Rukuhia te wāhi ngaro, hei maunga tātai whetū | Explore the unknown, reach for excellence.

An opportunity for either a Fermentation Scientist/Engineer or Senior Fermentation Scientist/Engineer to contribute to the delivery of fermentation and bioprocessing projects.



He angitūtanga: The opportunity

We've got lots of exciting work going on, with activity in projects across multiple sectors (Human Health, Food & Beverage, Agritech, Animal Health) and at various levels of maturity. This role sits in the wider Biotechnologies Group that offers a variety of integrated biotechnology services. Our facility includes a portfolio of laboratory and pilot scale bioprocessing equipment that is unique to New Zealand in terms of scale and varied applications.

As a Fermentation Scientist/Engineer or Senior Fermentation Scientist/Engineer, you will be responsible for ensuring our projects run smoothly through the successful development, coordination and execution of robust research plans to deliver sound technical solutions for our partners. You will operate within and lead multidisciplinary teams towards target product goals, while working in regulatory controlled environments and promoting safe work behaviours.

Your day-to-day will include but not limited to:

• Provide technical solutions within fermentation and bioprocessing projects

• Work at bench and pilot scale towards scale-up for commercial applications

• Develop, coordinate and execute robust research plans that meet project objectives and partner needs

• Communicate results clearly to partners and stakeholders, develop effective conclusions and recommendations

He kōrero mōu: About you

You’ll share a passion for R&D and innovation with experience in developing fermentation processes for scale-up. With a natural analytical mindset, you will be confident at translating complex requirements into scalable, commercially relevant technical solutions.

To be successful in this role you will have:

• PhD in Fermentation Science, Bioprocess Engineering, Biotechnology or a related field, or equivalent industrial experience

• 3-10 years’ R&D and innovation experience in bioprocess engineering, related to fermentation and bioprocessing, including proven experience working with bioreactors

• Experience in microbial fermentation across a range of microbiological systems, including GMOs

• Ability and drive to operate bench and pilot scale equipment, notably bioreactors and associated operations, in project execution

• Experience of working within regulatory controlled environments: Biosafety PC1/2 (Essential), Food Safety, Quality Management (Desirable)

• Proactive ability to work safely and manage risks

• Experience with equipment management and maintenance

• Strong ability to work as a team member and to support others

We are looking for either an early career Scientist/Engineer or a Senior Scientist/Engineer to come into a busy and inclusive team. If you don’t tick all the boxes, don’t let this deter you from applying! We are interested in both levels of skills and expertise.


We will be reviewing applications as they come in, so please apply when you can. We will be keeping this advertisement open until we find the right person.

Callaghan Innovation is New Zealand's innovation agency. We activate innovation and help businesses grow faster for a better New Zealand. We partner with ambitious businesses of all sizes and we provide them with a range of innovation and research and development services to suit each stage of their growth.

Our staff - including more than 200 of New Zealand's leading scientists and engineers - empower innovators by connecting people, opportunities and networks, and providing tailored technical solutions, skills and capability development programmes, as well as grants and co-funding.

To make a difference Tono ināianei | Apply Now to submit your application!

Please contact people@callaghaninnovation.govt.nz if you have any questions.

You must have the right to live and work in NZ to apply for this job. Innovating for the future of Aotearoa requires a diverse, inclusive workforce that reflects who we are, where we're going and what is possible. This is why our hiring decisions are based on more than just your qualifications or work experience - we look at the whole person and value diverse perspectives, abilities and life experience.