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Senior Process Engineer, Cell Therapy Process Development

Job in Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California, 90403, USA
Listing for: AstraZeneca plc
Full Time position
Listed on 2026-10-10
Job specializations:
  • Engineering
    Process Engineer, Validation Engineer, Quality Engineering
Salary/Wage Range or Industry Benchmark: 96000 - 144000 USD Yearly USD 96000.00 144000.00 YEAR
Job Description & How to Apply Below
Position Summary

We are seeking a highly motivated Senior Process Engineer to support cell therapy process characterization and commercialization activities. In this role, you will play critical role in advancing late-stage cell therapy process development, process characterization, PPQ readiness, BLA-enabling studies, and technology transfer to different manufacturing sites.

This position focuses specifically on cell therapy unit operations, including T-cell enrichment, activation, transduction, washes and harvest either semi-automated or automated equipment.

The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise, hands-on experience with cell therapy unit operations, and demonstrates success in supporting clinical and commercial readiness.

Key Responsibilities Process development and characterization
  • Design, execute, and support autologous or allogenic cell therapy process optimization and robustness studies.
  • Drive implementation of closed-system operations and automation strategies to support scalability and compliance.
  • Plan and execute process characterization studies (DOE, multivariate studies, scale-down models, and scale-up assessments) in alignment with QbD and ICH guidelines.
  • Perform risk assessment, data analysis, write technical reports, and present outcome of the studies to cross-functional teams and governance forums.
  • Support development and refinement of control strategies for cell therapy processes, including raw materials, and cell therapy process parameters.
  • Conduct batch record review, deviation assessment, and data trending to ensure robustness of cell therapy manufacturing processes.
  • Apply AI-enabled tools and digital analytics to accelerate data review, trend analysis, batch record evaluation, and process understanding.
PPQ, Tech Transfer & Manufacturing Readiness
  • Contribute to PPQ planning, readiness, execution, and documentation for cell therapy processes.
  • Support technology transfer of cell therapy processes to internal manufacturing sites including make-a-batch assessments and drafting manufacturing batch record.
  • Provide on-the-floor technical support during scale-up, engineering runs, PPQ batches, and commercial manufacturing campaigns (including off-shift support when required).
  • Support raw material risk assessments, comparability studies, and process risk evaluations across facilities and platforms.
Regulatory Support
  • Contribute to authoring and reviewing CMC documentation, including cell therapy process descriptions, characterization summaries, PPQ protocols and reports, and control strategy elements.
  • Support preparation of BLA/MAA submissions and responses to regulatory questions related to cell therapy manufacturing.
Cross-functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with analytical sciences, quality, regulatory, and manufacturing teams to ensure end-to-end process alignment.
  • Represent cell therapy characterization activities in technical meetings, reviews, and governance discussions.
  • Support lifecycle management, post-approval changes, and continuous improvement initiatives for cell therapy processes.
Required Qualifications
  • Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Biotechnology, or related field with 2+ years of industry experience; OR M.S. with 5+ years; OR B.S. with 7+ years of hands-on industry experience.
  • Strong technical expertise in key cell therapy unit operations (e.g., cell isolation, activation, transduction, expansion, harvest, formulation, cryopreservation).
  • Demonstrated experience with GMP operations and late-stage / commercial readiness.
  • Proven ability to analyze complex datasets, develop sound recommendations, and communicate clearly across levels
  • Experience with late-stage development, process characterization, and PPQ principles for cell therapy processes.
  • Demonstrated proficiency in applying AI tools and digital solutions to data analysis, documentation, and workflow automation.
  • Experience working in GMP environments, including batch record execution or review, deviations, and investigations.
  • Strong technical writing, data analysis, and problem-solving skills.
Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience with viral vector handling (Lentivirus, AAV) in manufacturing processes.
  • Familiarity with automation platforms (e.g., CliniMACS Prodigy, Lovo, G-Rex, Wave bioreactors).
  • Experience implementing closed, automated, or high-throughput systems.
  • Experience designing and executing DOE and multivariate data analysis for cell therapy processes.
  • Experience with JMP or similar statistical analysis tools.
  • Experience…
Position Requirements
10+ Years work experience
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