Scientist, Enzyme Engineering

OMAHA, NE

ABOUT US:
We use American corn and existing bioethanol infrastructure to produce critical chemicals right here at home—powering U.S. competitiveness and securing our nation's supply chains - while reinvesting in agricultural America. Bluestem Biosciences has engineered a breakthrough in American manufacturing. Our proprietary biomanufacturing process represents a new, cost-effective, and advantaged way to produce platform chemicals domestically. With the foundation of existing infrastructure, we convert abundant, renewable American corn into high-value chemicals at scale. JOIN US AS WE ACCELERATE TO COMMERCIALIZATION

Bluestem Biosciences is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Scientist to take charge of designing and analyzing enzyme engineering libraries that will enhance our core industrial chemical production. You’ll design thoughtful experiments, manage their execution through our trusted network of contract research labs, and dive into the data to uncover meaningful insights. The perfect fit is someone with a background in protein engineering or computational biology who can work independently and with precision to create impactful experiments and interpret complex datasets. Working closely with Bluestem’s R&D team, you’ll play a key role in advancing the company’s technology and innovation.

• Bring your enzyme library design toolkit to Bluestem to head up enzyme improvement approaches
• Create clever screening or selection strategies to find the improvements within the enzyme diversity you’ve designed (e.g., activity, stability, selectivity)
• Manage external experiments by working closely with our network of contract research organizations (CROs) to ensure successful execution and high-quality data delivery
• Find the signal in the noise! Analyze and interpret large datasets from high-throughput enzyme screens and implement iterative improvements
• Coordinate closely with the broader Bluestem R&D team on project outcomes, and share the commercial impact of your work with the whole company 
• Transfer optimized enzymes and protocols to the strain engineering team for integration into production hosts 
• Have an impact outside your domain expertise and contribute to the Bluestem R&D effort, taking an “end-in-mind” approach to building our success

• Ph.D. in Protein Engineering, Enzyme Engineering, Computational Biology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, or a related scientific field, and 3+ years of hands-on industry experience
• Demonstrated proficiency in modern protein and enzyme engineering techniques, including both computation approaches (e.g., AlphaFold, AI/ML-based design methods) and library design (e.g., directed evolution, rational design, saturation mutagenesis) 
• Experience managing workflows and projects with external partners or contract research organizations (CROs) is highly preferred
• Familiarity with high-throughput screening (HTS) methods, enzyme activity assays, analytical methodologies, and selection-based screens
• Exceptional attention to detail and the ability to successfully design complex experiments and analyze large-scale screening data 
• Strong organizational and time-management skills. Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while contributing to a collaborative team environment 
• Ability to effectively organize and analyze results and data (using Python, R, or JMP) and communicate results to the extended team

Bluestem is an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.