Brewery Microbiologist

Brewery Microbiologist

Athletic is on a mission to revolutionize the beer industry by making fantastic and ground-breaking non-alcoholic beverages. We are excited to be on the search for a passionate and enthusiastic individual to join our team. At Athletic and through our products, we believe we can have a positive impact on the health, activity, and opportunity in our communities - we actively seek representation from all diverse communities to continue to broaden our horizons.

Job Responsibilities:

• Grow and streamline our internal microbe production program at our two facilities.
• Maintain the health, viability, and vitality of our cultures on-site and at remote facilities.
• Use aseptic cell culture methods, including, but not limited to, growing, banking, cryostorage, screening, scaling, forecasting, and identifying contamination at any stage of propagation, to maintain our microbe program.
• Media production, selection, auditing, and application, as well as the creation and refinement of custom media as needed.
• Work with the production teams to ensure yeast production needs are met.
• Assist with fermentation troubleshooting as it relates to microorganisms on site and at remote locations.
• Help to analyze growth patterns and optimize the scalability and efficiencies of our microbes.
• Assist in root cause analysis investigations as it pertains to microbiology.
• Design, run, or assist with, and interpret results/write reports for special projects relating to microbiology.
• Isolate, identify, and catalog microorganisms as they are found in the process.
• Design, refine, and carry out pasteurization optimization studies as required.
• Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Desired Experience/ Traits

Who You Are:

• Personal curiosity in improving skills.
• Strong time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, listening, critical thinking, verbal and written communication skills.
• Honest, Dependable, high integrity, team player, and passionate.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Effective communicator and multitasker.

Skills and Experience:

• Experience: Microbiology lab experience required; fermentation/brewer’s yeast experience preferred.
• Ability to work with cultures of different sizes, and ability to scale cultures.
• Extreme attention to detail.
• Expert in aseptic technique.
• Familiarity with GMP practices, familiarity with Food Safety Protocols preferred.
• PCR and Sanger sequence experience preferred.
• Experience with API microbial identification kits preferred.
• Beer sensory analysis skills preferred.
• Computer Skills: Skilled with google sheets/Excel.
• Travel Requirements: Work on-site, with the ability to travel a few times a year.
• Education: Minimum bachelor’s degree in microbiology, Biology, Biochemistry
• Minimum of 4 Years experience in the microbiology lab
• Minimum 3 Years of experience specifically with pure cell culture methods (deep freeze banking, growing, screening, mixed culture production, contamination identification).

Job Details:

• Location: Milford, Connecticut
• Salary: Commensurate with experience - Base salary and opportunities for performance bonuses.
• Benefits: Company Paid health, vision, dental, life, 401k with 5% company match, and Paid Parental Leave
• Community Program/Professional Development: In addition to Vacation and Sick Leave, all team members receive 12 paid days per year to dedicate to volunteering or professional development activities.
• We value internal mobility and team equity.
• We are an equal-opportunity employer – we thrive when we champion diversity and inclusion. We are welcoming, respectful, and supportive at work and in our community.
• We encourage and welcome members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply.

Physical Demands:

• The physical demands described here represent those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear; and taste or smell. The employee must regularly lift and/or move more than 50 pounds without assistance. This job’s specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

OR

• The physical demands described here represent those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to conduct work in a sitting position primarily; however, the job requires walking, bending, stooping, and lifting.
• May sit/stand for several hours at a time.
• Frequent change and/or interruptions, responding to highly stressful situations requiring immediate action, independent judgment, and superior problem-solving abilities.
• Prolonged exposure to computer screens.
• Repetitive use of hands to operate computers, printers, and copiers.

Education

• Bachelors or better in Biology or related field
• Bachelors or better in Biochemistry or related field
• Bachelors or better in Microbiology or related field