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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Zymology Director

💰 $ - $

ZymologyFermentationR&DBioprocess

🎯 Role Definition

The Zymology Director leads the end-to-end fermentation and enzyme development function, combining scientific leadership, operations oversight, and business alignment to scale microbial and enzyme technologies from lab to commercial production. This role owns fermentation strategy, strain and process development, pilot-plant operations, quality and regulatory readiness, and cross-functional stakeholder engagement to deliver robust, reproducible, and cost-effective bioprocesses.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior Fermentation Scientist / Senior Bioprocess Engineer
  • Lead Microbiologist / Lead Yeast Scientist
  • Brewmaster / Head of Pilot Production

Advancement To:

  • Head of R&D / Director of Bioprocess Development
  • Vice President, Fermentation or VP of R&D
  • Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Lateral Moves:

  • Director of Quality & Regulatory Affairs
  • Director of Process Development
  • Director of Product Development

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead and execute the organization’s fermentation (zymology) strategy by defining short- and long-term goals for strain development, process optimization, pilot-scale demonstrations, and commercial manufacturing readiness that align with business objectives and product roadmaps.
  • Oversee the design, execution, and interpretation of complex fermentation experiments and campaigns (batch, fed-batch, continuous) including media development, inoculum strategies, and operational parameter optimization to maximize yield, productivity, and product quality.
  • Direct strain engineering and microbial selection efforts in collaboration with molecular biology teams to improve robustness, yield, flavor profile, enzyme activity, and process tolerance while managing IP and biosafety considerations.
  • Manage scale-up from bench to pilot and commercial scale, including tech transfer packages, scale-up risk assessments, process analytical technology (PAT) plans, and coordination with contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) to ensure reproducibility and regulatory compliance.
  • Establish, review, and maintain Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), cGMP, and HACCP-aligned SOPs and batch records for fermentation operations, ensuring all documentation meets regulatory and audit standards.
  • Build and lead a multidisciplinary fermentation team (scientists, engineers, technicians), including recruiting, mentoring, performance management, career development, and promoting a safety-first and continuous improvement culture.
  • Define and manage departmental budgets, capital planning, and resource allocation for laboratory and pilot plant equipment, facility upgrades, and R&D projects to deliver on timelines and financial targets.
  • Implement quality control and in-process testing strategies (microbiology, HPLC, GC, spectrophotometry, sensory panels) and partner with QA to investigate deviations, non-conformances, and CAPAs to drive root-cause resolution.
  • Serve as the subject matter expert for fermentation lifecycle management during new product introductions and varietal expansions, providing technical guidance to product development, operations, and commercial teams.
  • Lead cross-functional project teams (R&D, Quality, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Packaging, Marketing) to translate commercial requirements into fermentation specifications, process windows, and release criteria.
  • Design and execute statistically rigorous experimental plans and DOE (Design of Experiments) to accelerate process understanding, optimization, and scale-up decisions using data-driven methodologies.
  • Oversee pilot plant operations, maintenance, and commissioning activities, ensuring equipment qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ), calibration, and preventive maintenance to support reproducible process runs.
  • Drive raw material qualification and vendor relationships for yeast, cultures, media components, and consumables; negotiate supply agreements and implement supplier quality programs to secure continuity of supply.
  • Collaborate with Regulatory Affairs to prepare technical documentation for regulatory filings, allergen and labeling assessments, and to ensure compliance with food safety and/or biopharmaceutical regulations as applicable.
  • Lead sensory evaluation programs and integrate sensory science with fermentation development to optimize flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel attributes for consumer-facing fermented goods.
  • Champion continuous improvement and Lean manufacturing practices across fermentation operations, identifying bottlenecks, improving throughput, and reducing waste and variability.
  • Supervise troubleshooting of complex process upsets, contamination events, or yield failures; lead cross-functional investigations, implement corrective actions, and communicate risk and mitigation plans to leadership and stakeholders.
  • Maintain laboratory safety, biosafety, and environmental controls; ensure team compliance with local, state, and federal biosafety, waste disposal, and environmental regulations.
  • Scout and evaluate emerging fermentation technologies, instrumentation (PAT, sensors), and automation opportunities; lead technology adoption and proof-of-concept pilots to enhance capability and competitiveness.
  • Drive documentation and knowledge transfer activities, including SOPs, training curricula, technical reports, and data curation to preserve process knowledge and enable reproducible scale-up.
  • Manage external scientific collaborations, academic partnerships, and contract research organizations (CROs) to augment internal capabilities and accelerate R&D timelines.
  • Monitor key process performance indicators (KPIs), financial metrics, and yield economics; produce regular executive reports and action plans to meet throughput, cost, and quality targets.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
  • Provide technical presentations and educational content to sales, marketing, and customer technical teams to support product launches and customer engagements.
  • Represent the company at industry conferences, standards bodies, and professional networks to promote innovation and recruit talent.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Deep expertise in microbial fermentation and zymology, including yeast, bacteria, and enzyme production for food, beverage, or biotech applications.
  • Hands-on experience with bioreactors and fermenters at bench, pilot, and commercial scale, including setup, control systems, sterilization (SIP/CIP), and scale-up engineering.
  • Proficiency in strain development techniques and familiarity with molecular biology tools (PCR, cloning, CRISPR, transformation workflows) and genetic stability considerations.
  • Strong analytical skills with experience using HPLC, GC, mass spectrometry, spectrophotometry, qPCR, and microbiological assays for process and product characterization.
  • Practical knowledge of process control, sensors, PAT, SCADA, and automation systems to enable real-time monitoring and closed-loop control strategies.
  • Demonstrated experience designing and analyzing DOE and statistical process control (SPC), using tools such as JMP, Minitab, R, or Python for experimental design and data analysis.
  • Working knowledge of GMP/cGMP, HACCP, ISO, and regulatory frameworks relevant to food, beverage, nutraceutical, or biopharmaceutical fermentation.
  • Experience with scale-up documentation and tech transfer packages, including engineering drawings, mass balances, process flow diagrams (PFDs), and piping & instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs).
  • Competence in quality systems, deviation investigations, root cause analysis (RCA), CAPA, and supplier qualification programs.
  • Familiarity with sensory science methodologies, descriptive analysis, and integration of sensory data into product development decisions.
  • Budgeting and capital project management experience, including ROI analyses for equipment investments and process improvements.
  • Experience with pilot plant operation, equipment qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ), and maintenance programs.

Soft Skills

  • Strategic thinker with the ability to translate scientific opportunities into business value and measurable milestones.
  • Strong leadership and people management skills; proven ability to recruit, mentor, and retain high-performing technical teams.
  • Excellent cross-functional communication and stakeholder management skills, capable of presenting technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
  • Project management discipline with a track record delivering complex multi-disciplinary projects on time and on budget.
  • Problem-solving mindset with a data-driven approach to diagnose, prioritize, and resolve process issues under time pressure.
  • Collaborative style, fostering partnerships with R&D, operations, quality, supply chain, and commercial teams.
  • High integrity and attention to detail with a commitment to safety, compliance, and continuous improvement.
  • Adaptability and resilience in a fast-paced innovation environment with shifting priorities and evolving regulatory landscapes.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Food Science, Fermentation Science, or related life sciences.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s or PhD in Microbiology, Bioprocess Engineering, Fermentation Science, Biochemistry, or a related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Microbiology
  • Fermentation Science / Zymology
  • Bioprocess Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Food Science
  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 8–15 years in fermentation, bioprocess development, or related roles with increasing technical and managerial responsibility.

Preferred:

  • 10+ years of direct experience leading fermentation R&D, pilot plant operations, and commercial scale-up.
  • Demonstrated leadership of cross-functional teams, experience with regulatory submissions or certifications (as applicable), and a track record of successful tech transfers and product launches.
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