Symbl is a University of Toronto spinout turning dairy waste into a sustainable replacement for palm-derived ingredients (medium chain fatty acids; MCFAs) used in food, animal feed, personal care and industrial chemicals.

We are a small, founder-led team of chemical engineers and synthetic biologists, backed by Ontario Genomics and the University of Toronto.

The role

You will be a full-time bioprocess technician leading day-to-day operation of a 100 L pilot bioreactor. The system will be installed in our lab space at the University of Toronto.

No professional engineering designation is required; we care most about hands-on bioreactor experience, curiosity, and a get-things-done attitude. We are looking for a highly-driven problem solver who shares our passion for deploying biology as a tool for energy efficient, circular, and decentralized production systems.

As an early member of our team, you will be working closely with the founding team of experts in anaerobic biotechnology, and you can expect lots of visibility into the day-to-day development of a university spinout company. Start date in December 2026 or January 2027 (flexible).

Responsibilities

Pilot operation

- Commissioning and operation of 100 L anaerobic bioreactor
- Operate and maintain filtration and extraction units for product recovery
- Maintain lab inventory, order supplies and keep the lab safe and compliant (WHMIS, biosafety)

Analytics and data

- Analysis of fermentation samples via GC and HPLC




- Record process data accurately and maintain an organized electronic lab notebook
- Summarize results for the technical team and help plan the next experimental campaign

Qualifications

Required

- College diploma or bachelor's degree in bioprocess technology, chemical engineering, chemical engineering technology, biotechnology, microbiology, chemistry or a related field
- Hands-on experience operating bench top fermentation systems
- Comfort with aseptic technique, culture handling and routine lab analytics
- Detailed record keeping and comfort working with process data in Excel or similar tools
- Legally eligible to work in Canada

Nice to have

- Experience with GC or HPLC method operation and troubleshooting
- Exposure to membrane filtration, solvent extraction or downstream processing
- Experience with anaerobic microbiology, anaerobic fermentation/digestion or wastewater treatment
- Basic Python or R for data analysis

What we offer

- Market-competitive salary commensurate with experience
- Ownership of a first-of-its-kind pilot system and a direct line to our commercial scale-up
- Mentorship from founders with PhD and M.A.Sc. backgrounds in chemical engineering and synthetic biology and a clear growth path as the team expands

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Symbl is an equal chance employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and will provide accommodations throughout the hiring process on request.

📌 Bioprocess engineer/technician (Toronto)
🏢 BioTalent Canada
📍 Toronto