab Set up and Maintenance
- Set up, maintain, and clean laboratory instruments and equipment
- Gather and prepare biological samples for laboratory analysis
Communication
- Develop cadence and clear communication of progress on experiments
- Embrace transparency; communicate early and often even for bad news
- Consistent and clear communication to Allonnia technical team
- Demonstrate good written communication skills for findings and reports
Debrief & Learning
- Documentation of work, procedures, observations and results done throughout the project
- All experiments upon completion (or at critical phases) will have a debrief with the team
- Debrief summary and learnings will documented
Reporting & Papers
- Contributing to 1 technical paper per year
Brand Advancement
- Represent Allonnia with outside labs
- Foster technical relationships with development partners
- Present at 1-2 conferences/associations per year
Allonnia Core Values
| Purposeful | Committing to work on the right things as individuals and as a company, making a difference every day |
| Entrepreneurial | Working with passion and curiosity to learn every day, creatively delivering results to the world |
| Transparent | Fostering a high trust environment that embraces constructive debate, achieving success together |
Key Competencies
- Analysis Skills
- Creativity
- Integrity
- Resourcefulness/Initiative
- Organization/Planning
- Excellence
- Listening
- Team Player
- Communications – Oral
- Communications – Written
- Tenacity