research associate - drug product analytics (m/f/d) - 9-month fixed-term contract.

Reporting to the DP Analytics Lab Head in the Global Drug Product Development organization, you have the opportunity to significantly contribute to the development of innovative therapeutic drugs within our high-tech CMC development laboratories at the Biotech Development Center (BDC), helping to shape the future of biotech drug product development.

You will collaborate with scientists, robotic & automation experts, and other analysts to support the execution of formulation development studies across early and late stages of CMC development. When required, you will perform analytical activities on biologic formulations during formulation and process development studies, including but not limited to liquid chromatography, electrophoretic methods, and mass spectrometry-based methods. Depending on your background and seniority, you will also guide the implementation of analytical methods from laboratory scale to an automation/robotic scale, working closely with our automation and formulation development scientists.
 

Your responsibilities include contributing to the development and rollout of high-tech formulation development laboratories in the BDC, by:

• Executing analytical activities, mainly in electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, and liquid chromatography
• Scouting for novel analytical approaches for predictive and/or high-throughput screening (HTS) of biotech formulations
• Interacting with automation and robotic experts to support formulation activities on the robotic platform, as well as standard formulation development and analytics in the lab
• Taking ownership of the quality and accuracy of your own work, operating with a low level of guidance in complex situations, and actively seeking, sharing, and re-applying knowledge within your field

Who you are:

• MSc degree, or equivalent experience as a senior technician, in Chemistry, Pharmacy, Biology, Biotechnology, or a related field
• Strong hands-on experience with analytical tools used in biotech product testing and characterization, including but not limited to electrophoresis, liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometry. Experience with compendial methods, spectroscopy, calorimetry, and particle characterization is a strong plus
• Experience in formulation development and/or characterization of biologics or other protein samples, across early and late phase, ideally within an industry setting. Hands-on experience with Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) and/or Antibody-Oligonucleotide Conjugates (AOCs) is a plus
• Basic experience with automation and/or high-throughput screening (HTS) approaches is a plus; familiarity with Data Quality principles and Quality by Design (e.g., DoE) is also a plus
• Hands-on experience with laboratory information systems, digital tools, and lean principles is preferred
• A proactive mindset for identifying new tools and technologies, spotting improvement opportunities, and anticipating future challenges
• A collaborative, team-oriented approach, comfortable working across scientific, automation, and robotics functions
• Excellent written, interpersonal, and presentation communication skills in English; French is an asset