About the company
Fieldstone Bio is an early-stage synthetic biology company focused on environmental monitoring. Our technology, which originated at MIT, combines microbiology, synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, and advanced imagery to solve key challenges in mining, pollution surveillance, and national security.

Position summary
Fieldstone Bio is looking for a highly motivated Scientist to join our Reno, Nevada, Assay Team, where they will work to routinely run established assays for the identification of different metals in mining samples. The successful candidate will independently contribute to sample inventory management and spearhead the execution of established SOP workflows. This is a hands-on, lab-based role that will play a critical role in processing samples and delivering data to customers. This role is an opportunity to independently lead the execution of mining-sample workflow processing. This position will lead the development of Fieldstone’s presence in Reno, Nevada by supporting facility expansions and assay method optimization. The person in this role will report to the Head of Microbiology.

Key Responsibilities:

• Receipt and organization of mining samples
• Registration of materials for assay execution
• Execute cell-based assays to screen for the presence of different metals in mining samples
• Actively provide feedback on processes and offer solutions for methodology improvements
• Preparation of assay working materials needed for each week
• Work collaboratively with the AI Data Team to register and collect data for robust documentation practices
• Ensure timely delivery of goals for set milestones
• Document processes, results, and entity registration in an Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) system

Qualifications:

• PhD (or equivalent) in Microbiology, Bioengineering, Molecular Biology, or a related field
• 1+ years’ of experience with assay execution (prior industry experience is strongly preferred)
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Diligent record keeper
• Thrives in a fast-paced lab environment
• Thrives working independently
• Some travel to the Woburn, MA office is expected

Fieldstone Bio is committed to building a diverse and inclusive environment. All applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability.

Why choose between doing meaningful work and having a fulfilling life? At MITRE, you can have both. That’s because MITRE people are committed to tackling our nation’s toughest challenges—and we’re committed to the long-term well-being of our employees. MITRE is different from most technology companies. We are a not-for-profit corporation chartered to work for the public interest, with no commercial conflicts to influence what we do. The R&D centers we operate for the government create lasting impact in fields as diverse as cybersecurity, healthcare, aviation, defense, and enterprise transformation. We’re making a difference every day—working for a safer, healthier, and more secure nation and world. Our workplace reflects our values. We offer competitive benefits, exceptional professional development opportunities for career growth, and a culture of innovation that embraces adaptability, collaboration, technical excellence, and people in partnership. If this sounds like the choice you want to make, then choose MITRE – and make a difference with us.

Department Summary:

MITREs Biotechnology and Life Sciences Department is a mission-focused scientific department dedicated to advancing pharmaceutical solutions that support U.S. defense and public health preparedness objectives. The department provides technical expertise accelerate the delivery of safe, effective Medical Countermeasures and ensure resilient pharmaceutical supply chains. Working across multidisciplinary teams, we support rapid development, technical problem-solving, and transition of drug products to meet operational, emergency response, and national security needs.

Roles & Responsibilities:

We are seeking an experienced Senior Pharmaceutical Scientist to lead the development of small molecule drug products supporting advanced research, development, manufacturing, and lifecycle management activities. This role will provide technical and strategic leadership across formulation development, process development, analytical characterization, manufacturing support, and supply chain resilience for orally delivered, injectable, topical, or other small molecule prophylactic and therapeutic products. The ideal candidate will bring expertise in small molecule pharmaceutical development and experience supporting Medical Countermeasures programs aligned with the mission needs of the U.S. Government, including candidate assessment, preclinical development, clinical-stage development (including under the animal rule), manufacturing, and transition to sustainment of products intended to address operational, emergency preparedness, and national security requirements.

• Develop and evaluate technical and programmatic strategies for developing small molecule pharmaceutical products from preformulation through clinical and commercial readiness
• Provide subject matter expertise related to formulation development, excipient compatibility, process scale-up and optimization, stability, dissolution, bioavailability, manufacturability, quality, and analytical method development for small molecule drug candidates
• Support development of pharmaceutical products intended to meet Medical Countermeasures needs of the U.S. Department of War, including products relevant to force health protection, emergency response, and operational readiness
• Investigate supply chain dependencies, bottlenecks, and chokepoints to inform U.S. strategies and programs to establish and sustain resilient pharmaceutical supply chains.
• Provide technical leadership for drug product development activities involving tablets, capsules, suspensions, solutions, lyophilized products, injectables, or other small molecule dosage forms including combination products
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in R&D, manufacturing, quality, regulatory, clinical, and program management to advance small molecule development programs
• Identify, assess, and develop mitigation strategies for technical, business, and programmatic risks to medical countermeasure development
• Analyze complex data to support formulation selection, process robustness, product quality, and shelf-life determination
• Author and review technical reports, development plans, study protocols, specifications, validation documents, deviation investigations, and regulatory submission content
• Support scale-up, process transfer, and manufacturing readiness activities for pilot, clinical, and commercial production
• Ensure work is conducted in compliance with applicable regulatory and quality standards, including cGMP, GLP, FDA regulations and guidance, and ICH guidelines
• Serve as a trusted advisor to U.S. Government Sponsors.
• Monitor scientific, regulatory, and industry trends relevant to small molecule therapeutics, pharmaceutical technologies, and defense-focused Medical Countermeasures programs

Basic Qualifications:

• MS + 5 years of experience or Ph.D. +3 years of experience in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutics, or related scientific field
• 3-5 years of experience in small molecule pharmaceutical development, drug product development, or related CMC functions
• Strong expertise in formulation development, preformulation, analytical characterization, and process development for small molecule products
• Experience with one or more dosage forms such as oral solids, sterile injectables, liquids, semi-solids, or modified-release systems
• Demonstrated experience leading complex development programs and working across multidisciplinary teams
• Strong understanding of cGMP, FDA regulatory expectations, ICH guidelines, and pharmaceutical quality systems
• Excellent technical writing, data interpretation, problem-solving, and communication skills
• Eligibility for a collateral Secret security clearance
• Per the U.S. Government’s eligibility requirements, you must be a U.S Citizen to be considered for a security clearance.
• This position requires a minimum of 50% hybrid on-site

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear defense, epidemic response, or emergency preparedness medical countermeasure development programs
• Experience with government-sponsored development environments, including collaboration with defense, public health, or federal R&D stakeholders
• Experience supporting IND, NDA, or other regulatory submissions
• Regulatory Affairs Certification (RAC) from the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS)
• Knowledge of technology transfer, process validation, and manufacturing support in a regulated environment
• Experience with rapid development timelines, product shelf-life extension strategies, or deployment-oriented pharmaceutical requirements
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, matrixed, mission-driven environment

This requisition requires the candidate to have a minimum of the following clearance(s):

None

This requisition requires the hired candidate to have or obtain, within one year from the date of hire, the following clearance(s):

Secret

Salary compensation range and midpoint:

$119,500 – $149,500 – $179,500 Annual

Work Location Type:

Hybrid

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local or international law.

MITRE intends to maintain a website that is fully accessible to all individuals. If you are unable to search or apply for jobs and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of MITRE’s employment process, please email recruitinghelp@mitre.org for general support and collegerecruiting@mitre.org for intern positions. This service is for individuals requiring reasonable accommodation requests. Please note that vendor solicitations will not receive a reply.

Why choose between doing meaningful work and having a fulfilling life? At MITRE, you can have both. That’s because MITRE people are committed to tackling our nation’s toughest challenges—and we’re committed to the long-term well-being of our employees. MITRE is different from most technology companies. We are a not-for-profit corporation chartered to work for the public interest, with no commercial conflicts to influence what we do. The R&D centers we operate for the government create lasting impact in fields as diverse as cybersecurity, healthcare, aviation, defense, and enterprise transformation. We’re making a difference every day—working for a safer, healthier, and more secure nation and world. Our workplace reflects our values. We offer competitive benefits, exceptional professional development opportunities for career growth, and a culture of innovation that embraces adaptability, collaboration, technical excellence, and people in partnership. If this sounds like the choice you want to make, then choose MITRE – and make a difference with us.

Department Summary:

MITRE’s Biotechnology and Life Sciences Department is a mission-focused scientific department that brings multidisciplinary life science, engineering, analytic, and national security expertise to help government sponsors address complex biological threats and strengthen U.S. preparedness. The department supports mission needs in biodefense, biosecurity, CBRN/WMD defense, medical countermeasures, biosurveillance, health security, and the responsible application and advancement of emerging biotechnology.

Roles & Responsibilities:

We are seeking an experienced Senior Biodefense and Biosecurity Scientist with an active TS/SCI clearance to provide technical and strategic leadership across sensitive national security missions. The selected candidate will work with multidisciplinary teams and government sponsors to evaluate biological risks, strengthen preparedness, and develop actionable solutions. The ideal candidate will apply technical knowledge, systems-level thinking, and multidisciplinary approaches to address complex national biodefense challenges. Additional roles and responsibilities include:

• Serve as a lead subject matter expert and trusted advisor on biodefense, biosecurity, biorisk management, biosurveillance, and biological threat preparedness for government sponsors.
• Lead technical assessments of biological threats, emerging biotechnology, dual-use risks, system vulnerabilities, and preparedness gaps.
• Develop actionable technical, operational, and policy recommendations that help sponsors prevent, detect, and respond to biological incidents.
• Design and facilitate analyses, workshops, tabletop exercises, decision-support products, and strategic reviews that support sponsor planning and decision-making for complex biodefense and biosecurity challenges.
• Engage across government, industry, academia, and MITRE to identify emerging risks, mature technical approaches, and transition solutions to mission use.
• Author and brief technical reports, white papers, strategic assessments, and senior-leader briefings in classified and unclassified settings.
• Mentor technical staff, contribute to work-shaping, and help grow MITRE’s biodefense work program.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, microbiology, molecular biology, bioengineering, public health, biodefense, biosecurity, or a related field with a minimum of 5 years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Demonstrated experience in biodefense, biosecurity, biorisk management, biosurveillance, health security, CBRN/WMD defense, biological threat reduction, or related national security mission areas.
• Experience assessing biological threats, emerging biotechnology capabilities, vulnerabilities, or preparedness gaps and translating findings into sponsor-ready recommendations.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary technical efforts and engaging senior government, defense, public health, academic, industry, or interagency stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience producing briefings, technical reports, policy recommendations, and strategic assessments for senior decision-makers.
• Active TS/SCI clearance at time of hire; ability to maintain TS/SCI access.
• Per the U.S. Government’s eligibility requirements, you must be a U.S Citizen to be considered for a security clearance.
• This position requires a minimum of 4 days a week on-site.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree, PhD, MD, or equivalent advanced degree in a relevant scientific or public health discipline.
• 7+ years of experience supporting biodefense, biosecurity, biological threat assessment, CBRN/WMD defense, or related national security programs.
• Extensive knowledge of established and emerging techniques for characterizing biological organisms including both computational and laboratory methods and spanning areas such as genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and related analytical approaches.
• Strong familiarity with modern biotechnology techniques across fields including synthetic biology, biosurveillance, bioinformatics, and bio-AI modeling and design tools.
• Experience supporting federal national security, defense, intelligence, homeland security, and/or interagency biodefense sponsors in classified environments.
• Experience conducting intelligence-informed biological threat assessments or supporting sensitive sponsor engagements involving biological threats, emerging biotechnology, or biorisk management.
• Experience designing tabletop exercises, operational analyses, strategies, concepts of operation, roadmaps, and/or investment plans for biological preparedness and response.
• Demonstrated ability to develop new work, lead task teams, mentor staff, and collaborate across scientific, technical, operational, and policy disciplines.
• Familiarity with the application of AI techniques to biotechnology, assessing the risks AI/Bio poses, or potential applications of AI in the national security space.

This requisition requires the candidate to have a minimum of the following clearance(s):

Top Secret/SCI

This requisition requires the hired candidate to have or obtain, within one year from the date of hire, the following clearance(s):

Top Secret/SCI

Salary compensation range and midpoint:

$119,500 – $149,500 – $179,500 Annual

Work Location Type:

Onsite

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local or international law.

MITRE intends to maintain a website that is fully accessible to all individuals. If you are unable to search or apply for jobs and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of MITRE’s employment process, please email recruitinghelp@mitre.org for general support and collegerecruiting@mitre.org for intern positions. This service is for individuals requiring reasonable accommodation requests. Please note that vendor solicitations will not receive a reply.