Vestaron is a company dedicated to improving the safety, efficacy and sustainability of crop protection through migration from synthetic pesticides to peptide-based biopesticides.  Vestaron is initially focused on a class of peptides that kill insect pests efficiently, but are safe for humans, beneficial insects and the environment. As part of this, the company has developed a proprietary platform for peptide optimization, fermentation-based peptide production and in planta expression that will allow it to develop a wide variety of biologic crop protection and trait solutions. Vestaron is the winner of the inaugural 2015 Bernard Blum Award for novel biocontrol solutions.

The Opportunity:

Vestaron is currently recruiting a Process Engineer Intern to join our Process Engineer team in Durham, NC for May through August 2024 with the possibility of extending to a part-time role during the school year. The intern is expected to work 30 hours per week during the academic summer and 15-30 hours per week during the school year if the position is extended. The Process Engineer Intern will be primarily responsible for conducting experiments with lab-scale equipment to support optimization of production-scale manufacturing of Vestaron’s novel agricultural products and helping to commission a newly built process engineering lab.

The Process Engineer Intern position requires a demonstrated interest in process engineering, excellent analytical and math skills, and the proven ability to solve problems. To be successful in this role, the intern must provide technical support and practical solutions to challenges in fermentation, liquid downstream processing, and drying.  In addition to technical skills, the intern must be able to effectively communicate with colleagues of various backgrounds. We are looking for a driven individual who thrives in a dynamic environment.  A successful candidate is a self-starter with an eye for detail and process improvements.


Responsibilities:

• Perform lab-scale filtration and separation trials to optimize the downstream process
• Execute experiments using common laboratory techniques and equipment
• Operate lab-scale evaporator and pilot-scale dryer to improve the current manufacturing process
• Utilize data from experiments to generate cost-savings analysis
• Help to bring a new lab online by commissioning various lab-scale equipment, organizing equipment and materials, and implementing a maintenance plan
• Organize and analyze manufacturing data to identify ways to improve yields in production
• Create and maintain quality documentation including SOPs and work instructions
• Foster positive relationships with colleagues

• Currently enrolled in a North Carolina college or university, pursuing a degree in Chemical, Biological, Bioprocessing, or Food Process Engineering, or similar field
• Understanding of fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and mass transfer and the use of these fundamentals in solving problems
• Comfortable working within a small, dynamic, collaborative team, passionate about changing the biopesticide space
• Must have good communication, interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and time-management skills

• Ability to lift/manipulate 50 pounds
• Ability to stand for 8 hours per day
• This position requires the intern to physically be onsite at Vestaron’s Durham, NC location; the intern must have the ability to reliably commute to the facility

• Experience with a related project, lab work, or previous internship
• Basic understanding of fermentation, tangential and depth filtration, and dry processing
• Experience with design of experiments, statistical analysis, and modeling
• GPA of 3.0 or higher

An Equal Opportunity Employer
Vestaron is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions at Vestaron are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.