What if nature could be harnessed to help farmers sustainably feed the planet? Since 2014, Indigo has questioned agriculture's full value chain to improve grower profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health. The company’s scientific discoveries and digital innovations have amplified new value from soil to sale, benefiting more than 10,000 growers to date. Indigo is also the company behind The Terraton Initiative, a global effort to drawdown one trillion tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide by unlocking the potential of agricultural soils. In 2019, Indigo was ranked #1 on CNBC’s Disruptor 50 list. Headquartered in Boston, MA, Indigo has additional offices in Memphis, TN; Research Triangle Park, NC; Sydney, Australia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Basel, Switzerland; and São Paulo, Brazil. 

Responsibilities

• Execute bench-scale process development experiments for stabilization of microbial cultures, including (but not limited to) spray drying and lyophilization
• Track viability and stability of dried microbial products by spread plating and flow cytometry
• Maintain and organize a large library of stabilized products (both physically and electronically)
• Characterize powder properties such as moisture content, hygroscopcity, bulk tap density, and particle size distribution
• Assist in developing reliable quantitative assays related to microbial growth and downstream processes
• Document experimental protocols with detail and clarity
• Support production of microorganisms for deployment into validation trials (grow room, field trials) as needed
• Support scaling of laboratory methods for production of commercial products
• Understand and embody our mission & core values
  • Excited by Indigo’s mission; believes that Indigo can fundamentally change the agriculture industry; can clearly articulate passion for our mission and values
  • Optimistic and innovative; solution-oriented; shows no signs of cynicism
  • Will be widely viewed as someone who personifies our core values, is committed to them, and leans on them when making decisions. Specifically:
    • Demonstrates a track record of high integrity - doing the right thing, owning mistakes, conducting oneself honestly
    • Values, communicates and interacts with others with high levels of transparency and respect
    • Collaborates well across functions; creates an inspiring and collegial work environment

Competencies

• Strong microbiology skills and experience enumerating bacterial and/or fungal samples using CFU plating
• Comfortable learning diverse new skills and being able to execute lab protocols confidently with minimal oversight
• Strong organization skills and a commitment to documentation and record keeping
• Possesses a strong willingness to work hard to get the job done. Has a track record of delivering on ambitious goals.
• Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability: copes effectively with change and is comfortable with ambiguity
• Proactive: acts without being told what to do and brings new ideas to the company.
• Appropriate balance of confidence and humility. Ability to accept constructive feedback and possesses a desire to continuously improve.
• Strong oral and written communication skills

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, biochemistry, microbiology, biochemical engineering, or a related field, with at least 1 year of laboratory experience. Industry experience with microbiology, cell culture, or bioprocess engineering is an asset.
• Experience in data analysis and presentation of key findings.
• Proficiency performing aseptic techniques, microbial cultivation, microscopy, and viability assays.
• Nice to Have: Experience with technologies for microbial preservation (e.g. lyophilization, spray drying)
• Nice to Have: Experience with downstream processing techniques (e.g. milling, TFF, various types of centrifugation, TFF)