Position Details:
Client Industry: Pharmaceutical
Job Title: Scientist II - Biologics Developability
Location: Worcester, MA - 01604 - 100% Onsite (Preffered Local Candidate)
Duration: 12 Months Contract (++ Possibilities of Extension based on the Performance and Business need)
Pay Range: $40.00 to $46.00 per hour
Description
- The Biologics CMC Developability team is an integral part of the Biologics CMC Drug Product Development organization. The team is responsible for identifying biophysical and chemical liabilities in discovery-stage biologic drug candidates to guide lead selection and characterizing key CMC attributes important for biologic drug development.
- We are seeking a Scientist III to support biologic drug product development through advanced analytical characterization of therapeutic biologic molecules. This role focuses on LC-MS and chromatography-based analytical characterization, preparation of analytical packages for downstream stakeholders, and assessment of critical quality attributes and molecular characteristics of biologic candidates. The successful candidate will work in a collaborative laboratory environment, generate high-quality analytical data, and contribute to development-stage biologics programs using cutting-edge analytical techniques.
Top 3 Required Skills
- Biologics characterization using Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS).
- Liquid chromatography methods (SEC, IEX, RP-HPLC).
- BS/MS/PhD in Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry (or equivalent) with relevant biopharmaceutical industry experience.
- Must Haves
- BS or MS in Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, or equivalent (Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or related scientific discipline), with:
- 3–5 years of biopharmaceutical industry experience (Bachelor's), OR
- 1–2 years of biopharmaceutical industry experience (Master's), OR
- PhD with 0+ years of biopharmaceutical industry experience.
- Hands-on experience with protein mass spectrometry, including:
- Subunit analysis
- Peptide mapping
- Disulfide mapping
- Strong experience with LC-MS-based characterization of biologic molecules.
- Experience with liquid chromatography methods commonly used for biologic protein characterization, including:
- Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC)
- Ion Exchange Chromatography (IEX)
- Reverse Phase HPLC (RP-HPLC)
- Experience with LC-MS data processing and analysis.
- Experience supporting biologics analytical characterization in a pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical industry environment.
- Experience preparing analytical packages and reports for downstream stakeholders.
- Proficiency in MS Excel and GraphPad.
- Ability to independently execute experiments, analyze data, and deliver high-quality scientific results.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Excellent collaboration and teamwork skills.
Day to Day
- Perform in-depth LC-MS-based characterization of therapeutic biologic molecules and evaluate post-translational modifications (PTMs).
- Conduct liquid chromatography-based characterization using Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC), Ion Exchange Chromatography (IEX), and Reverse Phase HPLC (RP-HPLC).
- Execute experimental protocols, collect results, and perform data analysis independently.
- Perform chromatography-based analytical testing to support biologics development programs.
- Prepare analytical packages for downstream stakeholders, including Analytical Research & Development (ARD) and Product Research & Development (PRD).
- Analyze experimental data and prepare scientific reports and presentations.
- Maintain electronic laboratory notebooks, protocols, and scientific documentation.
- Support operation, maintenance, calibration of laboratory equipment, and routine laboratory operations.
- Collaborate with cross-functional research and development teams to achieve project goals.
- Build strong relationships across teams supporting biologics development.
- Follow laboratory safety procedures, corporate code of conduct, and documentation compliance standards.
Plusses
- Experience with Waters Empower software.
- Experience with Protein Metrics software.
- Experience with liquid handling robotic systems and workflow automation.
- Experience with Hamilton or Tecan liquid handling platforms.
- Experience supporting biologic drug development and CMC activities.
- Demonstrated record of independent thinking, creativity, scientific innovation, publications, or technical achievements.
- Strong problem-solving and experimental troubleshooting skills.
- Experience working in downstream biopharmaceutical development environments.
Ideal Candidate
- Strong biologics analytical characterization experience.
- Hands-on expertise with LC-MS and chromatography-based analytical workflows.
- Experience supporting development-stage biologics or Biologics CMC programs.
- Strong industry experience preferred over primarily academic experience.
- Self-motivated with the ability to independently plan and execute experiments.
- Comfortable performing routine analytical laboratory workflows with minimal supervision.
Key Screening
- Biologics analytical characterization experience.
- LC-MS / Mass Spectrometry experience.
- Liquid Chromatography experience.
- Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) experience.
- Ion Exchange Chromatography (IEX) experience.
- Reverse Phase HPLC (RP-HPLC) experience.
- Peptide Mapping experience.
- Protein Mass Spectrometry experience.
- Experience with Waters Empower.
- Experience with Protein Metrics.
- GraphPad and MS Excel proficiency.
- Experience supporting biologics characterization workflows.
- Downstream biopharmaceutical development experience.
- Experience preparing analytical packages for downstream stakeholders.
- Experience limited to small molecules without biologics exposure.
- No liquid chromatography experience.
- Primarily academic experience without relevant biopharmaceutical industry experience.
- PhD candidates with significantly more than approximately 2 years of post-PhD industry experience.
- Master's candidates with approximately 12+ years of experience who may be overqualified.
Benefits:
The Company offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements: medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, short-term disability insurance, paid parking/public transportation, (paid time , paid sick and safe time , hours of paid vacation time, weeks of paid parental leave, paid holidays annually – These all are subject to applicable eligibility).