Associate Specialist

AstraZeneca • Gaithersburg, MD

13d • Onsite

About The Position

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 crafts life-changing medicines for people around the world. This campus employs more than 3,500 authorities 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 crafted to encourage collaboration and cross-functional science. We believe employees benefit from being challenged and encouraged at work. We are dedicated to crafting a culture of inclusion and collaboration. The Gaithersburg site offers a variety of amenities to help boost efficiency 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 decrafted activity-based workspaces to suit a variety of working styles while growing collaboration between teams. Summary of the group: As an associate specialist in the Clinical production team within Biopharmaceutical Development, you’ll build broad knowledge of bioprocessing in a cGMP environment to launch your career in the biopharmaceutical industry. In this role you will take an adaptable, science driven approach to everything you do. You will become an integral part of process development, accelerating product candidates into the clinic and gaining knowledge and experience in cell culture, purification and critical support activities. Under the supervision of highly trained personnel, you will gain the process knowledge and abilities to perform large scale clinical development activities. You will join a collaborative and driven team in an extraordinary biopharmaceutical company.

Requirements

• Associate degree or Bachelor's degree in a science field with 0 years’ experience
• Downstream
• Introductory knowledge of chromatography process operations, depth filtration, column packing, TFF (Tangential Flow Filtration) and basic analytical testing (e.g., Protein concentration, osmolarity, pH etc.)
• Upstream
• Introductory knowledge of cell culture operations and cell banking.
• Ability to operate process equipment such as a Bioreactor, Centrifuge, depth filtration, and work in a Biosafety Cabinet. Centrifuge Harvest Operations.
• Ability to work with others in a team environment.
• Ability to learn and operate basic analytical testing equipment.
• Introductory knowledge of cell culture operations and cell banking.
• Ability to operate process equipment such as a Bioreactor, Centrifuge, depth filtration, and work in a Biosafety Cabinet. Centrifuge Harvest Operations.
• Ability to work with others in a team environment.
• Ability to learn and operate basic analytical testing equipment.
• Support Services
• Familiarity with area specific production equipment such as parts washers, autoclaves, fixed and portable stainless-steel tanks, etc.
• Familiarity with basic chemistry concepts.
• Introductory knowledge of raw material weigh-out and media/buffer preparation.
• All stream
• Introductory knowledge of cell culture operations including Biosafety Cabinet Operation, Bioreactor Operations, aseptic technique and harvest.
• Introductory knowledge of chromatography, filtration and basic analytical testing (e.g., Protein concentration, osmolarity, pH etc.)
• Familiarity with basic chemistry concepts.
• Introductory knowledge of raw material weigh-out and media/buffer preparation.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrates a high level of drive and initiative.
• Logic and decision-making abilities, critical thinking and troubleshooting skills. • Demonstrates flexibility and willingness to change ways of working/see opportunities to improve processes within cGMP clinical manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Operates bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment such as: incubators, stainless steel and disposable bioreactors, depth filtration skids, chromatography skids, single-use mixers, centrifuges, washers, autoclaves, tanks and in-process testing instruments.
• Performs steam sterilization, clean in place, manual cleaning and sanitization of equipment
• Records manufacturing activities clearly and accurately within approved current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) documents and regulatory requirements.
• Prepares for processing by ensuring equipment and materials vital are adequate and available.
• Ensures a safe and environmentally sustainable work environment in accordance with AstraZeneca standards
• Ability to apply MS Office tools and AZ enterprise systems

Benefits

• qualified retirement programs
• paid time off (i.e., vacation, holiday, and leaves)
• health, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms of the applicable plans

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees