Senior Scientist – Early Product Development and Manufacturing

Overview

Title:

Senior Scientist – Early Product Development and Manufacturing

Location:

Macclesfield or Cambridge - UK

Salary:
Competitive

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-centred biopharmaceutical company focusing on discovering, developing, and commercialising prescription medicines for some of the world’s most serious diseases. The company is committed to being a Great Place to Work and empowering employees to push the boundaries of science and fuel their entrepreneurial spirit.

Pharmaceutical Sciences is a department within AstraZeneca R&D. The vision for Pharmaceutical Sciences is to deliver therapies of the future through leadership in drug delivery, synthesis design, and manufacturing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) and drug product. Our portfolio includes traditional small molecules, nucleotide-based therapies and nanomedicines across AstraZeneca’s therapy areas.

An opportunity exists in Pharmaceutical Sciences for an exceptional individual in solid-state chemistry, working across drug substance and drug product disciplines. We are looking for a Senior Scientist to join our Early Product Development and Manufacturing (EPDM) team in the UK. You will collaborate with analytical, formulation and biopharmaceutics scientists in EPDM and with colleagues in other functions to drive science and innovation within drug projects, including global collaboration with scientists at Macclesfield, Cambridge, Boston & Gothenburg sites.

The successful applicant will become a core member of the global Solid-state skill area, responsible for ensuring suitable physical form and formulation screening, selection and control within drug substance and product. The team supports the full discovery and early development stages up to Phase II clinical trials. The successful candidate will be a self-starter, an exceptional team player, and committed to delivering high‑quality science to projects.

• Responsible for ensuring suitable physical form and early formulation screening, physical characterisation, form and formulation selection and control within drug substance and product.
• Represent the solid state skill area in projects. Work closely with formulation, analytical, and biopharmaceutics scientists in EPDM as well as scientists in other functions to drive science and innovation.
• Deliver robust physical forms which meet the needs of the patient.
• Plan and conduct lab-based experimental work in accordance with project timelines.
• Keep abreast of the scientific literature and proactively apply existing and novel approaches to projects.
• Drive and lead science personally and within the department, manage external collaborations and publish novel work in peer-reviewed journals.
• This role is a lab-based role and requires full-time office presence with some flexibility.

• You will have a Chemistry or Pharmacy PhD or be a graduate with relevant experience in solid-state chemistry, formulation, physical chemistry or related disciplines.
• You will have experience in screening and characterisation of solids (e.g., X-ray diffraction, spectroscopy, thermal analysis, microscopic techniques, moisture sorption), with an awareness of analytical methodology and enthusiasm for laboratory-based work.
• You will have experience of or a keen interest in small-scale, high-throughput automation for screening of solid forms/formulations.
• Creativity and innovation, built on sound technical knowledge and problem-solving skills to deliver robust physical forms for patients.
• Ability to assess, review and report data with an understanding of reliability; interpret findings and draw authoritative conclusions and recommendations for multidisciplinary project teams.
• Excellent communication, teamwork, networking and leadership skills.
• Ability to work in cross-functional teams with a degree of independence representing own department or area of expertise.

• Experience/knowledge or interest in modelling, simulation or prediction.
• Ability to drive and lead science within the department and manage external collaborations.
• Knowledge or interest in automation.
• Computational skills e.g., Python programming,…