Associate Scientist, Upstream Process Development (South San Francisco)

Sutro Biopharma, Inc. is looking for a self-driven, passionate, and experienced scientist to join its dynamic Upstream Process Development team. The individual will be working cross-functionally, in a fast-paced environment, to develop new microbial bioprocesses and optimization of existing processes to enhance performance and understanding of Sutro’s underlying XpressCF® technology This role will also be involved in process transfers to internal and/or external manufacturing facilities, providing technical support during GMP productions.

Responsibilities

The candidate hired for this position will participate in cross-functional teams and collaborate on multiple projects, with the focus on successful scale-up manufacturing of consistent, high-quality cell-free extracts for protein synthesis. Responsibilities include:

  • Operating fermentation equipment over a large range of scales (250 mL – 200 L)
  • Design and execute fermentation experiments, including post-fermentation recovery steps, to optimize process or investigate deviations.
  • Develop new processes appropriate to the scale and manufacturing phase for given projects, implement appropriate assays to characterize extracts to better understand the cell-free platform.
  • Routine maintenance of fermentation and post-fermentation recovery equipment
  • Prepare technical reports and presentations to communicate experimental outcomes to internal teams and senior management.
  • Detailed documentation of process robustness and scalability
  • Occasional weekend and off-hour shift may be required to support ongoing process development. 

Qualifications

We are seeking a highly motivated team-player with excellent problem-solving skills and strong expertise in fermentation, microbial physiology, and process optimization. Versatility is a must, as tasks will involve a range of reactors and scales and process modes. Good organizational skills and the ability to manage tasks within a timeline are essential.  

The ideal candidate will have the following background/skill set:

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s in Chemical Engineering or a related discipline, with 5+ years’ industry experience. PhD in Chemical Engineering or a related discipline, with 0-2 years’ industry experience.
  • Experience with the following is required:
    • Operating laboratory process equipment, with experience at pilot scale a plus
    • Development or optimization of amicrobial fermentation process
    • Designing and executing microbial fermentation including fed-batch and/or continuous fermentations, and preparation of clarified cell lysates Interpreting experimental results and develop experimental protocols.
    • Ability to work independently and in teams, with strong critical thinking.
    • Troubleshooting and optimizing fermentation equipment
    • Strong organizational skills in experiment recording and data summary with great attention to details.
  • Experience with the following is preferred:
    • Scaling up processes and writing technology transfer package
    • Process characterization and process validation
    • cGMP Bioprocessing
    • MFCS/Delta/Visual basic programming
    • Design of experiments, statistical analysis
    • Working on cross-functional teams
    • Working with stainless steel tanks

Sound exciting? Apply today and join our team!

Please submit resume for Req. #23-200-001R to jobs@sutrobio.com. Please visit our website at www.sutrobio.comfor more information.

Sutro Biopharma, Inc. requires all new hires to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to the first date of employment. As required by applicable law, Sutro will consider requests for reasonable accommodation.

Sutro provides a competitive benefits package that includes a choice of health, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, flexible spending accounts, 401K plan, PTO, ESPP (Employee Stock Purchase Plan) and stock options.

As an equal opportunity employer, we believe in fostering a culture that is inclusive and values diversity in background and opinions. Sutro Biopharma hires extraordinary individuals into every position in the company and is committed to the diversity of our team. Our company progresses without regard of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, age, disability, or citizenship status. We are dedicated to creating a safe environment where our employees can grow and succeed together.

Salaries listed on jobsites may not be representative of salary ranges at Sutro Biopharma.

We look forward to hearing from candidates who are interested in exploring opportunities with Sutro! Our People & Culture team/hiring managers are unable to respond and do not accept solicitations from third-party agencies.

The anticipated salary range for fully qualified candidates applying for this role at Sutro Biopharma’s California based locations will be [$110,000 – $135,000] (not including bonus, equity, and benefits). The final salary offered will be dependent on several factors that include and are not limited to relevant previous experience, job responsibilities and duration of experience, the type and length of experience within the industry and education.

Company Overview

Sutro Biopharma, Inc., located in South San Francisco, is a clinical-stage drug discovery, development, and manufacturing company. Using precise protein engineering and rational design, Sutro is advancing next-generation oncology therapeutics.

Sutro is dedicated to transforming the lives of cancer patients by creating medicines with improved therapeutic profiles for areas of unmet need. To date, Sutro’s platform has led to cytokine-based immuno-oncology therapies, ADCs, vaccines, and bispecific antibodies directed at precedented targets in clinical indications where the current standard of care is suboptimal.

The platform allows it to accelerate discovery and development of potential first-in-class and best-in-class molecules through rapid and systematic evaluation of protein structure-activity relationships to create optimized homogeneous product candidates.

In addition to developing its own oncology pipeline, Sutro is collaborating with select pharmaceutical and biotech companies to discover and develop novel, next-generation therapeutics. As the pace of clinical development accelerates, Sutro and its partners are developing therapeutics designed to more efficiently kill tumors without harming healthy cells.