Principal Research Scientist I, Engineering
About The Position
Process engineers support active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and natural products projects through late-stage development, commercialization, and the product life cycle. This role assesses key unit operations, such as reactions and crystallizations, for process robustness, scientific understanding, and scale-up risks from laboratory to manufacturing environments. Success requires effective cross-functional collaboration with technical, quality, and regulatory functions, as well as on-site manufacturing personnel. The role leads research and project activities with a group of scientists, mentoring, guiding, and/or supervising scientific personnel. It oversees the design, implementation, and optimization of processes for small-molecule APIs, antibody drug conjugates, peptides, and natural products from development through commercialization. The scientist independently develops and communicates multidisciplinary research or development strategies, leads scientific work on their own project, and contributes expertise to other projects.
Requirements
- BS, MS, or PhD in chemical engineering or a related field.
- Relevant industrial experience: 14+ years with a BS, 12+ years with an MS, or 6+ years with a PhD.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Thorough theoretical and practical understanding of the candidate’s scientific discipline.
- Demonstrated ability to function as a principal investigator and generate original technical ideas and research or development strategies.
- Recognized expertise in the discipline within the company and possibly externally.
- Demonstrated success as a primary author of publications, presentations, or regulatory documents and/or as a primary inventor of patents.
- Demonstrated scientific communication and presentation skills, including presenting at leading scientific conferences.
- Ability to build strong relationships with peers and cross-functionally with partners outside the team.
- Ability to learn quickly, understand key objectives, and change course when needed.
- Raises the bar and is not satisfied with the status quo.
- Creates a learning environment that is open to suggestions and experimentation for improvement.
- Embraces others’ ideas and nurtures innovation.
- Demonstrates strong technical and personal mentorship of others.
Responsibilities
- Apply chemical engineering principles, including chemical kinetics, transport phenomena, thermodynamics, and mathematical modeling, to experimental design, problem-solving, and data analysis.
- Follow corporate standards for conduct, safety, appropriate handling of materials, controlled drugs and radioactive compounds, and GxP compliance.
- Function as a principal investigator, generating original technical ideas and research or development strategies.
- Use creative approaches to solve difficult problems and champion new technologies to achieve project goals.
- Take independent responsibility for project science within the area of expertise on one or more project teams.
- Contribute significantly to project teams through laboratory-based or other activities.
- Generate new scientific proposals and lead those efforts.
- Anticipate and critically evaluate scientific or regulatory advances and competitive threats, and respond with appropriate strategies.
- Serve as a recognized expert in the discipline within the company and possibly externally.
- Author publications, presentations, and regulatory documents and/or serve as a primary inventor on patents; present at leading scientific conferences.
- Mentor and supervise one or more team members, evaluate their performance, and be accountable for team or individual effectiveness.
Benefits
- Paid time off, including vacation, holidays, and sick time.
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance for eligible employees.
- 401(k) for eligible employees.
- Eligibility to participate in long-term incentive programs.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Principal
