Senior Research Associate, Formulations

Flagship Pioneering, Inc.•Cambridge, MA

18h•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 Senior Research Associate will work closely with process development partners to produce robust, stable, and scalable powders. 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

Bachelor’s degree (with 5-7 years of relevant research experience) or Master’s degree (with 3-5 years of relevant research experience) in chemistry, chemical engineering, pharmaceutical sciences, materials science, biotechnology, or a related discipline.
Demonstrated experience with drying-based formulation techniques, including lyophilization and/or spray drying, and an understanding of how process parameters influence solid-state properties;
Strong grounding in physical chemistry or materials science principles relevant to dried systems, including glass transition behavior, crystallinity, moisture interactions, and excipient effects;
Experience designing and executing statistically informed experiments (e.g., DoEs), with the ability to interpret interaction effects and use data to guide experimental iteration;
Familiarity with analytical and characterization techniques for powders and solid-state materials (e.g., DSC, TGA, particle sizing, microscopy, bulk property measurements), and the ability to select fit-for-purpose methods;
Familiarity with downstream processing operations (e.g., tangential flow filtration and other purification workflows);
Proven ability to work independently in a dynamic, early-stage research environment, balancing hands-on execution with thoughtful experimental planning and cross-functional communication;
Strong scientific documentation and communication skills, with experience generating reproducible records and decision-enabling datasets;
Embodies resilience and scientific rigor in pursuing complex technical questions by iteratively testing hypotheses and refining parameters through uncertainty to converge on robust, optimized solutions.
Demonstrated curiosity, adaptability, and comfort working across disciplines, with an interest in translating early scientific concepts into robust, scalable technologies.

Responsibilities

Design, execute, and optimize dried powder formulations using lyophilization and spray drying, with a focus on stability, reproducibility, and performance across multiple formulation variables;
Execute formulation screening efforts using statistically grounded experimental designs (e.g., DoEs), including selection of factors, responses, and experimental conditions, and translate results into actionable next steps;
Evaluate the impact of excipients, processing conditions, and storage environments on material stability, integrity, and functionality, including under accelerated or stress conditions;
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, patent disclosures, and external communication;
Contribute to the establishment of long-term formulation workflows, best practices, and standards that support platform development in a small, highly collaborative team.