CALS- Technician III- Food Science Department- Geneva Agritech

Prior experience in a laboratory setting.

Prior knowledge of safety protocols in a lab setting and proper waste handling.

Familiarity with biochemistry, biotechnology, microbiology, and industrial fermentation processes.

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Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1. To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions we also offer two additional floating holidays. Learn more about our generous leave provisions:

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While position responsibilities vary greatly, the Skills for Success and Leadership Skills for Success are foundational to what is expected of every employee and leader working at Cornell.  These skills are essential for individual and organizational success.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is a pioneer of purpose-driven science and Cornell University’s second largest college. We work across disciplines to tackle the challenges of our time through world-renowned research, education, and outreach. The questions we probe and the answers we seek focus on three overlapping concerns: We believe that achieving next-generation scientific breakthroughs requires an understanding of the world’s complex, interlocking systems. We believe that access to nutritious food and a healthy environment is a fundamental human right. We believe that ensuring a prosperous global future depends on the ability to support local people and communities everywhere. By working in and across multiple scientific areas, CALS can address challenges and opportunities of the greatest relevance, here in New York, across the nation, and around the world.

The Cornell Fermentation Farming Lab (CFFL) provides comprehensive assistance to research and extensions programs at Cornell as well as to entrepreneurs focused on using fermentation processes to produce foods and food ingredients. The CFFL offers services, access to facilities and equipment, and research development opportunities in precision and biomass fermentation processes, including microbial culture identification, development and maintenance, fermentation optimization and downstream processing at laboratory and pilot scale. The CFFL is jointly supported by the New York State Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture at Cornell AgriTech, the Cornell Food Venture Center and by fermentation services provided by Cornell-affiliated and external entities.

The New York State Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture at Cornell AgriTech (CoE) is committed to improving people's lives and livelihoods by growing New York's vibrant food and agriculture economy statewide and supporting innovation and leadership in those sectors. The CoE is an economic development hub for the state's food, beverage and agriculture industries. The CoE cultivates business growth and job creation opportunities by connecting businesses and entrepreneurs to the resources they need to scale and thrive. The strategy and goal are to push entrepreneurs and startups to commercialize new innovations; pull food, beverage and agriculture-related businesses to locate in New York; and grow existing food, beverage and agriculture-related businesses.

The Cornell Food Venture Center (CFVC), provides comprehensive assistance to establish and beginning food entrepreneurs, thus promoting sustainable economic development of rural communities.  The CFVC offers services, outreach and research development opportunities in business and product process development, product safety, process/product technology transfer and product commercialization.  The CFVC responds to over 5,000 inquiries for assistance annually and assists food processors and entrepreneurs that require safety evaluations of over 3000 specialty products for commercial production. Through the Seneca Foods Foundation Pilot Plant, the CFVC also provides extensive support for internal and external stakeholders in product and process development and scaling up.

The Program Technician III position supports the operational, analytical, and technical functions of the Cornell Fermentation Farming Lab, with additional support to the Cornell Food Venture Center and Seneca Foods Foundation Pilot Plant. The position enables laboratory- and pilot-scale fermentation services by maintaining laboratory systems, preparing and monitoring microbial cultivation processes, supporting downstream processing activities, conducting routine analytical testing, maintaining accurate records, and assisting with reports for internal and external stakeholders. This role is essential to the CFFL’s ability to deliver reliable fermentation research, extension, product development, and client-service activities at Cornell AgriTech.

The Technician III will work under the supervision of the Associate Director of the CFFL to provide laboratory and analytical support for the internal and external clients of the CFFL, Seneca Food Foundation Pilot Plant (SFFPP), and the Cornell Food Venture Center (CFVC). Primary activities involve maintaining and organizing laboratory records, materials, tools, equipment and reagents; perform basic literature review on topics related to ongoing projects; isolate, cultivate and identify microorganisms of interest and maintain culture collections; cultivate microorganisms in batch and continuous processes, perform analyses related to microbial cultivations, including pH, acidity, liquid and gas chromatography; prepare and monitor fermentation processes in laboratory bench scale and pilot scale; develop and execute downstream processing at bench and pilot scale. On as as-needed basis, the Technician III will provide support for routine analytical activities at the CFVC, including testing food samples for pH, water activity, Brix, solid content and perform the filing and communication related to these activities. The Technician III will also support pilot scale fermentation activities (and other operations as necessary) at the SFFPP.