Pilot Line Supervisor

About us

NoPalm Ingredients produces yeast oils & fats, made from agri-food waste streams that are perfect substitutes to palm and other vegetable oils in food, cosmetics, and home care products. Our products offer a two-sided solution that reduces both the use of palm oil and food waste.

Founded in 2021, NoPalm Ingredients is on a mission to challenge companies and product manufacturers to implement our local, circular, and sustainable oils as an alternative to palm oil.

By upcycling agri-food side streams into circular yeast oils, we are making a worldwide environmental impact, contributing to a waste-free world, decarbonizing the entire value chain with 90% less greenhouse gas emissions, and limiting the impact on natural habitats as we reduce land-use by 99%.

About the role

As Pilot Line Supervisor, you will play a key role in supporting R&D, engineering, and business development by developing and validating NoPalm’s technology and products. You will lead a small team of pilot line operators and be responsible for executing both upstream (USP) and downstream (DSP) pilot line activities at our facility. This role combines hands-on operational work with leadership responsibilities, driving cross-functional collaboration across R&D and business & production environments.

The main focus of the role:      

Pilot Operations & Planning

• Schedule, coordinate, and execute pilot runs (both in batch and continuous modes) including media prep, sterilization/SIP/, inoculation, monitoring, and harvest, followed by DSP (solid liquid separation).

• Own short-term runs planning (weekly/daily), resource allocation, materials/consumables inventory, and maintenance coordination.

• Translate experimental plans from R&D into robust pilot run plans (SOPs, checklists, sampling plans).

• Own readiness of pilot equipment: bioreactors, pumps, sensors, centrifuge/filters,  etc.

• Coordinate preventive maintenance and basic troubleshooting; escalate to vendors as needed.

Fermentation & DSP Execution

• Operate bioreactors  (control of DO, pH, temperature, agitation, feed strategies) and capture high-quality process data (online/offline analytics).

• Operate DSP equipment (such as centrifuge, filtration,  drying a.o) and in-process QC, adapting to development needs.

Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Enforce EH&S standards (chemical/biological safety, confined space, pressure/vessel safety) and maintain SOPs, deviation logs, equipment logs, calibration, change control.

• Ensure traceability (batch records, materials, operators, equipment status) (audits, QA etc)

• Maintain accurate batch records, logbooks, cleaning logs, calibration records, and electronic data repositories.

• Write and update SOPs, one-point lessons; generate concise run summaries and post-run reviews with recommended next steps

People Leadership

• Coach and supervise 2-3 operators: task assignment, skills development, performance feedback, shift coverage, culture of accountability and safety.

• Conduct stand-ups, clarify priorities, and remove blockers; foster open communication with R&D scientists, analytical and lab team and process engineers.

About you

You are a proactive and self-motivated individual who thrives in collaborative team settings, while leading others effectively. You are able to integrate scientific methodologies with practical, hands-on execution in a pilot-line environment, ensuring reliable scale-up and high-quality process performance. Your meticulous attention to detail ensures high-quality results in all your work. You have strong organizational skills and are able to set priorities effectively. You have a genuine passion for the foodtech industry and sustainability, driving you to contribute meaningfully to our mission.

More specifically, we are looking for someone who has: 

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Bioprocess Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, or related field (or equivalent experience).

• 3–5 years hands-on experience operating pilot-scale aerobic fermentations with DSP in an industrial or advanced academic setting.

• Demonstrated experience supervising operators /technicians and running small, agile teams.

• Practical knowledge of bioreactor control (DO, pH, feed strategies), aseptic technique, sterilization, and downstream unit operations.

• Strong documentation discipline; familiarity with ISO 9001/14001, HACCP, or similar quality frameworks is a plus.

• Strong communication skills, collaborative mindset & stakeholder awareness

 We value diversity and believe that our team's unique perspectives and experiences makes us stronger. While we may have listed specific requirements for this role, we encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. We are looking for individuals who are passionate, driven, and excited about the opportunity to join us on our mission. Don't let a lack of exact qualifications hold you back from applying - we are excited to learn more about you and what you can bring to the table! 

What's in it for you?

• Being part of a fast-growing purpose-driven start-up where you can make an impact from day 1

• Competitive salary

• Participation in our Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) plan

• 25 days of vacation allowance

• Commuting allowance

• Pension plan

• Flexibility in working from home / working in the office

• Team outings and monthly get-together’s

• Great coffee