Research Associate I – Plant Bioassays
Pivot Bio
$33 / hour
Need a reasonable accommodation to apply or interview? Contact us.
JobMinglr uses automated technology to recommend jobs based on profile information and job preferences. Match Score does not determine eligibility for a position, prevent a user from viewing or applying to a job, or make hiring decisions on behalf of an employer.
Description
About Pivot Bio:
Fueled by an innovative drive and a deep understanding of microbiology, genomics, crop nutrition and agriculture, Pivot Bio is pioneering game-changing advances in fertilizer technology. Our first commercial product harnesses the power of naturally-occurring microbes, modern gene editing and application technologies to provide nitrogen to crops. We are dedicated to providing new solutions for farmers to improve yield as they work to help feed the world’s growing population. Read/Hear more about Pivot Bio on Forbes or PBS News Hour.
Reporting to the Plant Bioassay Team Lead, the successful candidate will support the execution and development of greenhouse and controlled environment plant assays evaluating the performance of Pivot Bio’s microbial nitrogen-fixing technologies. The team’s key objective is to generate high-quality, reproducible in-planta data that supports candidate advancement, product characterization, and field performance prediction. This role will contribute to the development and scaling of plant assay workflows, microbial screening pipelines, and experimental data generation to support product innovation and validation.
This role is a 6 month Temporary position and onsite at our Creve Coeur, MO location.
Essential Functions
- Conduct and support execution of in planta assays in greenhouse and growth chamber environments with minimal supervision
- Support the scaling, optimization, and standardization of experimental assays to enable higher-throughput biological discovery pipelines
- Grow, plate, quantify, and maintain microbial cultures using aseptic technique and standard microbial enumeration methods
- Collect, accurately record, and analyze experimental and phenotypic data using LIMS or structured electronic data capture systems
- Attend and present data in R&D meetings and contribute to experimental planning and troubleshooting discussions
- Maintain detailed experimental records and support development or refinement of assay SOPs
Competencies
Knowledge & Application
- Understanding of plant physiology, development, and stress responses
- Familiarity with plant phenotyping approaches and greenhouse plant management
- Basic statistical analysis and data interpretation
Complexity & Problem Solving
- Strong attention to detail with demonstrated ability to accurately document and reproduce experimental workflows
- Applies scientific reasoning to interpret unexpected results
Collaboration & Interaction
- Strong problem-solving and team collaboration skills
- Excellent communication skills and ability to work independently
Required Education & Experience
- Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, Plant Science, Agronomy, Microbiology, or related field
- Hands-on experience greenhouse/growth chamber research (industry or academic research experience acceptable)
- Experience with plant-microbe interactions or microbial culturing techniques is preferred but not required
Must be authorized to work in the United States
#LI-Onsite
About this role
Pivot Bio is seeking a Research Associate to support plant bioassay work in their Creve Coeur greenhouse and controlled environment facilities. You would work under the Plant Bioassay Team Lead to execute and help develop assays that test how the company's microbial nitrogen-fixing technologies perform in crops. The role centers on generating reproducible, high-quality data that moves candidates forward through product development and helps predict field performance.
Your day-to-day work would involve running in planta assays, culturing and maintaining microbial samples using aseptic technique, collecting and recording experimental data in LIMS systems, and contributing to discussions about experimental design and troubleshooting. You'd also help scale and standardize workflows to support faster biological discovery. Strong attention to detail, the ability to document and reproduce procedures precisely, and comfort working independently are essential.
This is a six-month temporary position requiring a bachelor's degree in Biology, Plant Science, Agronomy, Microbiology, or a related field, plus hands-on greenhouse or growth chamber research experience from either industry or academia. Prior exposure to plant-microbe interactions or microbial culturing is preferred but not required. You'll need to be authorized to work in the United States.
How this employer is doing
solid
- Expanding
In the news
Pivot Bio Expands RETURN® Production for Winter Wheat, Yahoo Finance
This role's local market on JobMinglr
Pay for this role
$33 per hour
That is the employer's posted range, and where you land in it is usually decided in one conversation. Before that conversation, run the numbers: analyze an offer for this role.
Before you apply, worth reading
How JobMinglr reads this job
Every listing here is scored against your profile before you apply: skills overlap, experience level, location and work arrangement, each weighted and explained. You see the score and the reasons, not just a list. How the matching works.