Position: Process Development Associate Engineer I

Department: Process Development 

Position Type: Full-Time Employee

Location: Cape Town, South Africa (on-site)

Experience:  Minimum BSc/BEng in Process/Chemical Engineering with 0 - 2+ years relevant experience in bioprocess manufacturing

Company Summary 

Watchmaker Genomics is a global life science company based in Boulder, Colorado with an R&D and Production facility in Cape Town, South Africa. Our team is passionate about innovation and values collaboration, creativity, and scientific rigor. We believe that the intersection of biology, engineering, and computer science presents exciting opportunities for developing novel technologies that promote research and improve human health. Watchmaker Genomics specializes in the design, development, and production of DNA- and RNA-modifying enzymes that enable high-growth applications in genomics, molecular diagnostics, and personalized medicine.

Position Summary 

We are seeking a Process Development Associate Engineer to join our Process Development team in Cape Town, South Africa. 

As part of the Process Development team, you will apply your expertise in process engineering to design and transfer recombinant protein expression and purification processes. You will contribute directly in delivering high-quality, innovative products to our customers. In this highly collaborative role, you will work closely with various departments, including R&D, Production, IT, and Quality Assurance across our global sites.

Key Responsibilities

The Process Development team supports the transfer of new products from R&D to manufacturing. This involves translating product requirements into process specifications and developing efficient, scalable processes to meet these needs. After product launch, the team provides ongoing support for process updates to maintain product quality.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Identifying critical process parameters (CPPs) to ensure critical-to-quality attributes (CQAs) are consistently achieved.
• Assisting in developing or adapting processes to meet CPPs by investigating new methods, equipment, and controls and confirming suitability through experimentation.
• Identifying opportunities for process streamlining, standardization, and alignment with industry best practices.
• Planning and executing assigned project deliverables and proactively communicating status and outcomes.
• Contributing to process, equipment, and computer systems validation, as well as material qualification, by establishing clear, testable specifications based on CPPs and CQAs, along with associated experimental planning.
• Identifying and documenting process risks, assessing potential impacts, and developing appropriate mitigations.
• Contributing to robust, rigorous experimental design and execution for the development and testing of new processes and comprehensively documenting outcomes.
• Having a working understanding of the ISO 13485 standard and internal standard operating procedures (SOPs) to effectively apply these principles.
• Supporting on-market products by investigating process-related issues through data trending, analysis, or experimentation.
• Authoring and revising work instructions, batch record templates, and other production-facing documentation that are clear and concise to ensure reproducible results.
• Preparing training materials and conducting classroom and on-the-job training for operators on new or revised procedures.

Required skills

• Predisposition for systems-level thinking, as applied to designing and implementing robust, scalable processes for enzyme manufacturing.
• Demonstrated scientific excellence in technical work, written communication, and presenting technical information to groups with various scientific backgrounds.
• Adaptability, curiosity, and the ability to grasp and apply new concepts quickly.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Commitment to a culture of excellence and advocacy for continuous improvement.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively communicate across multi-level, cross-functional teams.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong personal task management skills and a high level of self-motivation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Advantageous skills

Technical understanding of and/or experience with:

• PCR, next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques, and basic protein biochemistry (e.g., physical properties, experimental methods, enzyme kinetics, etc.).
• Principles of recombinant protein expression, fermentation, and protein purification, including chromatography.
• Assessing analytical measurement methods and process capabilities, using statistical techniques such as Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA) or Gauge Repeatability & Reproducibility (Gauge R&R).
• Designing and monitoring processes using statistical methods such as Design of Experiments (DOE) and Statistical Process Control (SPC).
• General statistical techniques such as regression analysis and significance testing (e.g., Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), t-tests).
• Risk management and hazard analysis frameworks or tools, such as Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA).
• ISO 9001 and/or ISO 13485 standards or operating within a structured quality management system (QMS).

Education and Experience

• BSc/BEng in Process/Chemical Engineering with 0 - 2+ years relevant experience in bioprocess manufacturing

OR 

• MSc in molecular biology/enzymology or related fields with 2+ years demonstrated industry experience in process development

Application Requirements 

To apply for the position, please submit the following in a PDF format on watchmakergenomics.com: 

• Letter of motivation (upload where it says cover letter)
• Resume or Curriculum vitae, highlighting relevant qualifications and experience

Applications without a Letter of Motivation will not be considered. Applicants must be South African or be eligible to work in South Africa and already possess the necessary work permits or visas, or be able to obtain them before responding to this vacancy.

To ensure your application is considered, please submit it by Friday, 7 August 2026. Please note that this position may close earlier if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

If selected to participate in the interview process, the names and contact information of three professional references who are able to assess your suitability for the position in terms of the specified requirements will be requested. We will also request a current payslip.

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NO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES PLEASE

We are only accepting direct applications for this position. We are not working with external recruiters or agencies at this time. Unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from third-party recruiters will not be considered and will be deemed the property of Watchmaker Genomics

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SOUTH AFRICA - WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER

Watchmaker Genomics is committed to being an equal opportunity employer and creating a culturally diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability status, age, or veteran status or any other characteristics as protected by applicable law.

All applicants will be asked if they are currently eligible to work in South Africa. South African citizens are preferred.

This position may be subject to pre-employment checks, including driving history check, drug screening and a background check for any convictions directly related to its duties and responsibilities. All pre-employment checks will comply with all applicable laws.