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Strain Engineering Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Debut Biotech

Staff Process Engineer

San Diego, CA

Collaborate closely with upstream process development and strain engineering teams to align on integrated process development strategies. Education and Experience * PhD + 6 years of experience; OR ...

Iff

Automation Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$120K - $140K/yr

Meaningful work helping advance solutions for protein & strain engineering, biochemistry and related technologies. * Global Collaboration: Be part of a global organization that values innovation ...

Debut Biotech

Staff Process Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

Collaborate closely with upstream process development and strain engineering teams to align on integrated process development strategies. Education and Experience * PhD + 6 years of experience; OR ...

Prolim Global

Laboratory Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

Responsibilities Deeply understand DIC, accelerometer, strain gauge and other sophisticated testing ... Engineering services include Data Translation, CAD/CAM/CAE, Process & Product Engineering ...

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Strain Engineering information

See California salary details

$74K

$112.8K

$150.5K

How much do strain engineering jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for strain engineering in California is $112,834.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $98,700.00 and $126,800.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the strain engineering position, and why are they important?

To excel in Strain Engineering, you typically need a strong background in microbiology, molecular biology, or chemical engineering, along with hands-on experience in genetic manipulation and strain optimization. Familiarity with bioinformatics tools, laboratory automation systems, and quality control protocols is highly valued, and certification in relevant biosafety protocols may be required. Strong problem-solving abilities, effective communication, and collaboration are crucial soft skills in this field. These competencies are important to ensure safe and efficient development of microbial strains for industrial, pharmaceutical, or biotechnology applications.

What are the typical daily responsibilities of a strain engineer?

As a Strain Engineer, your daily responsibilities often include designing and executing experiments to engineer new microbial strains, analyzing genetic data, and documenting results for ongoing projects. You’ll collaborate closely with microbiologists, fermentation scientists, and process engineers to optimize strain performance for various applications, such as biopharmaceutical production or biofuel development. Depending on the project stage, your work may also involve troubleshooting experimental outcomes and maintaining laboratory equipment. This collaborative and experimental environment keeps the role dynamic and provides ample opportunities to contribute to innovative solutions.

What is strain engineering?

A Strain Engineering job involves modifying microbial or cellular strains to optimize their genetic and metabolic pathways for improved performance in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, or industrial applications. Strain engineers use techniques such as genetic engineering, CRISPR, adaptive evolution, and fermentation optimization to enhance traits like yield, stability, or resistance. They work in research labs, biotech companies, or pharmaceutical firms to develop strains for drug production, biofuel generation, or sustainable materials manufacturing.

What are the most commonly searched types of Strain Engineering jobs in California? The most popular types of Strain Engineering jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Strain Engineering jobs in California? For Strain Engineering jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Strain Engineering jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Strain Engineering jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Strain Engineering jobs? Cities in California with the most Strain Engineering job openings:
Strain Engineering jobs near you
Infographic showing various Strain Engineering job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 85% Full Time, 4% Part Time, 9% Contract, and 2% Nights. Highlights an 91% In-person, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $112,834 per year, or $54.2 per hour.

Metabolic Engineering Research Associate I

Lesaffre Group

Brisbane, CA • On-site

$62K - $75K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement

Re-posted 23 days ago

Job description

Elevate the Future with Lesaffre
For over 170 years, Lesaffre has been a pioneering force in the world of fermentation, harnessing the power of microorganisms to transform industries from baking to healthcare. As a key global player, we've built a presence in 96 countries, employing 11,000 passionate innovators who share our unwavering commitment to excellence.
Driven by our core values of passion, respect, trust, entrepreneurship, and humility, we're constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible. Our 3-billion euro enterprise collaborates with visionary customers, partners, and researchers to develop essential nutrients and bioactives that strengthen human health, optimize animal well-being, and improve plant nutrition.
Discover Recombia!
Recombia Biosciences is a dynamic and innovative company that specializes in developing and commercializing cutting-edge microbial solutions. As part of the Lesaffre Group since 2022, Recombia leverages extensive expertise in fermentation and microbiology to apply advanced biotechnology, such as metabolic and genome engineering and synthetic biology, in creating customized microbial strains with enhanced functionalities using precision fermentation. Recombia's mission is to blend biology, engineering, automation, and informatics to improve organism engineering, screening, selection, and scale-up for a wide portfolio of precision fermentation and biomass production applications, serving diverse industries including baking, brewing, bioethanol, flavors, food, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals.
What We Offer
  • The opportunity to represent a passionate organization focused on innovation and sustainability
  • Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits starting on day one, including health, dental, vision, and 401(k) with employer match
  • 11 paid holidays
  • The ability to leverage your expertise and make a tangible, meaningful impact on the business and our sustainability initiatives
  • Opportunities for continuous growth and development, including the ability to take on new challenges and collaborate across our international business units

Pay Range: $62,000 - $75,000 annually commensurate with qualifications and experience
How You'll Contribute to Our Success
As a Research Associate I, you'll drive innovation by designing and implementing genetic modifications using high-throughput methodologies and robust assays to characterize engineered strains of industrial yeast. Your expertise in molecular biology, genome editing, microbial strain engineering, high-throughput screening, and lab automation will be critical in advancing our strain development efforts. You'll maintain a safe, organized lab environment while collaborating with cross-functional teams to execute strategic experiments and ensure meticulous record-keeping. The ideal candidate brings hands-on experience in yeast strain engineering, data analysis, and lab automation, paired with strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills to thrive in a dynamic, team-driven setting.
What You'll Do as a Research Associate I
  • Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to Lesaffre's safety-first culture by strictly following all safety protocols and participating in required safety programs
  • Design and introduce genetic modifications to industrial yeast strains using high-throughput methodologies
  • Implement or coordinate robust phenotypic assays or other type of assays to characterize the resulting genetically engineered strains
  • Interact frequently with leadership and collaborate with other research associates and scientists
  • Leverage your strong background in molecular biology, microbial strain engineering, and high-throughput screening
  • Apply your specialized expertise in statistics and data analysis to support research initiatives
  • Work closely with cross-functional teams to drive the development of innovative microbial solutions
  • Other duties as assigned

Required qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree in Genetics, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Bioengineering, Chemical engineering, or a related field
  • One or more years of experience with genome editing of saccharomyces cerevisiae
  • Experience in engineering yeast for the production of small molecules
  • Direct experience in molecular biology (e.g. PCR, DNA purification, cloning, genome editing, DNA assembly, DNA sequencing) of yeast and bacteria
  • Demonstrated skills to generate new hypotheses using existing data or scientific literature

Preferred qualifications:
  • One or more years of industry experience (especially in the areas of genome or metabolic engineering and industrial fermentation)

Lesaffre provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

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