Research Associate I/II, Formulation & Process Development

Flagship Pioneering, Inc.•Cambridge, MA

3h•$65,000 - $93,500•Onsite

About The Position

This role will be a foundational hire supporting our formulation and product development efforts, with a primary focus on the development, screening, and optimization of dried powder formulations. The individual will play a critical hands-on role in executing formulation strategies using techniques such as lyophilization and spray drying, while contributing experimental rigor, physical insight, and data-driven decision-making to early-stage platform development. The Research Associate will work closely with process development partners to produce robust, stable, and scalable processes. In addition to executing experiments, this role will contribute to experimental design, data interpretation, and the establishment of best practices for formulation screening, characterization, and documentation in a fast-moving, early-stage environment.

Requirements

BS or MS degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, pharmaceutical sciences, materials science, biotechnology, or related discipline.
RA I: BS with up to 2 years of relevant industry experience
RA II: BS with 2-4 years or MS with 0–2 years of relevant industry experience
Grounding in physical chemistry or materials science principles relevant to dried systems, including glass transition behavior, crystallinity, moisture interactions, and excipient effects strongly preferred.
Familiarity with analytical and characterization techniques for powders and solid-state materials (e.g., DSC, TGA, particle sizing, microscopy, bulk property measurements) is preferred.
Proven ability to work independently in a dynamic, early-stage research environment is preferred.
Experience designing and executing sound experiments with the ability to interpret results and use data to guide experimental iteration.
Strong scientific documentation and communication skills.
Demonstrated curiosity, adaptability, and comfort working across disciplines, with an interest in translating early scientific concepts into robust, scalable technologies.

Responsibilities

Design and execute mixing protocols for solid and liquid mixtures, optimizing for uniformity, stability, viscosity, temperature and pH during the mixing process;
Execute protocols for production of dried formulations by spray drying, freeze drying and milling operations. Observe and conduct in process checks to ensure robustness of formulated material.
Characterize dried powder products using appropriate analytical and physical methods (e.g., particle size and morphology, thermal analysis, moisture content, bulk properties) to inform formulation and process decisions;
Support process development and scale-awareness by documenting critical parameters, identifying sources of variability, and generating data relevant to future scale-up, tech transfer, or external partnerships;
Maintain clear, rigorous experimental documentation and generate high-quality summaries, figures, and datasets suitable for internal decision-making;
Contribute to the establishment of long-term formulation workflows, best practices, and standards that support platform development in a small, highly collaborative team.
Designs, conducts and maintains stability studies of packaged formulations by timely stability pulls and analyses of stability samples in accordance with internal standards for shelf-life verification.
Immediate and fluid communication of results, roadblocks, errors, ideas and breakthroughs to team members to ensure fast paced innovation.