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Enzyme Engineering Jobs in Houston, TX (NOW HIRING)

Enzyme Engineering information

What is enzyme engineering?

An Enzyme Engineering job involves designing, modifying, and optimizing enzymes for industrial, medical, or research applications. Professionals in this field use biochemical, genetic, and computational techniques to enhance enzyme performance, stability, or specificity. They work in industries such as pharmaceuticals, biofuels, food processing, and environmental science to develop more efficient and sustainable biological solutions.

What does an enzyme engineer do?

In enzyme engineering, daily tasks often include designing and performing experiments to modify or improve enzyme function, analyzing data using biochemical and computational tools, and documenting research findings. Professionals regularly work with interdisciplinary teams, including chemists, biologists, and process engineers, to advance project goals and troubleshoot technical challenges. Managing laboratory equipment, ensuring compliance with safety protocols, and sometimes contributing to patent filings or journal publications are also common. This blend of hands-on lab work and collaborative problem-solving offers a dynamic and intellectually stimulating work environment.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in enzyme engineering?

To excel in Enzyme Engineering, candidates typically need a strong background in biochemistry, molecular biology, and chemical engineering, often supported by an advanced degree. Familiarity with techniques such as protein expression, directed evolution, enzyme assays, and tools like PCR, chromatography systems, and computational modeling software is important, as are certifications in laboratory safety. Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills enable effective collaboration and innovation in research teams. These abilities are crucial for developing novel enzymes and optimizing biocatalysts for industrial, pharmaceutical, or environmental applications.

What are the applications of enzyme engineering?

Enzyme engineering involves modifying enzymes to improve their stability, activity, or specificity for various applications. It is widely used in industries such as pharmaceuticals for drug synthesis, in agriculture for pest control, and in environmental management for bioremediation. Enzyme engineers utilize techniques like directed evolution and computational design to develop enzymes suited for specific industrial processes.
Infographic showing various Enzyme Engineering job openings in Houston, TX as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 90% Full Time, 6% Part Time, 3% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 87% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution.

Process Engineer, Fermentation and Upstream

LAMP

Liberty, TX • On-site

Full-time

Posted 6 days ago


Job description

Position Purpose

Owns the biological front end of the process, from raw material preparation and saccharification through seed train and production fermentation, and is the technical bridge between the laboratory process and the plant.

Key Responsibilities

  • Own the fermentation process description, operating envelope and batch recipe, and translate it into control system sequences and operating procedures.
  • Establish media preparation, sterilization, seed train propagation and inoculation procedures, and verify sterile boundary integrity.
  • Own biomass feedstock handling and saccharification operations, including enzyme dosing and hydrolysis control.
  • Set and monitor critical process parameters covering temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, agitation, aeration and feed profile.
  • Analyze batch data for yield, titer, productivity and contamination events, and drive corrective and improvement actions.
  • Support commissioning of fermenters, sterilizers, air filtration, and clean in place and steam in place systems.
  • Interface with the technology partner team on process transfer, scale up questions and troubleshooting.
  • Train operators on fermentation fundamentals and contamination control discipline.

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor's or master's degree in chemical engineering, biochemical engineering, bioprocess engineering or microbiology.
  • Five or more years of industrial fermentation experience at pilot scale or larger.
  • Practical command of sterile technique, contamination investigation and clean in place validation.
  • Strong batch data analysis skills.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Organic acid fermentation experience.
  • Scale up experience from pilot to commercial fermenters.
  • Reading knowledge of Mandarin for technical exchange with the partner team.