Formulation Scientist III

Title: Formulation Scientist III

Location: Hazlewood, MO

About Pivot Bio:  

At Pivot Bio, we are working together to transform agriculture, finding smarter, more sustainable and, ultimately, more profitable ways for farmers to grow. Working with and for farmers, we’re using cutting-edge science to create a microbial nitrogen for the world’s most vital crops. We are replacing synthetic fertilizers with a more sustainable, nature-driven plant nutrition that benefits farmers, consumers and the planet.

Summary/objective

This role will lead the development of innovative formulations for application of nitrogen-fixing microbial technologies resulting in the commercialization of products that provide a highly valued and sustainable source of nitrogen for crop grown in the United States, Canada and Brazil.   

 Essential functions

• Provide leadership, direction and guidance in the development of pre-commercial and commercial product formulations for various agricultural markets. Establishment of effective working relationships with research, product development, regulatory and product stewarship, product quality, production and supply, and commercial teams is key to the success of this role. 
• Development of lab, greenhouse and field protocols for testing and development of biological-formulations.
• Develop collaborative business relationships with third-party companies, academia, and application equipment manufactures for testing and development of innovative formulations and application methods.
• Partner with the production and supply teams for efficient and timely scale up of new product formulations.
• Providing both written and oral updates, summaries and recommendations regarding product development progress towards commercialization is a key responsibility of this role.  
• Provide and share technical expertise regarding formulation development with internal and external audiences through written and oral reports, hands-on training, and customer events.

Competencies 

• Strong background in biological formulation development including expertise and experience in the research and development of biological seed-applied technologies.
• Technical expertise and experience working with laboratory scale and commercial scale equipment in the development of formulations.
• Demonstrated ability in working collaboratively with internal teams to generate project proposals, timelines and work plans by applying scientific knowledge and business expertise.
• Skilled at verbal and written communication.

 Physical demands

• Must be able to work on a computer and participate in Zoom meetings for extended periods of time.
• Must be able to work within the requirements associated with laboratory environments.

 Travel required

• Travel up to 25% of the time to the Pivot Bio research site located in Berkeley, CA, off-site meetings, third-party collaborators, and field trial locations.
• Travel required within the United States, Canada and Brazil (limited).

Required education and experience

• Bachelors Degree required, in chemistry, biology, microbiology, or related areas of study.
• Minimum of 8 years experience in formulation (chemical/biological) development or related fields of study, including expertise and experience in the research and development of biological technologies applied as a seed treatment, granular or other commercially adaptable formulations.
• Excellent research acumen including experimental design, statistical analysis, protocol development, execution, and summarization of results.
• Comfortable working cooperatively across various functional teams, providing input and direction regarding formulation development.
• Comfortable working with lab equipment up to commercial scale equipment.
• Skilled at verbal and written communication.

 Work authorization/security clearance requirements

• Must be authorized to work in the United States
• Must be able to travel to Canada and Brazil

What we offer: 

• Competitive package in a disruptive startup 
• Stock options 
• Health/Dental/Vision insurance with employer-paid premiums 
• Life, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability policies 
• Employee Assistance Program with free referrals and discounts 
• 401(k) plan, 3% Match 
• Commuter benefits 
• Annual Training & Development support 
• Flexible vacation policy with a generous holiday schedule 
• Exciting opportunity to work with a talented and fun team

*Internal employees, please apply by clicking on the Internal Job Board icon on NSIDER