Associate Scientist/Scientist, Discovery Biology

Century Therapeutics•Watertown, MA

11d

About The Position

Century Therapeutics (NASDAQ: IPSC) is a biotechnology company advancing a pipeline of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cell therapies with the potential to meaningfully address autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes, and cancer. The company’s therapies are derived from its iPSC cell foundry and leverage its novel immune evasion engineering technology, Allo-Evasion™. Century believes its approach to developing off-the-shelf cell therapies will expand patient access and provide advantages over existing cell therapies which will ultimately advance the course of care. Role: Century Therapeutics is seeking a highly motivated Associate Scientist or Scientist to join the Islet Differentiation team group, focused on upstream process development for iPSC-derived pancreatic islet differentiation within the CNTY-813 program. This process-engineering focused role partners closely with existing research and process development leadership to develop, optimize, and scale bioreactor-based beta islet differentiation. The ideal candidate brings a strong process mindset, hands-on experience with bioreactors for stem cell differentiation, and a passion for translating biology into scalable, manufacturable systems. The successful candidate will contribute to experimental design using Quality by Design (QbD) principles, apply Design of Experiments (DOE), and help establish robust, reproducible processes for generating high-quality islet cell populations.?

Requirements

Associate Scientist: BS or MS in bioengineering, chemical engineering, biology, or related field with ~2–5+ years of relevant experience.
Scientist: MS or PhD in bioengineering, chemical engineering, biology, or related field with ~3–8+ years of relevant experience.
Extensive hands-on experience with suspension bioreactor culture, preferably in PBS Vertical-Wheel (VW) systems, but other bioreactor systems will be considered.
Demonstrated experience developing, executing, and optimizing iPSC differentiation processes in scalable, suspension-based formats.
Experience applying Quality by Design (QbD) principles to define Critical Process Parameters (CPPs), Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs), operating ranges, and control strategies.
Practical experience applying Design of Experiments (DOE) to optimize media/feed formulations and key process parameters (e.g., agitation, feeding strategies, inoculation density).
Strong technical background in molecular and cellular characterization, including RT-qPCR, flow cytometry, and ELISA.
Experience using statistical and data-driven approaches to guide process optimization, assess robustness, and support scale-up decisions.
Ability to generate high-quality, well-documented datasets and maintain thorough experimental records (e.g., electronic lab notebooks, SOPs).
Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across Research, Process Development, and CMC organizations.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present technical data and contribute to cross-functional process strategy discussions.

Nice To Haves

Prior beta cell or islet-like differentiation experience in suspension preferred.
Familiarity with GraphPad Prism, FlowJo, JMP, or MODDE.
Hands-on experience optimizing stem cell differentiation using cytokines and growth factors, including temporal control strategies and cocktail development.
Technical expertise in manufacturing processes, bioreactor equipment, and engineering scaling principles, with experience translating scale-down models to manufacturing-scale technologies and supporting GMP-aligned technology transfer.
Experience training or mentoring colleagues on bioreactor operation, standardized workflows, or QbD-driven process development methodologies.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with Research, Process Development, and CMC teams to advance iPSC differentiation in suspension bioreactor systems, with a focus on optimization and scale-up readiness for manufacturing.
Design, execute, and optimize iPSC differentiation processes in suspension bioreactors, preferably using 3L PBS vertical-wheel (VW) platforms.
Identify and define Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs), Critical Process Parameters (CPPs), operating ranges, and control strategies to support robust, scalable processes.
Apply Quality by Design (QbD) and Design of Experiments (DOE) methodologies (e.g. JMP, MODDE) to optimize cytokine and temporal signaling, feeding strategies, timing, agitation, inoculation density, and other critical process parameters.
Develop mechanistic insight into differentiation outcomes by integrating process parameters with molecular and phenotypic readouts (RT-qPCR, flow cytometry, ELISA).
Generate high-quality, reproducible datasets to support process optimization, scale-up decisions, and program milestones.
Perform routine culture, maintenance, and differentiation of human iPSCs in both adherent and suspension formats.
Generate cell material for downstream studies using current best protocols.
Analyze, interpret, and document experimental data using electronic lab notebooks; present findings in technical forums and contribute to process strategy discussions.
Author, review, and update SOPs, batch records, and process documentation; support tech transfer activities as needed.
Train colleagues on bioreactor operation, standardized workflows, and QbD-driven process development as needed.
Maintain a safe, organized, and compliant laboratory environment.