CAPEX & Engineering Lead — Industrial Fermentation

Recrutis is supporting one of its clients, a fast-growing Swiss biomanufacturing scale-up in industrial fermentation and alternative proteins, in the search for a CAPEX & Engineering Lead, based in the Lake Geneva region (canton of Vaud), on a permanent contract.

Why this role

A genuinely hands-on, touch-everything role — not a pure management role. We need someone who understands fermentation from the inside out: the process, the equipment, the engineering decisions that make or break a plant.

You own end-to-end CAPEX projects, from early design (FEL) through engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCM), in a start-up environment with high autonomy and direct contact with the founding and engineering teams.

Key information

Location: Lake Geneva region (canton of Vaud), with regular presence at the production site in the canton of Bern; mobility between sites is part of the role.

Contract: permanent position (CDI), direct with the company.

Start: as soon as possible.

Environment: non-GMP industrial fermentation / food-grade production.

Project scale: multi-million CHF CAPEX projects ( 5–10 M range).

Seniority: around 10 years of relevant experience.

Languages: English mandatory; German a strong asset.

Scope

Own CAPEX projects end-to-end: FEL early design, engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCM model).

Take hands-on technical ownership of engineering decisions, from process to equipment selection.

Manage building and construction permits, external partners, EPCM contractors, and internal teams.

Drive process optimization and plant expansion.

Keep tight control over budget, timelines, and risk, and ensure compliance with safety, regulatory, and food-grade standards.

Profile — Required criteria (knockout)

Around 10 years in bioprocess or fermentation engineering, with hands-on plant design, scale-up, and commissioning.

A deep understanding of the fermentation process — what happens inside the bioreactor, not just around it — including process design and equipment selection.

Full project lifecycle experience (FEL-based execution) and familiarity with EPCM delivery models.

English at professional working level (mandatory).

Availability for mobility between the Lake Geneva region and the canton of Bern.

Strong assets — Differentiators

A technical background in fermentation-based processes — ideally dairy, cheese-making, brewing, or comparable.

CAPEX project ownership on large-scale industrial projects.

Experience handling building and construction permits.

German language skills; comfort in a scale-up / industrial start-up environment.

Process — Confidential recruitment process. Response within 48 hours for applications meeting required criteria. Active mandate, priority review.

Keywords — CAPEX, engineering lead, fermentation, bioprocess, plant design, scale-up, commissioning, FEL, EPCM, food-grade, industrial start-up, Vaud, Switzerland

Fabrice Cattant — Founder, Recrutis | Expert & Executive Search in Life Sciences