Job Description Summary: As the Fermentation Specialist, you will provide scientific expertise, leadership, and support in the areas of microbiology, yeast, and fermentation. You will be Green Plains' expert on fermentation across 11 bioprocessing facilities. In this role, you will be working with members of the Operations, Research, and Quality Control teams at Green Plains to drive improvements in all aspects of fermentation. In this position, you will also analyze data and plant metrics across the platform to make data-driven decisions and communicate to leaders at our corporate headquarters and bioprocessing facilities.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Establish optimized fermentation conditions for enhanced yeast health.
• Provide leadership and expertise to the facilities regarding optimization of yeast propagation, yeast handling, yeast storage practices, plant hygiene, and microbiology initiatives.
• Assist with vendor relationships to help manage new product trials, commercial product usage forecasts, logistical opportunities, etc.
• Partner with business colleagues to identify, troubleshoot and evaluate new technologies while maintaining awareness of the external landscape for biotechnology R&D.
• Communicate experimental outcomes in reports and presentations, to provide recommendations for future work.
• Create technical work plans for complex fermentation and downstream processing experiments at lab or pilot scale.
• Conduct or coordinate experiments with a high level of excellence to ensure precise and accurate data.
• Process, analyze and interpret complex data to support sound conclusions.
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• BS or higher degree in microbiology, chemistry, or related field is preferred
• Proven years of relevant experience
• Strong data-based decision-making skills
• Ability to collaborate between multiple business units
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Ability to embrace change in the workplace
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing
• Ability to understand technical and day-to-day operations of a bioprocessing facility
• Basic proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to learn new programs

Work Environment/Physical Demands:

• This position operates in an office environment working at a personal computer where you may sit or stand.
• Specific physical requirements may include:
  • Climbing several flights of stairs and ladders.
  • Wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
  • Traveling 25-35% of the time
  • Valid driver’s license and regular travel to plant locations required
  • Ability to work after hours/weekends and on-call as needed
  • Ability to meet physical demands of the job includes but is not limited to: frequent sitting, standing, frequent computer use, frequent telephone use, some lifting or moving up to 10 lbs.

Green Plains Inc. offers competitive pay: a generous benefit package including business casual work environment, health, dental, vision, life insurance, paid holidays, Paid Time Off (PTO) and a 401(k) retirement plan with immediate vesting and company safe harbor matching. All potential employees of Green Plains Inc. will be required to successfully pass a pre-employment drug screening and background check prior to employment.

Equal Opportunity Employer

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Other duties may be assigned.

Company Description
Green Plains Inc. (NASDAQ:GPRE) is a leading biorefining company focused on the development and utilization of fermentation, agricultural and biological technologies in the processing of annually renewable crops into sustainable value-added ingredients. This includes the production of cleaner low carbon biofuels, renewable feedstocks for advanced biofuels and high purity alcohols for use in cleaners and disinfectants. Green Plains is an innovative producer of Ultra-High Protein and novel ingredients for animal and aquaculture diets to help satisfy a growing global appetite for sustainable protein. The Company also owns a 48.9% limited partner interest and a 2.0% general partner interest in Green Plains Partners LP.