Process Development Specialist

At Future Fields, we are continually learning and evolving. We know we don’t have all the answers, but we try to ask all the questions. We believe in “failing forward” and leveraging our mistakes to help us grow. We never want our team to feel constrained by the status quo and we don’t judge ideas based on where they come from. We actively work to foster a culture of collaboration, innovation and psychological safety through transparency, structure, and open communication. We know it sounds cliché, but every employee really is a valued and equal member of the Future Fields team.

Come find your purpose with Future Fields.
We are a rapidly growing venture-backed startup (with support from awesome investors including Bee Partners, Y Combinator, BDC Climate Tech, R7 Partners, Toyota Ventures and Amplify Capital). We’ve even had a shoutout from Ironman himself! Joining our team now means you’ll have the opportunity to shape our culture and products, to lead others, and to influence the direction of our company. Perhaps most importantly, you’ll be joining a team that is genuinely energized by this work and the meaningful potential of biotech to change the world.

About the role
Reporting to the Manufacturing Lead, the Process Development Specialist will serve as the critical bridge between our R&D (Protein) and Manufacturing teams. Acting as the owner of technical transfer, you will take validated targets from the bench and rigorously adapt them for large-scale production. This is a highly integrated role that requires you to speak both the exploratory language of R&D and the structured, regulatory language of GMP manufacturing.

This role will own:

* Leading the scale-up and at-scale process development for new recombinant protein products.

* Owning the technical transfer of projects from R&D to Manufacturing, ensuring a seamless handoff.

* Drafting, optimizing, and validating SOPs and Batch Records to ensure reproducibility and compliance.

* Establishing Process Development as a distinct function within the Manufacturing department, creating the standards that separate R&D workflows from Manufacturing workflows.

* Shifting seamlessly between R&D and Manufacturing environments to assist with purification runs and troubleshoot issues as they arise.

This role will assist by:

* Collaborating with the Protein team on early-stage protocol development to ensure future scalability.

* Independently troubleshooting issues during purification runs, addressing both scientific deviations and mechanical equipment issues.

* Providing technical feedback to the R&D team to improve the “manufacturability” of upstream targets.

* Increasing the overall capacity of the Manufacturing team by resolving scale-up challenges before they reach the production floor.

This role requires deep technical expertise in protein purification and a builder’s mindset. You will be an individual contributor initially, expected to work independently with minimal training, but your impact will be heavily cross-functional. We are looking for someone who understands that a great process is necessary to make a great product, and who has the discipline to document that process to a high standard.

About you
You are a bridge-builder who thrives at the intersection of innovation and standardization. You are meticulous in your documentation, understanding that in a scaling biotech environment, if it isn’t written down, it didn’t happen. You are technically autonomous—capable of troubleshooting a chromatography skid one moment and editing a batch record the next. You don’t just execute processes, you refine them, looking for ways to make the complex simple and the manual scalable. You are comfortable with ambiguity and eager to define the rules of a new function within our Manufacturing department.

Must-haves

* Deep expertise in protein chromatography at both bench and production scales, with an understanding of scale-up mechanics.

* Proven experience drafting, verifying, and using SOPs and Batch Records in a regulated environment.

* Ability to independently troubleshoot purification runs, including diagnosing both technical/scientific anomalies and mechanical equipment failures.

* Strong collaborative skills with a track record of working effectively in cross-functional team environments.

Bonus points

* Experience in Pharma-related GMP environments (or similar high-compliance industries).

* R&D experience, providing an understanding of the differences between research workflows and GMP production.

Your future (with Future Fields)
This roadmap outlines the impact you’ll make as you grow with us. We’ll use this as a guide for your first year, knowing that in a fast-paced environment, we’ll adapt and evolve these goals together.

Within 1 month, you will:
Absorb the Science: Become highly familiar with Future Fields’ specific lysis and clarification protocols and get introduced to our purification systems.
Map the Landscape: Deeply understand our current product pipeline and CDMO projects, specifically identifying those nearing the transition to manufacturing.

Within 3 months, you will:
Operational Independence: Be comfortable performing purification runs independently and utilizing Benchling for data recording.
Documentation & Training: Complete all SOP reading and training on equipment and processes.
Bridge the Gap: Begin assisting the Protein team with larger-scale CDMO projects while participating in Manufacturing runs to understand the downstream constraints.
Build the Framework: Begin drafting SOPs and Batch Records as required for new products.

Within 6 months, you will:
Drive Tech Transfer: Actively participate in and lead tech transfer activities, initiating meetings with the Protein team to define ordering specs and process parameters for specific CDMO projects.
Facilitate Flow: Manage the communication flow with Manufacturing regarding when and how products will be transferred, while assisting both teams with runs during peak periods.

Within 1 year, you will:
Define the Function: Formally establish and define the role of the Process Development function, providing clear, documented criteria for when a product must transfer from Protein to PD, and from PD to Manufacturing.
Unlock Capacity: Successfully increase the capacity of the Protein team by accepting target handoffs sooner, and increase Manufacturing capacity by delivering robust, pre-troubleshot protocols.

About our team
Our story and approach to science are anything but conventional. Matt (co-founder/CEO) was a touring punk rock musician who dropped out of University before returning to complete his PhD in cell biology. Jalene (co-founder/COO) is a social researcher by training, previously working on issues from the right to affordable housing to harm reduction. The spark of an idea for our technology came while waiting in line for tiny, Canadian donuts. Our broader team of scientists, engineers, circus performers, restaurateurs, dancers, music aficionados, kid parents, pet parents, cyclists, and artists hail from every corner of the world – from small town Alberta to Poland, India, Vietnam and Pakistan. We credit our diverse team and experiences as the key to our success – and we encourage candidates of all identities and backgrounds to apply.

Compensation

$65,000.00 – $75,000.00 per year