Lead Scientist, Algae Biomanufacturing

Lead Scientist, Algae Biomanufacturing

Start Date: January 12, 2026

What We Do: 

Early Charm converts science into revenue using a unique business model that avoids the ‘Valley of Death’ and the need for venture capital. 

• First, we license undervalued intellectual property from the pool of thousands of inventions that sit on large institutions’ shelves because it does not fit the venture capital investment model. 
• Second, we create, own, and operate a separate venture for every license we undertake for the same fundamental reasons that a real estate developer creates an LLC for each property they own. It provides liability protection, and enables ownership and financing tied to specific intellectual property. 
• Third, we only start new ventures that have strong synergy with our existing ventures. This lowers our startup costs both in understanding the technology and in knowing the markets. 
• Fourth, our subsidiary ventures have zero employees. Everyone works for Early Charm so we maximize expertise, optimize cost and are never in a position to lose people on the ups and downs of a given venture. 
• Fifth, we leverage the federal government’s SBIR and related programs, state governments’ translational research funding, and other mission driven funders to efficiently finance our commercialization efforts. Thus, we don’t focus on getting to market fast, but rather on being highly capital efficient enabling us to be profitable in smaller (unattractive to venture capital) markets. 

Why We Do It: 

We believe that unleashing the power of science to improve the human condition should not be limited strictly to the economics of venture capital and large institutions. We are demonstrating to the world not only that our business model works well at scale, but that it often provides superior solutions in a more capital efficient manner.

What You Will do: 

BrightCharm Proving Ground is a joint venture between BrightWave and Early Charm, providing algae-based biomanufacturing services including toll manufacturing, contract research, and contract manufacturing. The company leverages patented photobioreactor (PBR) technology to scale algae production efficiently in a small footprint, serving both industrial and defense markets. As Lead Scientist, you will drive the scientific and technical development of algae-based processes at our lab facility in Aberdeen, MD. Your role will focus on translating benchtop algae strains and lab-scale innovations
into scalable, robust bioprocesses for toll biomanufacturing. You will work cross-functionally across upstream cultivation, downstream processing, analytical development, and customer projects, helping to position BrightCharm as a premier partner in algae contract biomanufacturing. 

Key Responsibilities Include: 

• Process Development & Scale-Up: Lead the design, optimization, and scaling of algae cultivation processes in PBRs, ensuring high productivity, robustness, and reproducibility. 
• Strain Characterization & Optimization: Evaluate and characterize customer-provided or in-house algae strains (growth kinetics, metabolite profiles, photo physiology) and develop strategies for strain optimization and growth
• Downstream Processing: Develop, optimize, and scale harvesting, biomass recovery, extraction, and purification workflows for target products (e.g., lipids, pigments, biochemicals).
• Analytical Methods: Establish and validate analytical assays (HPLC, spectrophotometry, flowcytometry, etc.) for monitoring biomass quality, metabolite content, purity, and contaminants.
• Technology Transfer: Lead technology transfer activities from benchtop R&D to pilot-scale and manufacturing scale, including design of experiments (DoE), scale-up risk analysis, and process characterization. 
• Project Leadership & Collaboration: Manage scientific projects for external clients, serving as a technical lead and scientific advisor. Coordinate cross-functional teams (R&D, engineering, operations)to meet project milestones.
• Documentation & Regulatory Compliance: Prepare technical reports, SOPs, batch records, and process documentation. Ensure compliance with relevant regulatory, quality, and safety standards.
• Continuous Improvement: Implement process improvements, cost optimization strategies, and scale-up best practices.
• Mentorship & Training: Mentor junior scientists, technicians, and interns, support training programs, and build internal expertise in algae biomanufacturing.
• Innovation & Research: Stay at the forefront of algae biology, photobioreactor design, and bioprocess innovation; propose and lead internal R&D efforts to expand the company’s service offerings and capabilities. 

What You Need To Be Successful:

• PhD(preferred) or MS in biology, biochemical engineering, microbiology, or a related discipline with substantial experience in algae, cyanobacteria, or photosynthetic systems. 5+ years of experience in bioprocess development, ideally in algae or other microbial systems, including scale-up from benchtop to pilot or production scale.
• Hands-on experience with photobioreactors (PBRs) or other cultivation systems, including light management, mass transfer, and bioreactor control.
• Expertise in downstream processing of biomass: harvesting, extraction, purification, drying, or similar processes.
• Proficiency in analytical techniques (e.g., HPLC, spectroscopy, flow cytometry, GC, mass spectrometry) used to monitor biomass and product quality.
• Strong project management skills, including experience working with external clients (contract research / manufacturing) and leading cross-functional teams.
• Excellent scientific writing and documentation skills; familiarity with SOP development, technical reports, and quality systems.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot technical issues, optimize processes, and drive continuous improvement.
• Leadership and mentoring experience; ability to train and guide junior scientists and interns.
• Strong problem-solving skills, adaptability, and a hands-on mindset.
• Effective communication skills, both verbal and written, to liaise with customers, colleagues (business development & operations), and stakeholders.
• Ability to work in independently in a regulated environment, with understanding of quality, lab safety, and potentially dual use/defense considerations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in contract biomanufacturing (CDMO/toll manufacturing) or biomanufacturing service business models.
• Knowledge of scale-up risk analysis and design of experiments (DoE) frameworks.
• Experience in algae-based products for specialty chemicals, materials, biofuels, or defense-relevant biomaterials.
• Familiarity with regulatory requirements for biological production (e.g., GMP, quality systems).
• Previous experience collaborating with government or defense research entities, especially in dual-use biomanufacturing contexts.
• Experience setting up and managing a lab environment.

What we will do for you:

Career development is our top priority. While we love the idea of people joining Early Charm forever, we are realistic to understand that we may be a stepping stone to other opportunities or a way for you to explore career options. Regardless of your reasons for joining us, our commitment is to help you while you are helping us.

Where You Will Work:

We are at the center of Baltimore’s entrepreneurial renaissance, giving you the opportunity to interact with some of the nation’s most exciting technology companies. While this role is based primarily at the CONVERGE Center in Aberdeen (1201 Technology Drive), it includes monthly attendance at our main office at 1300 Bayard St, Baltimore, MD 21230 in Pigtown, where our labs, production space, and offices are intermingled with firms doing engineering design, software development, specialty textiles, robotics, and more.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Is Our Business:

Creativity is the soul of Early Charm. We expand creativity by actively seeking out and embracing diversity in all its forms. Diversity of thought, of experience, of culture, of race, of expression and ultimately of the individual is, therefore, our soul. 

Action and cooperation drive our success at Early Charm. We foster action through equity. Equity means we treat everyone with respect, empower everyone to make decisions, help everyone to advance their career and compensate everyone fairly. We encourage cooperation by being inclusive. Inclusive means celebrating each other’s differences, listening to each other’s views, and empowering each other to be individuals through our own actions. Equity and inclusion, therefore, is our success.

Salary: $75,000–$85,000 + benefits, commensurate with experience.

Benefits:

• Name your own holidays
• Paid vacation and sick leave
• Medical, Life and Dental Insurance
• 401K with matching

How to Join Us: Please send your resume and cover letter to Kelsey Abernathy at apply@earlycharm.com.