Overview
Chief People Officer | Values-led leader | HR Ninja | CIPD
Join Ivy Farm Technologies as Senior Group Lead/Associate Director, Bioprocessing – Help Shape the Future of Sustainable Food!
At Ivy Farm our mission is to create the world’s best guilt free and sustainable meat, it’s cultivated meat, just like real meat, only made differently - and we’re super excited by it.
We're a fun and humble community of 40+ technical and scientific crew; a team where you can make a true difference to animal well-being and global sustainability, and we’re looking for a driven Bioprocessing guru to help us achieve our goals.
Our focus as a leading cultivated meat company is to develop scalable, high-performance bioprocesses for sustainable meat production. So, if you're a seasoned engineer or scientist who can lead process development and scale-up activities read on....
Responsibilities
* Lead the development and scale-up of mammalian cell culture processes; focusing on perfusion-based systems and optimization strategies; ensuring performance and cost targets are maintained
* Ensure appropriate design and execution of experiments in bench scale bioreactors to evaluate process robustness, cell growth kinetics, and metabolite control
* Lead the interpretation and generation of experimental data to support scale-up, leveraging experience with industrial manufacturing systems
* Drive the development of control strategies for perfusion culture, including hollowfibre systems, PID tuning, and real-time monitoring of critical parameters
* Provide technical leadership in bioreactor control strategies, including configuration, calibration of control loops, sensors, and automation systems across multiple reactor platforms
* Integrate and apply new technologies such as Raman Spectroscopy for real-time monitoring of cell culture parameters and process control
* Own the process development lifecycle, from early-stage characterisation through to pilot validation and tech transfer
* Collaborate with automation and digital biology teams to implement advanced process analytics, including real-time reactor control, feed/metabolite profiling, and culture performance-based control loops
* Lead troubleshooting and root cause analysis for process deviations, contamination events, and performance variability
* Interface with the wider business to ensure all processes are aligned with overall product and operational goals
* Mentor & lead junior engineers and contribute to technical training programs across the scale-up team
* Maintain documentation & data capture requirements for tech transfer, validation and regulatory submissions
Qualifications
* Minimum 7 years in bioprocess development, with significant hands-on experience in perfusion culture and industrial bioreactor operations
* Proven track record of leading teams
* Deep understanding of CSPR-based process control, including its impact on cell productivity, metabolite accumulation, and scalability
* Hands-on experience with Applikon/Getinge, Eppendorf DasBox or equivalent bioreactor systems, including perfusion systems; experience with stainless steel pilot systems is advantageous
* Strong knowledge of bioreactor control systems, including DO/pH cascades, feed control, and sensor integration
* Experience with Raman spectroscopy for bioprocess monitoring and control
* Experience with process data analysis tools (e.g., JMP, Python, MATLAB) and Electronic Lab Notebooks
* Proven ability to lead teams and deliver cross-functional projects according to strategic milestones
* Familiarity with GMP principles and documentation standards
Ideal Candidate
You are a technically rigorous engineer with a passion for solving complex bioprocess challenges. You bring deep expertise in perfusion systems, automated bioprocess control, and advanced bioreactor technologies. You are comfortable working with automation and process analytical technologies (PAT) to drive data-rich, real-time control strategies. You thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced environment where innovation and scalability are key.
Benefits
We value innovation, collaboration, and sustainability. Benefits include:
* 25 days annual leave + bank holidays
* Company pension contribution 5%
* Private health care from day one
* Company Shares
* Company Bonus, eligible from day one
* Oodles of fresh ground coffee, tea and snacks
* Company events
* Based at our offices in Oxford
Company notes
We are an inclusive employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds. No agencies please.
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