Downstream Processing Chemical Engineer

About the Company

SMEY develops advanced oils using biotechnology together with a proprietary AI-based toolkit. The company focuses on solving manufacturing challenges in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food, where conventional production methods can be limiting. Through precision fermentation, SMEY creates sustainable, customized ingredients designed to improve health, provide full traceability across the supply chain, and scale globally.

Role Overview

SMEY is looking for a senior Downstream Processing (DSP) Chemical Engineer to own the purification and refining strategy for microbial oils, taking processes from laboratory development through pilot and manufacturing scale. The role involves building robust, scalable workflows and regularly producing MVP batches to support product validation and scale-up decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and improve extraction and purification workflows for microbial oils and other lipid-based products.
• Plan and validate refining operations such as degumming, neutralization, bleaching, and related steps based on the intended end use.
• Set up and run MVP production at both lab and pilot scale.
• Move processes successfully from bench scale to pilot and industrial environments.
• Choose and assess appropriate equipment and refining aids according to scale and purity targets.
• Investigate technical issues during processing and scale-up, then improve process reliability and sustainability.
• Keep thorough, well-structured experimental records in digital laboratory notebooks.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure DSP plans support wider development objectives.

Requirements

• PhD in chemical engineering, biotechnology, bioprocess engineering, or a related field with 1–2 years of relevant industrial or applied research experience; alternatively, an MSc with 3–5 years of DSP development and scale-up experience.
• Strong grounding in chemistry and process fundamentals.
• Experience purifying microbial products, ideally oils and lipids, and preferably also proteins, polysaccharides, and small molecules.
• Knowledge of refining methods such as degumming, neutralization, bleaching, deodorization, and separation methods including extraction, filtration, centrifugation, and drying.
• Hands-on exposure to Design of Experiments and statistical process optimization.
• Comfort working with pilot-scale operations and converting lab findings into repeatable, scalable processes.
• Practical, well-organized, and able to work effectively with fermentation and analytics teams.
• Experience with microbial lipids or fermentative oils is preferred.
• Direct hands-on DSP development and scale-up experience is preferred.
• Exposure to sustainable DSP methods or process intensification is preferred.

Why Join SMEY

• Join a fast-growing startup that is helping reshape the food biotechnology space.
• Work in a collaborative, inventive, and purpose-driven setting.
• Gain direct experience on advanced microbial fermentation projects.
• Receive a competitive salary and opportunities to build professionally.

Application Information

Applicants should send a resume and a cover letter that explains their background, motivation, and availability for the role to [email protected]. Use the subject line “DSP Chemical Engineer.”

Location

This is a full-time, on-site role based at 82152 Martinsried, Am Klopferspitz 19 (IZB), Planegg, Bavaria, Germany.