About the Company
Mozza Foods is a pioneering biotechnology company dedicated to transforming the global food system by decoupling dairy production from industrial animal agriculture. By engineering soybeans to produce high-quality dairy proteins, we are creating a more sustainable, ethical, and efficient path toward the future of food. Based in Los Angeles, our team is committed to scientific excellence and technical innovation as we work toward our goal of a large-scale market launch in 2028. We are looking for mission-driven individuals who are passionate about leveraging cutting-edge science to drive meaningful impact in the global food system.
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced protein biochemist with extensive soybean protein extraction and separation experience to join our R&D team and lead the development and optimization of our downstream processing pipeline. This is a hands-on, bench-heavy role at the heart of what we do: taking engineered soybean seeds containing our casein proteins and efficiently extracting, enriching, and purifying them into a high-quality dairy protein fraction.
Responsibilities
Design, execute, and optimize extraction protocols for solubilizing and recovering casein micelles from soybean seed extracts
Develop robust pre-clarification methods (centrifugation, depth filtration, bead milling) to prepare crude extracts for downstream membrane processing
Lead development and optimization of membrane-based separation processes
Develop assays for protein purity and identity assessment
Characterize casein micelle size, colloidal stability, and structural integrity
Collaborate with upstream molecular biology and agronomy teams to understand how seed processing, storage, and cultivar differences affect protein extraction efficiency
Contribute to scale-up planning and support technology transfer to pilot-scale processing as the company grows
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
B.S. or M.S. in Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related field with strong biochemistry fundamentals; a Ph.D. with relevant research experience is also welcome
5+ years of hands-on experience extracting and purifying proteins from plant-based source materials (preferably soybean) in an industrial or academic R&D setting
Proficiency with standard protein analytical techniques: SDS-PAGE, Western blot, spectrophotometric quantification, and FPLC/HPLC
Background in soy or legume protein fractionation
Familiarity with tangential flow filtration systems
Demonstrated ability to independently design and interpret process development experiments, with strong quantitative data analysis skills
Comfortable working at the bench every day - this is a full-time, fully on-site laboratory role
Pay range and compensation package
Salary range: $120,000 - $200,000
In addition to salary, we offer:
Equity stake in Mozza Foods -- everyone who builds this company shares in its success
401k
PTO and paid holidays
Health, dental, and vision insurance
A mission you can be proud of -- and the chance to build something that will genuinely change the food system
Equal Opportunity Statement
Mozza Foods is committed to diversity and inclusivity.
