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Strain Engineering Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

MANAGER

Indian Head, MD · On-site

$143K/yr

... of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and ...

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Strain Engineering information

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 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 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 popular job titles related to Strain Engineering jobs in Washington?

For Strain Engineering jobs in Washington, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What cities in Washington are hiring for Strain Engineering jobs?

Cities in Washington with the most Strain Engineering job openings:

Infographic showing various Strain Engineering job openings in Washington as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution.

$143K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 20 days ago


Key responsibilities

  • Manage work related to the design and testing of weapon systems for the organization.

  • Provide direction to execute and oversee engineering activities within the department.

  • Perform responsibilities associated with the Weapons Development & Prototyping Division in the Research & Engineering Department.


U.S. Department Of Defense rating

7.9

Company rating: 7.9 out of 10

Based on 540 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

27th of 50 rated military and defense


Job description

You will serve as a MANAGER (Branch Manager) in the Research & Engineering Department (E), Weapons Development & Prototyping Division (E7), Warheads Branch (E73) of NAVSURFWARCEN IH DIV.
This position is part of the Warfare Centers Personnel Demonstration Project. The ND-5 pay band encompasses positions equivalent to GS-14 and GS-15.
This position may be eligible for Supervisory Pay Differential of up to four (4) percent.Qualifications:In addition to the Basic Requirements for this position, your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the ND-04 (GS-12/13 equivalent) grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following: as a professional engineer, providing direction to execute and manage work related to design and testing of weapon systems for an organization.
Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management website:
Professional Engineering Positions, 0801/0830/0850/0861/0893: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series AND https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.Education:Applicants must meet the following basic education requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Standards Manual:
FOR 0801/0830/0850/0861/0893: Successful completion of a professional engineering degree. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree (or higher) in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET); or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
OR
Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration For more information about EI and EIT registration requirements, please visit the National Society of Professional Engineers website at: http://www.nspe.org
OR
Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico The FE examination is not administered by the U. S. Office of Personnel Management. For more information, please visit: http://www.nspe.org/Licensure/HowtoGetLicensed/index.html.
OR
Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and in engineering that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A (above). The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A (above)
OR
Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least one year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily, there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions.Employment Type: OTHER

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