WHAT DOES A PILOT DO?
Published: Nov 25, 2025 - The Pilot Professional executes safe and efficient flight operations while adhering to all regulatory standards and operational procedures. This role requires precise aircraft control, effective crew coordination, and reliable decision-making in dynamic flight environments. The individual maintains operational readiness through continuous training, disciplined adherence to safety protocols, and consistent commitment to passenger and aircraft safety.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Pilot
1. Pilot Duties
- Process Support: Support the adherent vector production platform
- Bioreactor Operations: Participate in bioreactor operations in the suspension lab including the authoring and review of protocols and data entry templates
- Harvest Operations: Assist with setup, maintenance, and operation of harvest operations (depth filtration, tangential flow filtration) as well as downstream processing
- Experiment Optimization: Support the design and execution of experiments to optimize critical scientific and engineering parameters for AAV production including cell culture growth, feed strategies, harvest, lysis, and clarification
- Pilot Support: Contribute to pilot support activities including solution preparation, raw materials procurement/inventory, and routine lab maintenance
- Team Collaboration: Work collaboratively with development and manufacturing teams to evaluate and integrate discoveries and scale-up strategies into the production process
- Data Analysis: Analyze and compare data across multiple scales
- Document Preparation: Support the generation of tech transfer documents and review manufacturing batch records
- Report Writing: Author technical reports and prepare scientific presentations
2. Pilot Plant Technician Details
- Trial Execution: Execute all sorts of trials requested by Product and Process developers
- Equipment Maintenance: Perform maintenance tasks on the equipment available
- Pilot Equipment: Responsible for handling different pilot plant equipment
- Instruction Writing: Write instructions and trial reports and communicate them internally
- Safety Compliance: Compliance with food safety requirements (FSSC22000)
3. R&D Pilot Plant Operations Leader Responsibilities
- Schedule Coordination: Collaborate with the Process R&D Leadership to define and prioritize the Pilot Plants’ schedules
- Project Scoping: Identify, scope and resource small projects for research capability development and reliability improvement needs
- Staff Onboarding: Lead hiring and “onboarding” activities for the Engineering Staff
- Skill Strategy: Work with leadership to develop a people skill-set strategy that aligns with P&SP R&D group needs
- Safety Leadership: Lead/Advocate a strong safety aptitude and culture for the group
- Cross Collaboration: Ensure the effectiveness of linkages between Engineers and collaborators in such groups as Operations, Maintenance, Process R&D, Catalysis R&D, Product R&D, TS&D and Characterization
- Safety Compliance: Manage Process Safety compliance for LPP, LOPA, Reactive Chemicals, RCPHA and EH&S integrated audits
4. Senior Pilot Research Associate Job Summary
- Media Preparation: Prepare media solutions for pilot operations
- Cell Analysis: Analysis of cells and process intermediates
- Equipment Sterilization: Cleaning and sterilization of bioprocess equipment
- Record Maintenance: Accountable for maintaining excellent record-keeping
- Equipment Commissioning: Support new process equipment commissioning
- Batch Preparation: Assist in batch record preparation and continuous improvement activities
- Issue Troubleshooting: Assist in troubleshooting and investigation of equipment, process, and quality deviations
- Task Planning: Plan and organize tasks to meet the plant schedule
- Workplace Maintenance: Maintain a clean, organized, and safe workplace
- Team Contribution: Contribute to the overall success of JUST and cultured meat products
5. R&D Pilot Plant Chemist Accountabilities
- Pilot Assistance: Assist Operators in pilot-plant processing and supervision of safety and/or quality critical chemistry
- Personnel Management: Assist in the management and safety of personnel in the R&D Pilot Plant
- Lab Troubleshooting: Carry out laboratory work during troubleshooting in the Pilot Plant
- Record Maintenance: Maintain accurate batch records and contribute towards the preparation of new batch sheets and COSHH assessments
- Operator Development: Developing Operator awareness and competency in technical aspects of routine and new processes in the Pilot Plant
- Equipment Reporting: Report and manage minor breakdowns, equipment checks and records
- Quality Delivery: Assist in ensuring that product quality, yield, time and cost requirements are delivered for all high-value routine processes
- Process Scaleup: Assisting the New Products Manager in the scale-up of new processes in the R&D Pilot Plant
- Plant Housekeeping: Ensure good housekeeping in the Pilot Plant