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About us

Fashion is responsible for 35% of the global microplastic pollution and 4-8% of global carbon emissions – 70% of which comes from raw materials.

Smobya is a young, venture-backed startup creating plastic-free, nanocellulose based biomaterials with the purpose of reducing pollution and emissions across the fashion, automotive and interior design industries.

We are a small but dynamically growing team of innovators with no smaller ambitions than to create the best biobased textiles in terms of quality, impact, cost and performance. Join us and be part of building an exponentially better future.

Open Roles

At Smobya, we are fostering a culture centered on innovation and people, embracing agile, action-oriented individuals with a knack for problem-solving. We are committed to building a team that highly values clear and frank communication, prioritizes continuous learning and improvement, and cultivates a genuinely happy and thriving workplace. Sometimes, the timing of hiring and the availability of the best candidates do not match. If you feel like we are a great fit, but do not see an open position right now, we still strongly encourage you to apply through our general application form.

Biotechnologist – Fermentation & Biofabrication Lead

R&D team, Team lead Budapest, Venlo (Limburg area) Full time

About Smobya

At Smobya we developed a tuneable pilot fermentation technology, a material platform to provide solutions across industries, and shift how bio-based materials can flourish instead of plastic and petroleum derived options.

We started in 2022, since then, we’ve built a one of a kind pilot system, started to work with customers, and secured initial funding.

Our next stage is to expand our pilot system to a demo plant.

We’re a small team of 5, now growing to 8. And we’re looking for someone, who can take on the biotech core of what we do and help shape Smobya as we grow to hit our next milestones together.

 

The Role

You’ll work on leading our fermentation and biofabrication efforts, helping develop and scale our bacterial cellulose pilot system to a demo plant. 

You’ll work closely with our cofounders, R&D team, and technicians and you’ll be collaborating with our supply chain partners, strategic partners, and early customers as we work on meeting material specifications or refine and trial for new applications of our bacterial cellulose.

 

We’re looking for someone who can think across systems, work hands-on, and communicate clearly with teammates, partners, and investors too. Someone who can set and meet timelines, collaborates well, and enjoys taking initiative. We are looking for you if personal and professional growth is important for you, as our (not-so-secret) goal is to outperform on our milestones.

 

What You’ll Be Doing

  • Leading fermentation process development for bacterial cellulose systems
  • Optimising growth parameters for yield, consistency, and performance
  • Running experiments across lab, pilot, and demo scale systems
  • Working towards process scaling with a data-driven decision-making
  • Collaborating with materials and product teams to link bio-process to end-use
  • Working with external partners (suppliers, customers, advisors) to iterate and adapt the technology to new use cases
  • Continue our journey on building internal best practices for transparency, documentation, and process timelines
  • Follow and continue building our IP portfolio as per IP strategy and company goals

What We’re Looking For from You

  • Experience with industrial or pilot-scale fermentation systems
  • Understanding of bioreactor design, continuous culture systems
  • Knowledge of material science and nanoscale biomaterials (e.g., bacterial cellulose) would be an advantage
  • Strong process optimization skills with a techno-economic perspective
  • A background in biotechnology, microbiology, bioprocess engineering or a related field is a must
  • Comfort working in fast-paced environments requiring creativity (ideally startup or fast paced R&D)
  • Excellent communication skills, transparent, timeline-driven, and able to translate complex science across disciplines
  • A mission-driven mindset: you care about impact, sustainability, and building for the long term
  • You are ambitious and you have what it takes to build and manage teams.
  • You are a curious researcher at heart and don’t shy away from hands-on experiments in the lab when needed.

Why Smobya

This is a rare opportunity to help build something meaningful from the ground up - as an early team member, and shaping the culture and future of Smobya. We're at an inflection point, scaling from pilot to demo, and proving our platform's potential in the industry.

We’re not just looking for someone who’s qualified, but someone who shares Smobya's vision, and wants to build and grow with us.

 

What We Offer

  • Competitive salary
  • Opportunity to own shares of the company
  • Direct collaboration with founders and key stakeholders
  • A chance to shape a growing, values-led biotech startup from inside
  • Challenge the status quo, challenge the industry, provide cost-competitive, efficient biotech solutions and truly shape how we manufacture materials, create an impact that will last

We are building a respectful, efficient, driven, and collaborative team culture, so if you feel you would thrive here we want you to apply

How to Apply

Apply through the form below, or send us your CV and a short note-what drives you, what you’d bring to this role, and why Smobya. 

 

Reach us at almos@smobya.com

 

Smobya is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and perspectives.

 

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General Application

Full time, Part time

Recruitment windows and the availability of great candidates do not always align. If you feel like we are a great fit, but do not see an open position right now, we still strongly encourage you to apply through this general application form.

About us

Smobya is one of the pioneering startups developing Bacterial Nanocellulose solutions for textile and upholstery applications today. We are creating clean, plastic-free bio-textiles to present commercially viable and high quality options instead of the currently used harmful materials such as plastic leather.

We are looking for people who:

  • Are passionate about working on meaningful projects that contribute to a smarter future.
  • Enjoy solving hard problems while creating innovative and useful solutions.
  • Thrive in a team environment but also have the initiative to work independently when needed.
  • Can navigate a constantly changing and evolving project

 

For more info, please see our careers page or reach out at hello@smobya.com

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Our Culture

We’re on the hunt for amazing people looking to make a real difference. Let’s face it, though – building a successful startup is all about teamwork. That’s why we need to be on the same page when it comes to our core values.

As an early stage team member, you will be influential in shaping Smobya’s culture. We’ve put together a map of behaviors that reflect what we stand for and how we work together. Take a look – if these resonate with you, chances are you’ll fit right in.

Humility
  • You are humble and open to others’ great ideas.
  • You act with good intentions, trusting your colleagues to do the same.
  • You dedicate time to help colleagues.
  • You own your mistakes and share the lessons learned.
  • You are persistent and optimistic
Problem Solving
  • You stay calm under pressure
  • You strive to reduce complexity and keep things simple.
  • You look beyond the obvious to identify underlying systemic issues.
Inclusion
  • You can collaborate with teammates from diverse backgrounds.
  • You are keen to contribute to building diverse teams where everyone feels welcome and respected.
Passion
  • You are deeply committed to the success of the company and seek what is best for Smobya.
  • You inspire others with your dedication to excellence.
  • You are enthusiastic about your work.
  • You are impact-driven, dedicated to being part of a solution to drive change and replace harmful textile and leather materials.
  • You are proud to work in climate-tech, solving challenging problems every day.
Strategic Thinking
  • You are data driven
  • You challenge the status quo and always look for better ways.
  • You prioritize long-term impacts over short-term gains.
  • You can navigate through uncertainty.
Communication & Feedback
  • You give and welcome constructive criticism at all levels and don’t take it personally.
  • You listen carefully and strive to understand before responding.
  • You only say things about colleagues that you would say to their face.
  • You engage in open debate and support open decisions.
Hunger to learn
  • You are curious and driven to expand your understanding.
  • You learn quickly and eagerly.
  • You notice patterns and connections that others miss.
Decision Making
  • You take calculated risks while being open to potential setbacks
  • You can make tough decisions and you do not overthink