Indigo is a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet. With a vision of creating a world where farming is an economically desirable and accessible profession, Indigo Ag works alongside its growers to apply natural approaches, conserve resources for future generations, and grow healthy food for all. Indigo’s Biological Products, Marketplace, and Carbon offerings improve grower profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health. Indigo Marketplace is a platform connecting growers with a network of buyers to secure optimal prices for their crops and offers hands-on control of a grower’s business through a range of pricing tools, real-time national bid discovery, and automated grain sales. Carbon by Indigo is a platform paying growers for increases in soil carbon content and decreases in greenhouse gas emissions. It helps growers realize additional revenue, healthier soils, and a more resilient farm by participation in a market of high-quality carbon credits – supported by rigorous quantification standards. The company is headquartered in Boston, MA, with additional offices in Memphis, TN, Research Triangle Park, NC, Basel, Switzerland, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and São Paulo, Brazil.

Indigo’s Biological Products organization develops products based upon our deep understanding of the plant microbiome. The company has commercialized such products for cotton, wheat, barley, corn, soybeans, and rice in North America, Latin America, and Europe under the biotrinsic™ brand. Our R&D and product development teams are working to continue to develop products that address the growing number of abiotic and biotic stresses that crops experience worldwide.

Your role as a Research Associate will be to operate, maintain, and continuously improve Indigo’s brand new, state of the art, solid-state fermentation pilot plant located at our main research facility in Charlestown (Boston), Massachusetts.  You will work as part of a small team of technicians and scientists to conduct and summarize experimental and routine processes, and to generate and maintain expert knowledge of the operation of the equipment and `production of Indigo microbial products. The pilot plant, which was commissioned in late 2019, is primarily utilized for the process scale up and optimization of new microbes to enhance plant health as well as for small-scale production to support their commercial introduction.  

Responsibilities:

• Become competent in running facility equipment and operating systems
• Write equipment SOPs and hazardous operations guidelines for individual unit operation
• Develop and implement manufacturing batch records and preventive maintenance records for assigned processes and equipment
• Complete all training and operate independently

Competencies:

• Excellent mechanical aptitude, familiar with plant operations
• Ability to follow SOPs yet adapt “on the fly” when needed
• Takes direction well, can work independently
• Quick learner (curious, asks questions)
• Detail oriented (pays attention to the details)
• Effective communicator both orally and in writing
• Safety mindset (strong safety awareness)
• Team-player

Qualifications:

• At least 2-3 years’ experience working in manufacturing or pilot plant environment preferably in a bio-based industry
• Understanding of GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices); good understanding of sterility and sterile techniques
• Technical writing skills (reports and data entry)
• Basic computer skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Basic understanding of biology
• Flexible schedule (can work 12 hours / weekends on occasion if needed)

Indigo is committed to living our values, specifically “creating a work environment where everyone feels respected, connected, and has opportunities to learn and grow.” As part of living our values, we strive to create a diverse and inclusive work environment where everyone feels they can be themselves and has an equal opportunity of succeeding.