Senior Research Associate, Microbiology & Molecular Biology

At Loam, we have the earth in our hands. Our team of scientists, farmers and entrepreneurs is united in a mission to improve the world’s farmland and address climate change.
We are developing soil carbon sequestration technology that uses microbes' power to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and build soil carbon in agricultural soils. We are dedicated to developing nature-based solutions that boost farm productivity and benefit the environment. Our approach helps farming businesses prosper by boosting yield and soil health and assisting growers to unlock access to carbon markets.
We are a rapidly-growing team of more than 30 researchers and practitioners, with headquarters in Orange, NSW Australia, and St Paul, Minnesota, US. As a start-up with ambitious founders and investors, our work is fast-paced and multi-dimensional. We foster a supportive and diverse workplace where every team member is encouraged to learn and grow beyond their area of expertise.
This is more than just a job — this is our life’s work.
About the Role
The Senior Research Associate will be working to deliver projects from the laboratory to the field, focusing on understanding and enhancing soil carbon sequestration in key agricultural settings. Reporting to Loam’s Senior Research Scientist of the Global Product Sciences team, this role also involves hands-on lab work performing key experiments for the development and for advancing the understanding of microbial-mediated carbon sequestration. The role is based in Orange, NSW Australia and will require occasional travel to field sites for sampling, setting up and overseeing greenhouse trials as project needs arise.
- Deliver key projects pertaining to product development and novel bioinoculants
- Apply and integrate state-of-the-art knowledge of microbiology and mycology for the company's research and development program
- Further the organisation’s foundational knowledge of fungal physiology and molecular biology including qPCR, usage of Next-gen sequencing technologies and data analysis
- Support product development for soil carbon sequestration
- Track personal project progress and work in collaboration with other project teams
- Collaborate with the Loam R&D team on the development of novel products
- Provide inputs to strategic R&D plans and direction
- Generate research reports and presentations on findings for the broader Loam team and management
Requirements
About You:
- A passion for microbiology and mitigating climate change
- A master’s degree in science (microbiology/molecular biology/ biochemistry preferred) with two plus years of experience in industry or research organisations. Bachelor’s/Honours Degree with four years of relevant experience will also be considered
- Knowledge and experience working with fungi, fungal biology, physiology, microbial ecology and molecular biology will be an advantage
- Perform experiments in the lab, related to fungal growth characteristics, metabolites, filtering compounds, sample preparation for chemical analysis
- Initiate well-targeted research projects, map and report resources for research work and generate reports regarding research progress
- Meet the company’s requirement for product development and support the research projects.
- Abreast of the latest technology and developments in Microbiology and Mycology relevant to agriculture and product development
- Knowledge and experience with molecular biology especially in development of qPCR, DNA extraction from environmental samples, library preparation for NGS, data analysis and visualisation will be highly advantageous
- Flexibility in approach to work - you will be required to carry out collaborative research
- Confidence in working with datasets, monitoring, verification and reporting
- Willingness to travel interstate as required (occasionally)
- Experience working in agricultural or environmental settings and in academic or industrial settings
Benefits
- Competitive remuneration
- A custom professional development package, including formal and informal training
- Regular one-on-one meetings with your manager and opportunities to progress your career
- Engagement in cross-functional, cross-geographical product teams as you work alongside leading scientists and innovators in an international organisation
- Sports facilities and gym on-site
- Meaningful work and a ripper team to boot