---
title: 'Process Engineer at Biosphere'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/process-engineer-biosphere-oakland-98xvbn68bfg5'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-02'
---

# Process Engineer at Biosphere

- **Company:** Biosphere
- **Location:** Oakland, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-10-26
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-02
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/biosphere/jobs/4467325009

## Job description

## About the Role

We are looking for a Process Engineer to support the design of our 20 m³ demonstration facility and to build and run pilot-scale UV bioreactors. The work is split between design and hands-on building. You will work on mass and energy balances, PFDs, P&IDs and equipment specifications for the demo plant. On the hands-on side you will pipe, instrument, commission and operate pilot reactors. This role is in person at our Oakland, CA facility and reports to the Principal Process Engineer. Title and level (Engineer I, II or III) will be set based on experience.

## Responsibilities

- Contribute to process design deliverables for the demonstration facility: design basis, mass and energy balances, PFDs, P&IDs, equipment lists and specifications, and process control narratives.
- Size and specify process equipment and utilities (vessels, pumps, heat exchangers, filtration, piping, valves, instruments) and support vendor selection and quote review.
- Design, build and commission pilot-scale UV bioreactors (roughly 100 L to 2 m³), including piping, instrumentation and basic controls integration.
- Operate pilot equipment alongside R&D: run fermentation and sterilization tests, collect data, and turn results into design changes.
- Support design reviews, HAZOPs, FAT/SAT and commissioning for demo plant equipment.
- Work with our engineering partners, vendors and fabricators, and review their deliverables.
- Help maintain up-to-date documentation, including but not limited to drawings, specifications, procedures, and test batch reports.
- Continue to build and maintain a safety-first culture in the lab, shop, pilot spaces, and plant.

## Qualifications

- BS in Chemical Engineering or a related field (bioengineering, mechanical engineering).
- 1 to 6 years of experience in process engineering, process development, or pilot plant / manufacturing operations. New graduates with strong co-op or internship experience will be considered for Engineer I.
- Solid chemical engineering fundamentals: mass and energy balances, fluid flow, heat transfer, pump and line sizing.
- Can read and produce P&IDs.
- Hands-on experience: you’re comfortable using wrenches, assembling sanitary tubing, wired instruments, or building skids and are interested in continuing to build on that experience.
- Clear writer, strong communicator, organized, and able to run small projects with minimal oversight.
- Able to lift 50 lb, stand for extended periods, and wear PPE.
- Due to the requirements of our federal contracts, candidates must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

## Preferred Skills

- Fermentation or bioprocess experience, including sterile design, SIP/CIP, and aseptic operation.
- Familiarity with hygienic design standards (ASME BPE, EHEDG).
- Experience in food/beverage, pharma, specialty chemicals, or an industrial biotech pilot plant.
- Experience producing or reviewing FEL/FEED packages and/or working with an external engineering firms.
- CAD for process documentation (AutoCAD Plant 3D, SolidWorks or similar).
- Exposure to PLCs, SCADA and instrumentation.
- Comfortable working in an early-stage company, adapting to uncertainty and evolving priorities as the business grows.

## Benefits

At Biosphere, our goal is to empower talented individuals who are driven by the desire to work on tackling society's biggest challenges. To that end, we take pride in striving to be an equal opportunity employer with a healthy work culture, creating an environment where high performers can thrive. We currently offer the following benefits:

- Competitive compensation through a mix of salary and equity.
- Unlimited paid vacation and sick/leave days + public holidays.
- Comprehensive health insurance for employees and their dependents, including dental and vision.
- Paid family leave.
- Membership at Pacific Pipe Climbing gym next door.

This Role Might Be For You If You

- Want to work on both the design and the build of new process equipment.
- Are excited about biomanufacturing and want to make it cheaper and more accessible.
- Thrive in small teams where your work directly shapes the company's trajectory.

Biosphere is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

## About Biosphere

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Biosphere is replacing the 1950's steam bioreactor with a modern, UV-enabled design to reduce the capital intensity of biomanufacturing.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Seed stage)
- **Headquarters**: Oakland, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2022
- **Founders**: Brian Heligman and Arye Lipman

## Core Business
- **Primary Industry**: Industrial Biotechnology / Biomanufacturing
- **Target Customers**: B2B, serving companies developing next-generation bioproducts (food, nutrition, specialty chemicals, enzymes, materials, fuels)
- **Mission**: Unleash industrial biology to sustainably manufacture material abundance.

## Products & Services
- **UV-Sterilized Bioreactor**: A modern bioreactor design that uses ultraviolet radiation for sterilization instead of traditional steam, simplifying hardware and reducing capital costs. This is the company's core platform technology enabling rapid scale-up and lower-cost manufacturing for bioproducts.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Total Funding**: $8.8M (Seed Round, led by VXI Capital and Lowercarbon Capital, announced Jan 2025). Additionally, a $9M grant over 3.5 years from the U.S. Department of Defense (announced May 2026).
- **Key Metric**: Total Funding $8.8M (Seed) + $9M DoD Grant
- **Notable Investors**: Lowercarbon Capital, Founders Fund, VXI Capital, GS Futures, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM)
- **Growth Signals**:
    - Won a $9M grant from the U.S. Department of Defense (May 2026).
    - Headcount grew 5% YoY, now at 9 employees.
    - Company is actively hiring and looking to acquire strain and process IP in food/nutrition, consumer health, specialty chemicals, and enzymes.
    - Featured in TechCrunch and Synbiobeta for their breakthrough technology.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Core Technology**: Proprietary UV sterilization approach for bioreactors, a fundamental redesign of a 70-year-old industry standard (the steam bioreactor). This dramatically reduces capital intensity and operational complexity.
- **Strong Backing**: Supported by top-tier deep-tech and climate investors (Lowercarbon Capital, Founders Fund).
- **Clear Problem Focus**: Solving a critical, well-known bottleneck in the $100B bioproducts industry (the reliance on outdated reactor designs).

## Strategic Focus
- **Scale-up & Deployment**: Enabling rapid scale-up for next-generation bioproducts by reducing risk and unlocking lower-cost manufacturing.
- **Asset Acquisition**: Actively seeking to acquire strain and process IP to expand their portfolio and capabilities.
- **Government & Defense**: Leveraging DoD grants to develop and deploy their technology for critical chemical manufacturing.

## Why Work Here
- **Impact**: Opportunity to work on a fundamental challenge in biomanufacturing, directly contributing to a more sustainable future.
- **Culture**: Described as a "small, passionate team" of "relentless builders and problem-solvers." Values resilience and transforming the world using technology.
- **Growth Stage**: Early-stage (Seed) with significant growth trajectory, offering high autonomy and the chance to shape the company.
- **Location**: Based in Oakland, CA. Roles appear to be on-site/in-office.
- **Team**: Highly competent team with expertise in commercial-scale fermentation, robotic greenhouses, thin-film semiconductors, and high-throughput bioinformatics.

## Sources
1. [biosphere.io](https://www.biosphere.io/)
2. [biosphere.io/about](https://www.biosphere.io/about)
3. [LinkedIn - Biosphere](https://www.linkedin.com/company/biosphereio)
4. [Greenhouse Jobs - Biosphere](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/biosphere)
5. [Greenhouse - Open Application](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/biosphere/jobs/4016705009)

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