Hartmann Young is partnered with an innovation led, premium beverage company at the forefront of alcohol-free fermentation, producing a range of sparkling teas, kombuchas, kefirs and next-generation fermented drinks.
The business is scaling rapidly, with a strong focus on advancing fermentation science and building a distinctive, defensible product platform rooted in microbiology and process innovation.
This creates an opportunity for an R&D Lead - Microbiology to take ownership of fermentation strategy, bridging R&D and production to drive consistency, scalability and product innovation across a growing portfolio.
As R&D Lead - Microbiology, you will operate cross-functionally across production, quality, technical and NPD teams, leading fermentation development while translating scientific insight into scalable, real-world processes.
You will be responsible for:
* Defining and evolving fermentation processes across yeast, bacterial and mixed culture systems
* Driving innovation across fermentation, cultures and ingredients to enhance product complexity and control ABV
* Leading end-to-end fermentation development from lab through to production scale
* Owning culture selection, propagation and health across all fermentation cycles
* Embedding fermentation processes into production, including SOPs, troubleshooting and team training
* Leading root cause analysis and resolving live fermentation challenges in real time
* Establishing microbiological testing protocols and translating lab data into process improvements
* Managing traceability, documentation and quality standards across fermentation systems
* Building external partnerships across academia and industry to support ongoing innovation
* Defining and executing the R&D roadmap aligned with company growth and product strategy
We’re looking for a hands-on fermentation expert who can operate at the intersection of science and production, with the ability to scale complex biological systems in a fast-moving environment.
You will ideally bring:
* A degree in Microbiology, Fermentation Science, Biotechnology or related field
* 5+ years’ experience in fermentation (brewing, wine, kombucha, functional beverages or adjacent)
* Strong expertise across yeast, bacterial and mixed culture systems
* Proven experience scaling fermentation from lab to production environments
* Hands-on experience working within live production settings
* Strong problem-solving capability in dynamic fermentation environments
* Ability to translate scientific insight into clear, operational processes
* Experience operating in fast-paced, evolving businesses
* Strong collaboration skills across technical and production teams
Why This Opportunity?
This is a high-impact, specialist role offering:
* Ownership of fermentation science within a rapidly growing, innovation-led business
* Opportunity to build and evolve a unique, scalable fermentation platform
* Direct impact on product quality, consistency and future innovation pipelines
* Close collaboration with founders and cross-functional leadership
* A hands-on role at the cutting edge of alcohol-free fermentation and functional beverages