Job Opportunity: Scientist I/II – Cell Therapy – BPD, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
Location Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States Job ID R-086063 Date posted 07/06/2020
Do you have a passion for Science? Would you like to apply your expertise to impact a company that follows the science and turns ideas into life changing medicines? Then AstraZeneca might be the one for you!
At AstraZeneca, we put patients first and strive to meet their unmet needs worldwide. Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big and working together to make the impossible a reality. If you are swift to action, confident to lead, willing to collaborate, and curious about what science can do, then you’re our kind of person.
About AstraZeneca in Gaithersburg, MD:
Our Gaithersburg, Maryland facility creates life-changing medicines for people around the world. This campus employs more than 3,500 experts in our field and is only a short drive from Washington, DC. This modern and vibrant scientific campus is the home of R&D and Oncology in the US. Here, we play host to some of the most cutting-edge technology and lab spaces, all designed to inspire collaboration and cross-functional science. We believe employees benefit from being challenged and inspired at work. We are dedicated to creating a culture of inclusion and collaboration.
The Gaithersburg site offers a variety of amenities to help boost productivity and help keep our employees happy and healthy. This includes a fitness center, employee healthcare clinic, electric vehicle charging stations, dry cleaning, full-service cafeteria and copy center. This is where you’ll find newly-designed, activity-based work spaces to suit a variety of working styles while increasing collaboration between teams.
Main Duties & Responsibilities:
- The candidate will play an important role in developing the clinical formulation and cryopreservation, fill and finish process for developing cellular therapy, oncolytic virus and adeno-associated viral products
- The candidate will independently, or with minimal supervision, plan and execute formulation, cryopreservation process and fill/finish development.
- The candidate will prepare study protocols, reports, technology transfer documentation, and regulatory documents for clinical trials.
- The candidate will present study results at team, department meetings, to external partners or at conferences.
- The candidate will perform analytical assays in support of solubility, stability and elucidation of degradation mechanisms.
- The candidate should be able to function effectively as a member of one or more project teams.
Candidate must have strong interpersonal, communication and presentation skills and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced dynamic environment. Good verbal and written communication skills, attention to detail and organized work habits are essential.
Education & Experience Requirements:
Education: PhD, M.S. or B.S. in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Pharmaceutics, Chemical/biochemical Engineering or related field
Experience: BS with x-x years or MS with x-x years or PhD with 0-3 years in biopharmaceutical industry/Academic lab
Required Skills:
- Experience in developing biologics product development including formulation and fill/finish development and characterization and/or cryobiology
- Experience in handling cell and understanding aseptic techniques is required
- In-depth knowledge of formulation development and analytical characterization of proteins.
- Strong knowledge of protein structure and stability
- Good communication skills, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to thrive in an interdisciplinary fast paced environment are also an integral part of this position.
Desired Skills:
- Experience in principles and practices of cellular immunology and/or stem cell biology, including cell culture, cell transfection and transduction, development and execution of functional in vitro methods relevant for various types of immune cells and/or stem cells is highly desired
- Experience with formulation development, biophysical and biochemical characterization of viruses, protein and viral stability, and analytical methods development is desired.
- Experience in calorimetry, gel electrophoresis, HPLC, lyophilization, UV/Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, qPCR and cell based assays along with general knowledge of fill/finish operations would be advantageous.
- Understanding and experience of using the tools of Design of Experiment (DOE) and Quality by Design (QBD) in formulation and process development is highly preferred.
Why AstraZeneca?
At AstraZeneca when we see an opportunity for change, we seize it and make it happen, because any opportunity no matter how small, can be the start of something big. Delivering life-changing medicines is about being entrepreneurial – finding those moments and recognising their potential. Join us on our journey of building a new kind of organisation to reset expectations of what a bio-pharmaceutical company can be. This means we’re opening new ways to work, pioneering cutting edge methods and bringing unexpected teams together. Interested? Come and join our journey.
So, what’s next!
Are you ready to bring new ideas and fresh thinking to the table? Brilliant! We have one seat available and we hope it’s yours.